Dear PS 107 Families,
It’s October, and we are honoring Digital Citizenship month at PS 107. We’ve typically taught students about being good digital citizens during the month of March, but, in consultation with our School Leadership Team (SLT), we decided to move these conversations up to October. So many children have devices or interact with others in a digital environment that we wanted to ensure our students start the year with instruction about how to use these tools safely and in a balanced manner. Throughout the month and using curriculum from Common Sense, teachers will provide regular lessons to students on such topics as online privacy, cyberbullying, media balance, and more. If you’d like to take a look at the materials our teachers will be using to teach Digital Citizenship, please see here.
ARCHERY IS COMING TO PS 107!
Students in grades 3-5 will be starting archery lessons next week! Our PE teacher, Ms A, is USA Archery-certified and has been meeting with classes to review safety protocols and procedures. If you would like to see what she has been going over with students, please see here. In addition, here is information on archery and safety. Thus far, the following classes have been scheduled for an initial archery session, which will take place in the Big Yard:
4-303, Tuesday, 10/15, 9:14-10:04 AM, Big Yard
5-305, Friday, 10/18, 8:20-9:10 AM, Big Yard
5-301, Monday, 10/21, 9:14-10:04 AM, Big Yard
Ms A is looking for parent volunteers to assist students during archery lessons – please sign up for your child’s class using Konstella sign-ups!
VOLUNTEER TO HELP AT PHYSICAL EDUCATION CLASSES
Speaking of volunteering during archery lessons, Ms A and Mr Mark would love to have volunteers at regular PE classes at the Armory (grades 1-5) and in the Big Yard (Kindergarten). All PE classes for the remainder of the year are posted on Konstella and available for parent volunteers to sign up.
If you were not able to attend our PE Volunteer training session, please watch the recording of the session here or take a look at the training deck here. We ask that parents/caregivers sign up in advance so that Ms A and Mr Mark can anticipate how much help they will have for any given PE class. Thank you!
HALLOWEEN + COSTUMES = YES!
Halloween is fast approaching and for the second year in a row, children are welcome to wear costumes to school! There are a few important guidelines to keep in mind:
No masks or heavy make-up
No weapons or anything that can be used as a weapon; no wands or items that can poke other children
No costumes that are overly gory, bloody, or frightening
Costumes must be comfortable enough for children to wear all day (we cannot manage children changing in and out of costumes during the day)
If children do not want to wear a costume, we also encourage them to wear orange/black or Halloween-themed clothing instead of costumes
Classrooms are permitted to have Halloween celebrations in the afternoon, and your children’s teacher will reach out to you if they are doing so and need anything for the celebration.
NYC PUBLIC SCHOOLS CALENDAR UPDATE FOR PS 107
Please be aware that there is no school for students on Thursday, November 7th and Thursday, March 6th. These are the dates of our annual Parent-Teacher Conferences. Typically, students have a half-day on these days and conferences take place in the afternoon. Last June, our staff had the opportunity to vote to make both dates non-attendance days for students – and professional learning days for teachers. Staff members voted in favor of this, so students will not attend school either day.
UPDATES ON MAYOR ADAMS AND SCHOOLS CHANCELLOR BANKS
As many of you are aware, our mayor, Eric Adams, was recently indicted on multiple charges. Many members of his administration, including Schools Chancellor David Banks, have been caught up in the investigation. As a result, Chancellor Banks recently announced that he would be stepping down next week, on October 16th (he has previously stated he would be retiring in December). Deputy Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos will be taking over as Chancellor when Banks steps down. At this time, Chancellor Banks has not been charged with any crimes. While all of this may feel destabilizing for a variety of reasons, PS 107 will continue to move forward with the incredible work that we’ve been doing for years. I do not anticipate that any of our directives will change, and I anticipate that our direct supervisor, Superintendent Rafael Alvarez, will remain the same. If you have any additional questions about this, please don’t hesitate to ask!
COME TO FAMILY MORNING: THIS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11th!
We hope to see many of you this Friday, October 11th at our first Family Morning of the school year! Parents and caregivers are invited into their children’s classrooms for the first period of the day, 8:20-9:10 am. Please enter the school building with your child at their regular entry location so that we can match children to family members and ensure that unauthorized people are not entering the building. We also ask that you minimize the number of adults accompanying students to avoid overcrowding (we recommend one adult per child, but no more than two, please!) Finally, we ask that you leave younger siblings at home if at all possible. We are so glad that you’ll have the opportunity to see your children’s classrooms in action this Friday!
Please mark your calendars for Family Morning dates for the rest of year, all of which take place from 8:20 to 9:10 am:
Friday, December 6th
Friday, February 7th
Friday, April 11th
Friday, May 30th (tentative)
I’m looking forward to seeing many of you this Friday at Family Morning! Have a wonderful week.
Warmly,
Ms Joanna
PS Please note that we will be having our first evacuation drill (aka fire drill) the week of October 14th. Teachers will be preparing their students for the drill early next week. You can review all of the NYC Public Schools’ Emergency Readiness protocols here.
FIFTH GRADE & MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS
- Middle School Enrollment Information
- Today, October 9, 2024: Middle School Application Opens at 3pm
- Friday, November 8, 2024: Deadline to register to test for Mark Twain I.S. 239 (21K239) and District 21 Talent Tests
- Friday, December 13, 2024: Middle School Application Closes
- Wednesday, April 9, 2025: Middle School Offer Release
- D15 Middle School List
- Click here to view the current middle school list for District 15. This year, you can apply to any middle school in the NYC area, however you receive priority here in the District 15.
- MySchools Middle School List (for all NYC schools)
- PS 107 Middle school information session with Sarah & Nadia
- Thursday 10/10/24 @ 7pm via zoom - Click here to register
- Middle School Virtual Admission Events
- Tuesday, October 15 - 5 to 6 pm
- Click this link to join event: Fall 2025 MS Admissions Virtual Event and enter the passcode 123456# - Click here to view interpretation options and instructions
- Tuesday, October 22 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
- Click this link to join event: Fall 2025 MS Admissions Virtual Event and enter the passcode 123456# - Click here to view interpretation options and instructions
- See attached flyer for details
- D15 Middle School Virtual Fair
- Wednesday, October 30, 2024 6:30 to 8:00 pm
- See photo and attached flyer for details
CAFETERIA SURVEY
Please provide your feedback regarding cafeteria offerings via this survey (available in all DOE languages).
Note: The survey takes approximately five minutes to complete and will be open until December 13.
The FLAG Award for Teaching Excellence recognizes and celebrates extraordinary public school teachers who inspire learning through creativity, passion, and commitment.
One grand-prize winner from each of the five NYC boroughs will receive a $25,000 unrestricted cash prize, and their schools will receive a $10,000 grant designated for use in an arts-based initiative designed by each winner.
The nomination process is open until November 24, 2024.
Click here if you would like to nominate a teacher: https://flagaward.org/
LOST & FOUND - Updated 10/1/24
Special thank you to our new lost & found parent volunteer Larisa Fomovsky! It has become increasingly more challenging for me to maintain on my own and volunteer assistance is essential!
If you would like to add to the effort, please contact me at: nbenlarbi2@schools.nyc.gov .
We ask families to please label your child's belongings with their first and last name.
Please be sure to check for your child's lost items in this virtual lost & found document: Did You Lose Me?
*If you see an item you now have in your possession, please just ignore the picture in the document
NYCPS / DISTRICT 15 / COMMUNITY
D15 FAMILY WORKSHOPS
NYC READS: CURRICULUM ROLLOUT
- Join members of the District 15 team for an information session about new curriculum shifts.
- Learn about the benefits of a knowledge-building curriculum paired with robust foundational skills (phonics and phonemic awareness) programs, and how these are designed to meet the needs of a range of learners.
- We will share how we’ve been preparing for this shift and how we’ll continue to support schools during the rollout.
Tuesday October 15, 2024 at 10:00 am - * Zoom Link Click Here
LUNCH & LEARN SERIES
This 7 part series will share ideas & strategies to positively support your child's behavior at home.
Join us Friday's at 12pm : 10/11 & 25, Nov 8 & 22 , Dec 6 & 20
Zoom link:
https://zoom.us/j/93903954056?pwd=GKhLyG6NlUSeb9gw0fvNlO1339A2X3.1#success
CLUBS AND MEETINGS
THURSDAY MORNING TRACK RUN (TMTR)
Every Thursday, rain or shine, students and guardians are invited to join the legendary PS 107 Track Team for a weekly morning run in Prospect Park.
TMTR will meet in front of PS 107 each Thursday at 7am, where participants will warm up before heading to Bartel-Pritchard Square for a 45 minute run/trot/jog.
No running experience required - we hope to see you there!
BOOK CLUBS
Everyone is a reader – some just haven’t found their favorite book yet!
If your child is looking for literary inspiration or loves to talk about a good book with friends, please consider joining us for monthly book club meetings Tuesday mornings. Meetings are underway for Grades K, 1, 3, and 5; registration information and meeting details for these grades have already been emailed.
Note: Participating students in all grades must remain with a parent or guardian throughout book club meetings.
Want to be a PS 107 Literacy Legend and lead a book club for grade 2 or 4? Sign up using the link here.
MATH MAGIC
On Wednesday mornings from 7:30-8:20am, join us in the 4th floor art room for games, puzzles, worksheets, coffee, doughnuts, and Pi. (Bring your own reusable mug, if possible.)
Sharpen your math skills with friends and mingle with kids and parents from other grades. All ages and proficiencies welcome.
Please note: Participating kiddos are asked to remain in the art room until 8:20am and parents or guardians of students in all grades are asked to stay for the duration.
We hope to see you there!
PARENTS SUPPORTING SPECIAL EDUCATION (PSSE) MEETING
The next PSSE Meeting will take place Thursday, October 10th from 12-1pm on Zoom.
Can't attend but would love to help? Donate items from our PSSE Amazon Wishlist for the 'Sensory Toolbox' that will be used at PTA events like Fall Festival, and/or check out our PSSE September Newsletter for more ways to get involved.
AAPI AFFINITY GROUP MIXER
The AAPI affinity group will be holding a mixer for adults at Little Honey (474 7th Avenue) on Thursday, October 10th at 6pm.
Participants will gather in the Little Honey backyard where food, wine, and soft drinks will be available for purchase. Space is limited so please RSVP using the link here.
We would love to meet parents and guardians of PS 107 children who identify as AAPI! If you have any questions or would like to reach out, please contact group co-leads sowoon@gmail.com, kobayashi.y@gmail.com, and neetamenon1@gmail.com.
PTA GENERAL MEETING
Please join us on Thursday, October 17th from 6:30-7:30pm for our second PTA General Meeting of the school year.
The agenda will be shared prior to the meeting; please use the zoom link here to join. We hope to see you there!
FUNDRAISERS
ANNUAL FUND
Please contribute to the Annual Fund, which directly supports essential school programs and resources. Here’s how:
- Donate via Konstella here,
- Share this link with non-Konstella using friends and family, or
- Leave a check made out to PS 107 PTA with Ms. Nadia in the office.
- We also accept gifts of stock here - stock donations are tax-free!
YOUR GIFT MATTERS! Many thanks to our amazing school community for all of the ways you contribute.
PTA FUN RUN
Join us on Saturday, October 26th for the Brooklyn PTA Fun Run!
The Fun Run is a family-friendly event where Brooklyn PTAs and community members of all ages come together to run/bike/scoot/walk around Prospect Park Loop Road to raise funds for Brooklyn schools with Title I status.
This year, PS 107’s Track Team and Community Outreach Committee are teaming up to raise funds for our sister school, PS 124. Participants will meet in LeFrak Center at 9am for bib pick up; race starts at 10am. Students raising the most money get a prize. Sign up here.
*Financial assistance is also available. Please reach out to Mary Pratt, (mary.pratt@gmail.com) with questions.
OWN A LOCAL BUSINESS? LIST IT ON KONSTELLA
If you own a local business and want to advertise to the families of our 540+ students, consider listing on Konstella.
Businesses that offer a promotion to our community typically pay $259 per year and Konstella donates 50% of the earnings to our school.
Participating businesses are advertised on the Konstella app and website, appear on all school wide emails, and a dedicated email featuring sponsoring businesses is sent to all users four times per year.
To register, visit https://www.konstella.com/business/introduction/plans and select PS107.
SPECIAL EVENTS
COMMUNITY HELP IN PARK SLOPE (CHiPS) FOOD DRIVE
Every Wednesday at morning drop-off, rain or shine, the Community Outreach Committee will be collecting food donations for CHiPS, a soup kitchen and food pantry which helps support neighbors currently experiencing food insecurity.
Find volunteers by the school’s main entrance where they will be collecting:
o Sandwiches, (please label w/ contents)
o Bread Packages
o Lunch Meat Packages
o Eggs
o Tortillas
o Individually Portioned Prepared Meals, (please label w/ contents)
o Microwavable meals
o Jars of Peanut Butter and/or Jelly
o Cereal/Instant Oatmeal
o Shelf Stable Milk and Juice
o Fruit Cups
o Fresh Fruit
o Individually Wrapped Snacks
o Ziplock and Grocery Bags, and
o Plastic cutlery
PLASTIC BOTTLE COLLECTION
Please help the PSSE Committee collect 400 plastic Bottles by Friday, October 18th for the Fall Festival Mindfulness Activity.
Drop-off clear, rinsed bottles (with labels removed) with cap/lids (6-32oz) to the main lobby collection box during morning drop-off or at 'Family Morning' on October 11th. Collection boxes will also be available outside on Wednesday mornings.
Thank you for your support and contribution!
FALL FESTIVAL
Fall Festival is around the corner on Saturday, October 19th from 12-4pm and we have some fun updates about the event:
TICKETS are now on sale! We recommend purchasing tickets in advance to avoid lines at the festival.
PIE & CHILI CONTEST signups are live. Does autumn bring out your competitive side? Register now for your chance to win bragging rights for the year.
VOLUNTEER SIGNUPS AND SUPPLIES DONATIONS are open. The event is 100% staffed by parent and alumni volunteers, please sign up for a shift now!
STOOP CRAWL
Friday, October 18th is the last day to purchase Stoop Crawl tickets.
WE STILL NEED HOSTS. Sales will shut down earlier if we do not get more host families. If you can open your home, stoop, garden, roof deck, courtyard, or even offer to pick up the tab at a local bar, please consider being a host and email Alyse Dosik (alyselaw@gmail.com) for information.
The Stoop Crawl will be held on Friday, October 25th from 6:30-11pm. Tickets are $75 per person but hosts attend free. Register and get your tickets here.
BROOKLYN NETS
Attention all basketball fans! On Sunday, November 3rd at 3:30pm, please join the PS 107 community in cheering on the Brooklyn Nets as they take on the Detroit Pistons at the Barclays Center.
On top of enjoying an NBA game, you will also help raise funds for our school. Tickets can be purchased here; $10 from each ticket will support PS 107.
If you need financial assistance to attend the game, please contact parent coordinator, Nadia Benlarbi (nbenlarbi@schools.nyc.gov). Reach out to Rebecca (rcetta@gmail.com) with questions.
2024-2025 VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
PS 107 is a school like no other thanks in large part to the generous efforts of our school community.
We are currently looking for leads/planners for the following school events; please consider donating your time to one of the events below:
Winter Craft Fair (Saturday, December 7th)
- During the Winter Craft Fair, the big yard is transformed into a seasonal holiday marketplace where teachers, students, guardians, and members of the school community come together to buy and sell their home-made wares. If you want to help plan this charming, beloved event, please sign up on Konstella here.
STEM Day (Saturday, March 15th)
- During STEM Day, PS107 will turn into an interactive Science-Technology-Engineering-Mathematics Extravaganza! If you have a background in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics and are willing to help organize this interdisciplinary event, please sign up on Konstella here.
Spring Auction
- Our auction in the spring is the single largest fundraising event of the year. We will need leaders to make it a success, so if you are interested in getting involved in a high impact fundraiser for the school, this is the event for you! Please sign up on Konstella here.