I hope everyone is enjoying their long weekend. With Halloween launching this weekend, it sure was fun-filled! And 80 degree temperatures helped for sure. My memories of trick or treating with my daughters in frigid temperatures, coats over costumes, was definitely challenging. The kids had a wonderful day, filled with fun. From the parade, to the in-school fun, and then the fabulous pumpkin giveaway, in conjunction with the Italian-American Federation, it was a great day for us all. Schools are such amazing places, as academic and social emotional well being are always at the forefront, but creating positive experiences and core memories are so important too! I hope you had a great day!

This week, the students are not in attendance for Election Day. We do have a full day on November 7th, as report cards were moved to December 5th. On December 5th, there is no school for students, as teachers engage in professional learning in the morning, and then parent teacher conferences in the afternoon and evening. Additionally, there is not school November 11th, in honor of Veterans Day. Here is a link for the NYCPS Calendar for the year: https://www.schools.nyc.gov/calendar

On November 7th, the NYCPS is organizing a Pivot to Remote Drill. ALL STUDENTS ARE IN SESSION FOR A FULL DAY. Classroom teachers will be connecting to you through one of the many digital platforms we use (Google Classroom/DOJO/Remind/Padlet) for completion of communication.

PS 88Q is excited about our upcoming elections! Student council at PS 88Q plays an important role in school leadership. This week, our students go to the polls to vote for their choice.

October 20, 2024

Dear PS 88Q Families,

I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to inform you about our upcoming report card distribution and parent-teacher conference schedule.

Report cards will be distributed during the week of December 2nd (through your NYCSA). We believe that taking this additional time allows us to provide a more accurate reflection of your child's progress. While the citywide report card day is typically held on November 7th, we have opted to extend this period to better serve our students and families. WE HAVE A FULL DAY OF SCHOOL ON THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7TH, 2024

Please note that on December 5th, there will be no school for students as we will hold our parent-teacher conferences. This is an excellent opportunity for you to discuss your child’s progress and any questions you may have with their teachers.

For your convenience, PS 88Q will be in session for a full day on November 7th. We appreciate your understanding and support as we strive to provide the best educational experience for our students.

Thank you for your continued partnership. We look forward to seeing you at the conferences.

Warm regards,

Linda O'Shaughnessy
Principal
PS 88Q

Show your PS88Q Pride! Check out the link below for all your PS 88Q Gear! T-Shirts, Sweatshirts, etc!

The SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR is right around the corner on 11/12 - 11/15!

Our Family Shopping Evening will be Wednesday 11/13 from 4pm-7pm.

This is always such a fun and exciting event for our kids at PS88!

Our Book Fair home page is here:

bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/ps088senecaschool2

This is where you can open an eWallet, contribute to Share the Fair, and shop online.

VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED!!

* Sign up here: bit.ly/3Uk6aNh *

The volunteer sign-up is now open to all parents, not just K/1 parents.

There are many shifts still available and we quite literally will not be able to pull off the Book Fair without your help!

eWALLET

We strongly recommend the Scholastic eWallet! No lost cash, no tears! Easy breezy!

* Sign up now through our Book Fair home page! *

You can even share your child's eWallet with family and friends so Grandma or that favorite Auntie can also contribute to your child's reading fun!

Teacher's can set up an eWallet for parents to contribute to their classroom library! Ask your teacher if they have a link to share.

Learn more about eWallet here: bookfairs.scholastic.com/content/fairs/ewallet.html

SHARE THE FAIR

Every child should be able to go home with a book. Scholastic has a wonderful program called Share the Fair to make sure that happens and we are excited to offer it at PS88!

* You can make contributions to the PS88 Share the Fair fund when you are funding your child's eWallet. * Select the option at check-out and make any size contribution you'd like.

We will be working with teachers and the school to fairly distribute these funds.

And of course,

The Next PTA General Membership Meeting

Our next meeting will be Tuesday, November 19 from 6pm-7pm in the Auditorium and on Zoom. As always, our awesome teachers and aides will have a great activity for the kids during the meeting!

The Social Justice Committee's Breaking Bread event will segue directly into our meeting. Breaking Bread is a wonderful event and we are so thrilled to partner with the SJC again this year! Don't forget to submit your bread recipe to your teacher or to Ms Roldan (croldan5@schools.nyc.gov)!

Informal PTA Parent Needs Survey[goog_1888200400]: bit.ly/ParentNeeds202425

Our survey will remain open throughout the year. This is an anonymous place to directly express any concerns, needs, wishes, etc. without worry.

We will share any feedback we receive before 11/18 with the SLT to include in their formal survey to the school.

Remember: YOU are the PTA!

Every parent of a PS88 child is a voting member of the PTA.

Make your voice heard!

Subject: District 24 Middle School Fair on November 20th

Dear 5th Grade Families,

We are excited to invite you to the District 24 Middle School Fair, which will be held on Wednesday, November 20th, at I.S. 5. This event is a wonderful opportunity for you and your child to interact with district and school staff, learn more about the middle schools in our district and explore the various programs and opportunities they offer your child.

Event Details:

• Date: Wednesday, November 20th

• Time: 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM

• Location: I.S. 5 (50-40 Jacobus St, Elmhurst, NY 11373)

To ensure we can accommodate everyone, please register for the event using the link below. You will also find more information about our middle schools and the programs they offer. We look forward to welcoming you and sharing what makes our schools special.

Link to MS School Information: https://csd24.com/msapply.html

Link to Fair Registration Form: https://forms.office.com/r/kDjhjMBKsQ

Thank you,

Community School District 24

________________________________

A Real-Life Lesson in Civic Engagement

Dear Families and Colleagues,

With the 2024 election approaching next week, I’ve been reflecting on the meaning of this moment for our schools and students. While national politics have often been contentious and divisive, the election is also a real-time, real-life opportunity for our students to witness democracy in action—and to both study and participate in it.

I recently read this article that highlights how classrooms across the country are teaching their children about the election (it features our very own East Bronx Academy for the Future!). Now more than ever, it is critical that we teach our students to understand and appreciate our democratic processes—to distinguish fact from fiction, as well as to engage in respectful dialogue even in the face of disagreement.

For that reason, I’m incredibly proud of Civics For All, our citywide civic engagement initiative. Since the launch of Civics for All in 2019, we have pre-registered and registered over 85,000 new voters. We’ve provided voter activation materials to all high schools and equipped our teachers with resources to talk about the election and other current events. Earlier this month, we also held a citywide day of learning for our Student Voter Activation Team, made up of 75 high schoolers who will serve as “get out the vote” ambassadors in their school communities.

Regardless of the results of any election, I feel confident that our students are empowered and prepared to become leaders of the next generation. I want to thank all our educators and families who are modeling active, meaningful democratic participation for our students.

One more thing—as I shared in this newsletter last week, we'll be doing a refresh of PS + You to launch next month. If you haven’t already, please give us your feedback, so we can ensure this newsletter reflects the amazing work happening in our school communities.

In partnership,

Melissa Aviles-Ramos

Chancellor