Panther Press

First, a thank you as we close out our third week- the year has started off chaotically, with internal and external causes. It seems to be settling down-thank you for being diligent and staying focused.

However, we still need to reflect on our core tenants that help keep students and staff safe, happy and focused. We'll discuss more in depth on Monday, but are some important reminders:

1. We are here to serve students. ALL students. I'm troubled by reports that staff are complaining, occasionally in earshot of classes, about having to work with "hard" kids, or "crazy" kids, or even more upsetting, public conversations about what ratio they belong in. Leave out the negative adjectives- our kids are gorgeous human beings with meaningful thoughts, motivations and needs. Don't ever dare forget that. You also have no idea about our students' lived experiences, or the paths they and their family walked before they joined ours. We all signed on for this job. In this school. In this district. If you feel the need to dehumanize our beautiful students IN ANY WAY and actively take away their dignity, this is 100 percent not the right place for you.

   
   

2. In addition to the note above, please understand that we are here to supervise students. While I hope you feel engaged and empowered by the work you do here, you DO NOT get to selectively pick who you will work with. Staff are placed where there is a need, and occasionally you might move from your comfort zone. Congratulations- that is how you learn to be resilient, and reflective, and accepting. Again, you dehumanize students and extinguish their dignity if you complain loudly and excessively about having to work with them.

   
   

3. Put away your phones and your Airpods. That's it. You should know better. If we see it, we will write it up. Here is the portion of the handbook you should familiarize yourself with:

1. Personal phone calls should only be made on your cell phone during your lunch period. Personal calls are not to be made or received (by cell phone) when you are on duty in the classroom. The office will notify you if you have an emergency call. An emergency is a sudden illness, hospitalization, accident or fire. Calls during work hours may result in disciplinary action. All cellular telephones must be in the mute position. They should not be ringing in the classrooms or during any professional meetings.

2. Please do not text or check your phones during instructional time unless it is a documented part of the day’s instructional plan- this could lead to disciplinary action

3. Staff may not wear air pods or any other earpieces in the building.

4. Staff may not use their cellular telephone to contact parents from the classroom to discuss individual student behaviors. This practice usually causes negative behaviors to escalate and infringes on the child’s right to privacy

   
   

4. Please remember the absence policies highlighted in the BTC handbook:

1. All staff members must email 373kabsences@NYCDOE.onmicrosoft.com no later than 6:45 AM to report any absence from work. This ensures that the school has adequate time to make necessary scheduling adjustments. Texting absences is not permitted and may result in disciplinary action. Staff who report illness at the beginning of the school day are not permitted to report for duty later without permission from the principal.

2. Teachers and paraprofessionals must also notify the Sub-Central Registry at (718) 935-6740 or at www.subcentral.nycenet.edu when absent. The registry begins taking calls at 5:00AM. Please contact SubCentral no later than 6:30 A.M. This will increase the school’s chances of obtaining a substitute for that day.

   
   

5. Finally, remember to be curious, not judgmental. It's easy to sit back and judge situations you know nothing about, often assuming the worst. Please understand, it is incredibly rare that you have access to all sides of any situation. Your colleagues are all multi-faceted, complicated and thoughtful people. When you judge, and discuss those assumptions with others, you again dehumanize someone, often affecting school-wide morale in the process.

My last words prior to the weekend? Be kind. Show grace. Be curious. And remember why you are here.

Dear BTC Community,

I’m excited to announce the launch of our very own Brooklyn Dreams Podcast, a brand-new platform created by students for students! This initiative is part of our school-wide news program, where students have been working hard to develop their skills in media production, communication, and storytelling.

What to Expect:

• Weekly podcasts featuring school news, student interviews, upcoming events, and fun discussions on topics that matter to our community.
• Insightful and creative content, all produced and led by our students.

We are thrilled to share the link to our very first episode, Brooklyn Dreams Part 1.

Please listen, share, and subscribe to our amazing students as they explore new ways of communicating and showcasing their talents.

Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to sharing more exciting episodes with you soon!

Warm Regards

Mr. Charles

10/3 and 10/4- No school. Rosh Hashanah

10/14- No school, Indigenous People's Day

10/18- Breast Cancer Walk, wear pink

10/25- Masquerade Ball, 5-7PM

2:30-3:00 PM

Staff Meeting

3:00-3:45

AI Team

Intro to AI in schools

Link

extended day

Sep 30, 2024 02:30 PM

https://zoom.us/j/92876353180?pwd=4v2bPXpwAy6ay3eMi9anA0TaO4M3j9.1

Meeting ID: 928 7635 3180

Passcode: 790504

Ellery Street staff,

Please use this form when you need a coverage during the work day- this will make requests easier to track and honor.

Please use this online SWISS form for behavioral referrals to the crisis teams at Ellery and Gotham.

https://forms.gle/vzquNeo2Vy5snZ1q8

Congratulations to Ms. Gilyard's and Ms. Summers's classes for answering thousands of questions on the IXL platform!

From Ms. Gilinson:

Hi! This book is amazing! Part of the book takes place at McKinney middle school too.

Thank you to Jerome Gooden. Tiana Clarke and Mya Dennie for arranging 310 B in preparation for clubs!

I've talked to some of you about my love of octopuses, discovered when I learned that they will often punch fish simply out of spite. I don't only love them for the violence- they are intelligent and amazing creatures. Andrew Morrison shared this CNN video- take a look and see why I'm enamored- this is completely appropriate to share with students. If you continue to be intrigued, check out the film My Octopus Teacher.

https://www.cnn.com/cnn10

I wanted to give a shoutout to all of my Family at Flatbush Town Hall for the best first weeks of school EVER. I couldn't be more grateful for the support of this most amazing team who has come together in support of one another to get this year off to such a successful start.

From Kara O'Connor:

Nick Millus is an absolute gem. He is an eloquent and thoughtful advocate for his students, and is working so hard to get all of his students OPWDD based eligibility.

I've been listening to tons of Frank Ocean this gray week, feels very atmospheric, and all of his songs have just the right bit of melancholy for back to school time.