Family Pathfinder Week of 02/09/25

Dominican History Month Quote:
"La educación es el alma de los pueblos y el ornamento de las sociedades." ("Education is the soul of nations and the ornament of societies.") — Eugenio María de Hostos

February 9, 2025,

Dear I.S. 254 Families,

We hope you had a wonderful weekend filled with relaxation, celebration, and maybe even some fun in the snow! This week is packed with exciting events, celebrations, and meaningful learning experiences for our students. As we head into this final stretch before Midwinter Break, we encourage our students to stay focused, engaged, and take pride in their hard work.

Exciting Events This Week!

🏆 Marking Period 2 Award Ceremonies – Tuesday, February 10th
We are so proud of our students for their hard work and achievements this marking period! We will be celebrating their accomplishments during our Marking Period 2 Awards Ceremony on Tuesday.

Families, please continue to support your child in staying on track for success by reviewing their grades, setting goals, and encouraging positive study habits.

🌍 Respect for All Week: February 10-14
This week, we are celebrating Respect for All Week, a time to highlight kindness, inclusion, and the power of uplifting one another. Throughout the week, students will participate in activities that promote acceptance, empathy, and community-building.

Ways to participate:
✔ Show acts of kindness around school
✔ Join classroom discussions about respect and acceptance
✔ Support a friend by encouraging positivity and inclusivity

We encourage families to continue these conversations at home and remind students that their voices matter in making our school a place where everyone feels welcome and valued.

🎤 Chancellor’s Town Hall – Monday, February 10th
We are honored to welcome Chancellor Melissa Avilés-Ramos to I.S. 254 for a special Town Hall event. This is a great opportunity for families to engage with the Chancellor and learn more about the future of education in NYC.

📅 Date: Monday, February 10, 2025
📍 Location: I.S. 254

🚨 Please note: There will be no ACDP programming on Monday, February 10th due to this event.

We encourage all families to attend this important discussion!

📝 Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) Applications Are Now Open!
We are excited to announce that the 2025 Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) application period is now open! This program provides students with a fantastic opportunity to gain work experience, build skills, and earn money over the summer.

✅ Apply here: SYEP Application
📅 Application Deadline: February 28, 2025

Encourage your child to apply early for this valuable opportunity!

Looking Ahead

📌 February 13: 7th Grade Friendship Dance – Permission slips must be returned this week.
📌 February 16-23: Midwinter Break – Schools closed. Enjoy a restful and safe break!
📌 February 28: SYEP Application Deadline

As we close out this stretch before break, we encourage students to stay engaged, keep up the hard work, and embrace the many opportunities ahead. Thank you for your continued partnership in making I.S. 254 a place where students grow, thrive, and belong.

Let’s make it a great week!

With appreciation,

Javier Ocampo, Principal

Mr. Brezina wants to shout out:

Ms. Rivera wants to shout out:

Events:

February

• February 10: Chancellor’s Town Hall at I.S. 254
  
• February 11: Student awards ceremony
• February 13: 7th Grade Friendship Dance
  
• February 17–21: Midwinter Recess – Schools closed
• February 25: School Leadership Team Meeting at 3:00 PM in the library

March

• March 13:
  • Students not in attendance
  • Half-Day In-Person Staff Professional Development: 8:25 AM - 12:00 PM
  • Remote Parent-Teacher Conferences:
    • Afternoon: 12:45 PM - 2:45 PM
    • Evening: 4:45 PM - 7:45 PM

• March 18: School Leadership Team Meeting at 3:00 PM in the library
• March 31: Eid al-Fitr – Schools closed

April

• April 14–18: Spring Recess – Schools closed
• April 22: School Leadership Team Meeting at 3:00 PM in the library

May

• May 8: Evening, In-Person Parent Conference
• May 20: School Leadership Team Meeting at 3:00 PM in the library
• May 26: Memorial Day – Schools closed

June

• June 5: Eid al-Adha / Anniversary Day – Schools closed
• June 6: Staff Clerical Day – No classes for students
• June 10: First administration of the new Regents Examinations in Life Science: Biology, and Earth and Space Sciences
• June 17: School Leadership Team Meeting at 3:00 PM in the library
• June 19: Juneteenth – Schools closed
• June 26: Last day of school for students

Parent Conferences 2024-2025

• March 13, 2025: Afternoon & Evening, Remote Conferences; Morning, In-Person Professional Development
  

• May 8, 2025: Evening, In-Person Parent Conference

🌟 Chancellor’s Visit – Don’t Miss It! 🌟
We are honored to welcome Chancellor Melissa Avilés-Ramos to I.S. 254! Whether you plan to attend in person or virtually, we encourage all families to register and be part of this special event. This is a great opportunity to showcase the amazing things happening in our school! Let’s come together and represent our incredible I.S. 254 community.

📅 Date: Monday, February 10, 2025
📍 Location: I.S. 254

🚨 Reminder: Due to this event, there will be no ACDP after-school programming on Monday, February 10th.

🍽 Lunch Clubs Begin This Week!
We’re excited to officially launch Student Lunch Clubs this week! This is a great way for students to explore new interests, connect with peers, and have fun during their lunch periods.

🕒 Lunch Club Schedule:

• Period 4: Mr. Ross
• Period 5: Mr. Komarek & Mr. Shapiro
• Period 6: Mr. Wilkinson & Mr. Western

Encourage your child to join and take advantage of this exciting opportunity!

🚨 After-School Program Update
Please note that all after-school programs will be suspended on February 13-14 due to scheduling conflicts. Programs will resume on Tuesday, February 25th. Thank you for your understanding.

🌍 Respect for All Week – Theme Days & Activities
At I.S. 254, we believe that respect, kindness, and inclusivity are essential for creating a welcoming school environment. This week, students will participate in special activities each day to celebrate Respect for All Week!

📅 Daily Themes:

✅ Monday, 2/10 – Celebrating Kindness
💌 Students will create and share kindness cards/messages to spread positivity throughout the school.

✅ Tuesday, 2/11 – Anti-Bullying & Cyberbullying Awareness
💜 Students are encouraged to wear purple to support anti-bullying awareness.
📝 Students will sign an Anti-Bullying Pledge to stand up against bullying.

✅ Wednesday, 2/12 – Respect for Diversity & Acceptance
🌎 Students are encouraged to wear traditional clothing representing their cultural background.

✅ Thursday, 2/13 – LGBTQ+ Pride & Inclusion
🎭 Students will participate in self-reflection and motivational activities.
🌸 Wear pink or bright colors to show support for inclusivity and acceptance.

✅ Friday, 2/14 – No One Eats Alone Day
🎲 Lunch Bingo Game! Special activities and prizes will be held during all lunch periods to promote friendship and inclusion.

We encourage families to continue conversations about kindness and respect at home to reinforce these important values!

🎉 Special Events This Week!

🏆 Marking Period 2 Award Ceremony – Celebrating Student Success!
We are so proud of our students’ hard work this marking period! We will celebrate their achievements during our Marking Period 2 Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, February 11th in the cafeteria.

📅 Date: Tuesday, February 11, 2025
📍 Location: Cafeteria
🕒 Ceremony Times:

• 6th Grade – 3rd Period
• 7th Grade – 2nd Period
• 8th Grade – 8th Period

💡 Encourage your child to keep up the great work as we move into the next marking period!

💃 7th Grade Friendship Dance – February 13th
The 7th Grade Friendship Dance will take place on Thursday, February 13th! Students will receive permission slips this week—please make sure they are returned on time.

Classroom Updates

📚 ELA Highlights

• 6th Grade: Wrapping up Refugee and analyzing the ending of the book.
• 7th Grade: Engaging in discussions and writing about The House on Mango Street.
• 8th Grade: Continuing Night by Elie Wiesel and exploring real-world connections to human rights and resilience.

➕ Math Department

• 6th Grade: Moving from solving one-step equations to solving inequalities.
• 7th Grade: Advancing from one-step equations to multi-step equations.
• 8th Grade: Reviewing factoring polynomials and Regents-style questions.

🔬 Science Department

• 6th Grade: Writing scientific arguments to recommend a heating system for a school.
• 7th Grade: Learning how energy is released in the body.
• 8th Grade: Exploring genetics and mitosis.

🌎 Social Studies:

• 6th Grade: No updates this week.
• 7th Grade: Colonial Development – Learning about New Netherlands & New Amsterdam.
• 8th Grade: Preparing for Regents exams in June. Daily attendance is crucial for success!

🌟 8th Grade Reminders

• We are halfway through the school year! Please check your child’s grades and ensure they are on track for graduation.
• Students will take Regents exams in Algebra 1, Biology, and Spanish in June. Passing these exams will help them earn high school credits!
• Attendance and punctuality are critical—please remind your child to arrive on time to every class.

Looking Ahead

📌 February 13: 7th Grade Friendship Dance – Permission slips must be returned this week.
📌 February 16-23: Midwinter Break – Schools closed. Enjoy a restful and safe break!
📌 February 28: Deadline for Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) applications!

🔗 Apply here: SYEP Application

BPW Weekly Self-Care

and Q&A Sessions

Weekly on Wednesdays

@6:00 - 6:30pm EDT

Zoom Link HERE

Meeting ID: 885 4014 4085 Passcode: 274960

THEME:

Random Acts of Kindness Day (annually February 17)

This now-worldwide celebration began in 1995, founded in Denver, Colorado by a foundation of the same name. The underlying mission is to spread awareness and understanding about the life-changing potential of even the smallest act of kindness. As borne out by countless studies, acts of generosity not only benefit the recipients, but also engender emotional well-being for the person offering the kindness. Indeed, as noted by the Mayo Clinic Health System: “Kindness has been shown to increase self-esteem, empathy and compassion, and improve mood. It can decrease blood pressure and cortisol, a hormone directly correlated with stress levels. People who give of themselves in a balanced way also tend to be healthier and live longer.”

EXERCISE CHALLENGE

This well-loved BPW exercise is perfect for this week’s Challenge. Not only does it support our physical well-being, helping us to stretch our muscles, shoulders, and spine; it’s also a team-building activity, providing students the opportunity to engage in an act of kindness. London Bridge allows students to show their partner that they are supporting them, literally and emotionally, by stretching toward and connecting with one another.

To see the London Bridge activity video, CLICK HERE