
This Week @ PS 88Q
March 16, 2025
STEM/Career Night Event: Wednesday March 26th 5:30pm-7:00pm
A Message From Mrs. O'Shaughnessy
What a week it has been!
As spring officially arrived, it brought with it a renewed energy and a burst of excitement throughout our building — and it couldn't be more fitting. Just like the season, so many of our programs and activities are blooming beautifully!
In every corner of our school — from classrooms to the gym, from the library to the music rooms, from the coding room and STEM lab to the art room and playground — incredible learning is happening. Our students are engaged, curious, and thriving. Whether it's solving math challenges, creating vibrant art pieces, making music, or experimenting with technology, the level of commitment and creativity is inspiring.
Our hydroponic tower garden is flourishing, a perfect symbol of the growth we see in our students each day. Our young artists are preparing for our much-anticipated annual Art Show, and our musicians and singers lit up the stage during Friday night’s phenomenal Pop Concert. Meanwhile, our student athletes are diving into March Madness with enthusiasm, discipline, and teamwork.
And throughout it all, our scholars are hard at work, making the most of these final three months of the school year.
Each week, I try to capture and share the sights and sounds of PS 88Q, because what happens within these walls never ceases to amaze me. Families, you should be incredibly proud of your children — I know I am!
And don’t forget — this Wednesday is Career Night with a special twist! We're focusing on careers in STEM and the sciences during the day with an all day STEAM event, and we’re thrilled to host an exciting STEM-themed event for all families on Wednesday evening as well. Come join us for hands-on activities, inspiring guest speakers, fun giveaways, raffles, and more. It promises to be an evening of learning, laughter, and inspiration.
Thank you, as always, for being such an important part of our PS 88Q community.
I-Ready Computer Lab Open Tuesday -Friday
All grade 3, 4, 5 students are welcome to the I-Ready Open Lab time from 7:15am-8:00am Tuesday-Friday. Come through the main entrance between 7:15am and 7:30am!
Follow Us On Instagram
Come In For Help To Activate Your NYCSA
All families have access to your child's information at your fingertips. The NYCSA app gives you access to grades, attendance, bus information, emergency contact information, and so much more. It is specifically needed to vote in the upcoming CEC elections. Please reach out anyday to Ms. Ivett to gain access, but we would love to help you in person. Come in Wednesday morning for help with any technology, including the NYCSA App.
https://www.schools.nyc.gov/learning/student-journey/nyc-schools-account
Mark Your Calendars!
🎉 Upcoming Events at PS 88Q 🎉
- 🎓 College & Career Week – March 24-28
- 🔬 STEAM Day – March 26
- 💼 Career Night Event/STEM Night – March 26
- ☀️ Summer Rising Application Closes – March 28
- 🕌 No School – Eid Al-Fitr – March 31
📆 Mark your calendars and get ready for an exciting month ahead! 🎉
The ZUZU Acrobats Dazzle PS 88Q!
What an unforgettable day at PS 88Q! The incredible ZUZU Acrobats wowed our entire school community with their jaw-dropping stunts, high-energy performance, and amazing talent. From our tiniest 3K learners to our fifth graders, the excitement was contagious — it was all anyone could talk about! The laughter, cheers, and wide-eyed wonder filled the auditorium, reminding us of the joy and inspiration that live performance brings. Thank you to the ZUZU Acrobats for a show we’ll be talking about for a long time to come! 🤸🏾♂️🌟👏
PS 88Q POP Concert
Friday night’s Pop Concert at PS 88Q was nothing short of spectacular! Under the direction of Mr. Dumont and Mr. DeCastro, the band and chorus delivered a phenomenal performance that had the audience cheering and clapping along. Their hard work and dedication to practice truly showed, reflecting their deep commitment as musicians and singers. The energy, talent, and joy on stage were a powerful reminder of just how vital the arts are to our school community. At PS 88Q, we don’t just support the arts — we celebrate them!
Career Week
Career Week at P.S. 88Q
Dear P.S. 88Q Families,
Career Week is almost here! From March 24 to March 28, we have an exciting week planned to inspire our students and spark their curiosity about future careers.
Our Goal: To expose students to a variety of careers and interests, helping them envision their future paths.
What to Expect
Monday – Hats Off to College Day - Wear your favorite college or school gear to celebrate higher education!
Tuesday – Thinking Cap Tuesday - We’re planning for the future! Design and wear your favorite (or craziest) hat to show off your creativity.
Wednesday – Our Future is Bright - Wear neon or bright colors because the future is so bright—we need shades!
Thursday – Big Dreamers Day- Dream big! Come to school in your pajamas and enjoy a special bedtime story read by a guest parent.
Friday – Dress for Success Day- Dress up as the profession you’d love to have when you grow up!
Additional Activities:
Read-Alouds: Parents are invited to read career-related books to their child’s class. Teachers will also be reading throughout the week.
Career Night – Wednesday, March 26, 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM: Meet professionals from a variety of careers and learn about different fields firsthand! Help us connect students with inspiring professionals! A volunteer sign-up survey is coming home!
STEAM Day – Wednesday, March 26: A full-day event filled with hands-on STREAM activities for all students!
College & University Showcase: Check out our bulletin board highlighting the colleges and universities our staff attended!
We are excited to give our students a glimpse into their future careers and encourage as much family participation as possible. Thank you for your support in making Career Week an engaging and inspiring experience!
Best,
Linda O’Shaughnessy SEL/MTSS Team
Principal
P.S. 88Q
Volunteer for PS 88Q Career Night! Share Your Journey!
We invite our incredible PS 88Q community to inspire the next generation by volunteering for Career Night! This is your chance to share your career story—how you got to where you are today, the challenges you overcame, and the path you took.
We especially encourage those who have journeys from other countries to highlight how careers and opportunities may differ around the world and how your experiences shaped your success. Whether you're in healthcare, business, the arts, trades, technology, or any field—your story matters!
Join us in inspiring and empowering our students as they explore their future possibilities. Interested? Sign up today and make a lasting impact! ✨
Wednesday, March 26th: 5:30pm-7:00pm
Get Your PS 88Q Gear!
We are so proud of our PS 88Q Community! Interested in wearing some PS 88Q Sway? Click below!
PTA News
always a great time for both volunteers and shoppers. We're looking forward to doing it again next year in the fall!
✨✨Community Education Council: District 24 Candidate Forums! (CEC24) ✨✨
Community Education Council elections will take place starting in late April through May 13th.
The upcoming Candidate Forums are a chance to meet the candidates who will represent YOU!
CEC24 Candidate Forums will take place on TWO dates. To watch live, you must register in advance for each one.
Click on each date to register:
and
District 24 currently has 51 candidates. The candidates will be spread across the two dates.
All candidates will be asked the same questions, which they will all receive in advance.
So watch both sessions to meet all of your candidates!
The forums will also be recorded AND transcribed. Interpretation will be available in Spanish, Mandarin, Bangla, and Polish.
Have questions? Start with these links!
What is a Community Education Council and why does it matter?
What is the CEC Elections process for 2025?
I want to learn more about the candidates running for CEC24!
The 🗣️📢ANONYMOUS FEEDBACK FORM🗣️📢 will be open the entire school year.
This is a place for you to express any concerns you might not feel comfortable bringing up in person.
Responses are checked regularly and topics/questions are addressed during PTA meetings and with the school administration.
There is always a place for your voice to be heard!
As always, reach out anytime with any questions or concerns,
Your PTA Executive Board
Camila PTA88Secretary@gmail.com
Sabita PTA88Treasurer@gmail.com
_________________________________________________________
Light the Night Campaign
Dear Parent or Guardian,
Our school is participating in The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Light The Night campaign,
a program that helps raise critical funds to cure blood cancer and improve quality of life for patients and their families.
Classrooms in our school are forming teams to raise money for LLS through group activities and individual efforts. Students are encouraged to register for our school team at the link below. Students who register online will receive a personal fundraising page to easily ask their family and friends to support their efforts to raise money for LLS.
We invite you to join our school as we fundraise to help end blood cancers.
SIGN UP WITH OUR SCHOOL HERE: https://pages.lls.org/ltn/nyc/Manhattn24/ps88thesenecaschool
OR SCAN HERE:
On the above page, find your classroom and click “Join Team” to create a fundraising page for you and/or your child!
Until a cure,
Christos Tripotseris
No Homework Pass For All Who Complete
NYC School Survey
2025 NYC School Survey:
Family Survey Instructions
Parents and Guardians: We want to know what YOU think about your child’s school. Take your NYC School Survey now. ● Your survey responses, along with those of other parents/guardians, teachers and staff, and 6th-12th grade students will be used to provide information that will help your child’s school improve its learning environment. ● This survey is confidential. No one at your child’s school will ever see your individual responses. ● This survey is voluntary, but we hope you will answer as many questions as you can. ● You can choose to complete the survey online OR to mail in your paper survey.
To take the survey online: ● Go to NYCSchoolSurvey.org ● Click on “Take the 2025 NYC School Survey”. ● Your access code is a lowercase f followed by your student’s OSIS number (ex. f123456789). The access code is also printed at the bottom of this page and on your paper survey. ● You can also find a link to your online survey by logging into NYC Schools Account (NYCSA). ● If you cannot locate your survey access code or have misplaced your survey form, please reach out to your child’s school for support. To take the survey on paper: ● Use the green-and-white return envelope provided with your paper survey to mail in your survey free of charge. Include ONLY your completed paper survey. Please do not return blank surveys. Please avoid tearing or stapling your survey form. ● If you have misplaced your envelope, you can mail your completed survey in a stamped envelope to: Survey Processing Center PO Box 680490 Charlotte, NC 28216-9935 ● You may also return your survey in an envelope to your child’s school.
Be sure to complete your survey by Friday, April 4!
Keep in mind…
● Your responses, combined with those of other parents/guardians at your child’s school, will be captured in the following reports:
○ School Quality Snapshot at tools.nycenet.edu/snapshot
○ Public Survey Reports accessible through NYCSchoolSurvey.org
● Parents are encouraged to fill out one survey for each child, even if you have multiple children at the same school, in order to capture the different experiences of each child.
● For more information about the NYC School Survey, visit NYCSchoolSurvey.org.
● If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to your school.
Be sure to complete your survey by Friday, April 4!
Welcome Back, PS 88Q Class of 2020!
We are thrilled to officially welcome back our Class of 2020 to PS 88Q! Join us on June 4th as we finally give you the farewell celebration you truly deserve. It’s time to reconnect, reminisce, and celebrate how far you’ve come. Please share this link with any 2020 graduates—we can’t wait to see you all back where it all began! 🎉🏫💙
CEC News
CEC24 Calendar and Business Meeting on Tuesday, March 25th at 6:00 pm. The location of the school is Public School 71 at 62-85 Forest Avenue, Ridgewood, New York 11385.
If you would like to attend the hybrid meeting, join the Zoom Meeting at:
https://nycdoe.zoom.us/j/92420678704?pwd=b9W7K8bIzWAvSdaRnW12kNMUQr9aDi.1
Meeting ID: 924 2067 8704 Passcode: 543860
The March 25th agenda is as follows:
104 Pct Presentation
Matthew Crescio, President’s Report
I.A. Superintendent Anthony Rivera’s March Report
F4F Presentation, Harold Golden, Budget Director
Public Comments
Old Business/New Business
Adjournment
Business meeting
Roll Call
Approve all past minutes with absences, as all minutes were approved pending amendments
Topics for next meeting and presentations
Social Media access
IEP, ELL and WE ARE Fair
Certificate Committee, catch up over the lack of acknowledgement in the past
Adjourn
Interpretation will be available in Chinese, Polish and Spanish.
From Our Chancellor
Dear Families and Colleagues,
When I was a teacher, principal, and district leader, I was always looking for ways to make improvements—how to structure more engaging lessons, how to strengthen school culture, how to respond to families’ needs, and more. I knew that for students to learn, for colleagues to do their best work, and for families to be true partners, I needed to make sure I listened. Their input and ideas made my classroom and school community stronger. That’s a major reason why family and community empowerment is one of my three commitments as Chancellor.
To that end, I want to take this opportunity to encourage you to fill out the NYC School Survey by Friday, April 4. Last year, we had over 864,000 students, families, and staff members complete the survey—and we want to exceed that number this time around! The more feedback you share, the more useful it will be as your school leaders plan for next year. And remember, we won’t see your individual responses, so feel free to share openly and honestly. Visit www.nycschoolsurvey.org to make your voice heard.
In partnership,
Melissa Aviles-Ramos
Chancellor