ART DAY + GARDEN OPENING = JOY
What a beautiful day we had last Saturday, May 10th, for our annual Art Day and official Garden Opening! The weather was sunny (if a bit windy!), and PS 107 was buzzing with creativity and community.
A huge thank you to our Art Day parent leads Sarah Warner, Kate Wilkes, and Jiaomin Ni for organizing such a fabulous event, and to our Parent DEI Team for leading the creation of a powerful, student-made banner now hanging across from the cafeteria (pictured to the right). This banner was inspired by an incident earlier this year at a public school in Idaho — and our students responded with hope, art, and community. Deep thanks to Christine Canedo-Pullan and Carolyn Vadino for guiding this important project.
Meanwhile, in our newly transformed garden, families delighted in meeting our PS 107 chickens and exploring the thriving green space. Our official Garden Opening was a true celebration, made possible by our remarkable PE teacher Ali Annunziato, who built the garden from the ground up, with a lot of support from the Garden Committee, led by parent Zoe Young. We are so proud of this space — a living classroom full of joy, care, and learning.
MAY IS JEWISH AMERICAN + AAPI HERITAGE MONTH
At PS 107, we believe in honoring the many cultures and identities that make up our school community.
This month, we’ve been celebrating Jewish-American Heritage Month with school-wide announcements, hallway posters featuring Jewish-American heroes (including our very own staff and students!), and a Jewish baked goods giveaway at tomorrow morning’s drop off, from 8 to 8:30 am. Thank you to our wonderful Jewish American Heritage Month parent leads Alyse Dosik, Lindsay Robinson, Alina Hurtado, Alex Budnitsky, Doug Schneider, and Joni Kletter for coordinating this meaningful celebration!
We’re also recognizing Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month throughout May. Our hallways are filled with beautiful posters created by our AAPI affinity group about our students’ AAPI family histories. We’ll begin regular announcements next week — and don’t miss the upcoming AAPI Snack Sale on Wednesday, May 28th! Big thanks to our AAPI month parent leads Sowoon Song, Neeta Menon, Nisha Aoyama, Jenny Mai, Avon Khowong, Jocelyn Fung, and Yumi Kobayashi for organizing these events (and special thanks to Paul Ryan for writing the AAPI Heritage Month newsletter!).
SAFETY DRILL REMINDER
Our third evacuation (fire) drill of the spring semester will take place on Wednesday, May 21st at 9:00 am. After this, we will complete one more required evacuation drill and one soft lockdown drill before the school year ends. As always, these drills are conducted with care and clarity so that students feel safe, informed, and prepared.
Though the skies are gray today, with state testing behind us and the warm weather approaching, we’re savoring these last several weeks of the school year — packed with learning, community, and celebration. Thank you, as always, for being such engaged and supportive partners with all that we do at PS 107.
Warmly,
Ms. Joanna
AND THE WINNER IS.....
The lucky classes that won the pizza party for successful 95% (or above) completion of the NYC school surveys this year are:
4-308 (Ms. Marybeth & Ms Sarah) with a 100% completion rate!
4-307 (Ms. Jen & Ms. Renee) with a 96% completion rate!
As a school, we increased our completion rate to 70.1%!
That means that 377 out of our 534 families completed the school surveys this year! THANK YOU 💛
SPRING PICTURE DAY - MAY 21
Spring Picture Day is coming up on May 21!
The PTA sent out a volunteer sign up that I am including here for you as well: Volunteer for Spring Picture Day
Please keep in mind
- *** NEW*** Sibling pictures will be completed during the day (after arrival) as we are unable to have our photographers in the building early enough to allow for their set up. We will sprinkle them in throughout the day if all students are in the school. If you want to bring a sibling from outside of the school, please check the Konstella sign up for your child's scheduled time.
- There is no make-up date for this picture day.
DID YOU KNOW?
If you click the Table of Contents panel to the left of this newsletter when you are in the browser, you can tab to all of the different sections of this newsletter?
While I recommend clicking on every section in the Table Of Contents, it is a nice easy way to get to all of the sections of the newsletter.
Didn't get to read it all in one go, but want to finish it later? Click in the Table of Contents to see to what you missed! 😁
D15 NYC KIDS RISE WORKSHOP - GRADES K-3
Your Child Has a Free NYC Scholarship Account with Money for College and Career Training
Students automatically received an NYC Scholarship Account (unless you chose not to participate) with an initial $100 + opportunities to receive more rewards over time!
Please view this Presentation and Video Recording to learn more and activate your account!
MARBLE HEALTH WORKSHOP SERIES
Parenting comes with unique challenges - from managing stress and screen time to supporting academic success. Join us for free virtual workshops this May to learn effective strategies from Annie Graham, Stanford-trained clinician and researcher at Marble Health.
Upcoming May Sessions (Various Times to Accommodate Different Schedules):
MON, MAY 19 | 12 PM ET | Support Your Child with Stress
WED, MAY 28 | 7 PM ET | Supporting Children Through Grief and Transition
SUPPORT YOUR DEVELOPING READER AT HOME THIS SUMMER!
The Reading Institute is excited to invite you to a special live session designed to help families and educators support young readers all summer long! Join Dr. Katie Pace Miles, Associate Professor and Director of the Reading Science Certificate at Brooklyn College (CUNY), for "Support Your Developing Reader at Home: Avoiding the Summer Slide."
In this free session, Dr. Miles will share evidence-based strategies to help your emerging and striving PK-2 readers continue to grow their literacy skills over the summer months. She'll be joined by librarian Kaela Wallman and members of The Churchill School to offer practical tips and resources you can use right away.
📅 Date: May 16, 2025
🕛 Time: 12:00 PM EST
📍 Where: Online (link provided upon registration)
👉 Register now by clicking here!
We can't wait to see you there!
The Reading Institute Team
SUMMER READING SKILLS PROGRAM
The Fordham School of Professional and Continuing Studies is offering grade level reading summer programs. These programs will be taught by instructors from the Institute of Reading Development.
and the classes will be offered in Brooklyn, Brooklyn Heights, and Queens.
*Please see the attached flyer for more details regarding dates and times
LOST & FOUND
Please check this document for some updated pictures : Did You Lose Me?
*If you see an item you now have in your possession, please just ignore the picture in the document
FAMILY LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
PARA TODOS and EAS Inc. invites you to save the dates and register now for the Family Leadership Institute! In partnership with PARA TODOS LTC Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch (ret.) invites you to six days of engaging virtual workshops.
The workshops will help you and your family learn how to communicate better with your children, school, and community.
Come join us for action, motivation, and inspiration!
Dates:
- May 20
- May 27
Time: 9:30 AM – 11:00 AM Eastern Time
Register today by scanning the QR code or online at https://bit.ly/Todos2025
PRIDE EVENTS 2025
PRIDE MARCHES
- Queens Pride
- Sunday June 1st
- Jackson Heights
- Brooklyn Pride
- Saturday June 14 (evening March)
- Park Slope
- NYC Pride
- Sunday June 29
- Lower Manhattan
*Keep looking out for more information and registration details from LGBTQ@schools.nyc.gov
Hello District 15 Friends and Families,
Searching for a new teaching position?
District 15 is hiring teachers in all licensed areas for the 2025-26 school year!
Come to the Hiring Fair to:
1. Connect with school leaders2. Learn about the hiring process
3. Find a job before the summer
Date: Tuesday, May 20, 2025
Time: 5:00-7:00PM
Location: PS 456, 489 State St., Brooklyn NY 11217
Please use the D15 Hiring Fair Interest Form to respond to this event and share some information about yourself.
Go to teachnyc.net to learn more about working for NYCPS, including salary and benefits.
Family Connectors are community volunteers trained on the wide range of resources our State, City, and NYC Public Schools have to offer - serving as valuable resources within their communities to support and guide others. Join us in making a difference - sign up today!
Family Connectors training sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting April 22nd through May 22nd.
Families can register here: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=tyxJGEXvYUWFcQxC5fesB3PLbQgGBx1GrwhnGdrnhw5UN0RNNzY0R1AxWjZYV1Y4U0k2MUU1UFdCQyQlQCN0PWcu&route=shorturl
BROOKLYN COLLEGE PREPARATORY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS - FREE TRYOUT!
Saturday, May 24, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Join the Prep Center for a day of learning and fun at an all-day performing arts event on Saturday, May 24. Children and teens of all levels are invited to take private lessons in various instruments and join group dance and theater classes—all free of charge!
- Private Music Lessons
- Dance Classes
- Theater Classes
How can parents sign up?
Parents/students can use the QR code in the flyer, call/e-mail us, or simply click on the link below to reserve a private lesson or sign up for a space in a group dance class session today; space is limited!!
DOCUMENTARY FILM SCREENING AND PANEL DISCUSSION - "CANT LOOK AWAY: THE CASE AGAINST SOCIAL MEDIA"
Join us on Monday, May 19th at 6:30pm for a free screening of "Can't Look Away: The Case Against Social Media," a gripping documentary that exposes the dark side of social media and the devastating impact it can have on young users. The film follows the Social Media Victims Law Center as it fights for justice for families whose children suffered tragic consequences linked to social media use, underscores the urgent need for industry reform, and serves as a call to action to protect future generations. Following the screening, there will be a panel discussion led by Tali Horowitz, parent to two PS 107 students and East Coast Education Director at Common Sense Media; Kelly Mirian, parent to a 5th and 7th grader; and Tyghe Trimble, parent and proponent of the "Wait Until 8th" movement. This event is for adults only; childcare will not be available. We hope to see you there!
PTA GENERAL MEETING
Please join us for our May PTA General Meeting on Thursday, May 22 at 9am on zoom. Please note, SLT and PTA e-board elections will take place during this meeting.
*Candidates interested in joining SLT, please submit a 250 word statement expressing your interest by TOMORROW, May 15th to mike@ps107.org and adam@ps107.org.
SUPPORTING ALL LEARNERS: A WORKSHOP ON NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENTS
Join Dr. Kluger and the team at Interactive Discovery on Friday, May 30th at 9:30am, for a parent-focused workshop that explores the role of neuropsychological assessments in supporting a child's learning journey. In "Supporting All Learners," participants will learn what neuropsychological assessments are and how they can be of benefit, explore different learning profiles and how they impact education, and discover ways to interpret assessment results and collaborate with educators for effective support. This workshop offers insights and practical tips to empower you as a parent in navigating your child's educational path. It will be available both in-person in the cafeteria of PS 107 and live-streamed. Find out more on Konstella.
FUNDRAISERS
ANNUAL FUND
Please contribute to the Annual Fund, which directly supports essential school programs and resources. We are less than 8K away from reaching our fundraising goal for this year; please help get us over the finish line!
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.
SPRING MOVIE NIGHT
On Friday, May 16th at 7pm, bring your picnic blankets and folding chairs and get ready to watch 'Dogman' with PS107 friends and families on the big screen in the Big Yard. Volunteers will be on site selling pizza, popcorn, candy, and drinks with all proceeds from the event going to the PTA.
Tickets are currently sold out; if you have tickets and can no longer make it, please email catharina7@gmail.com.
If you missed out on tickets you can join the wait list and we'll let you know if tickets become available.
*In the event of an inclement weather forecast, Spring Movie Night will be cancelled and everyone will receive a refund. The event will not be rescheduled.
SPRING FLING
We hope by now you’ve marked your calendars for the PS 107 Spring Fling on Wednesday, June 4 from 6:30pm-9:00pm. Tickets cost $10/person or $25/family. Children three years old and younger may attend for free. They can be pre-purchased or purchased at the door, but we STRONGLY recommend you pre-purchase tickets in advance here.
In order for this event to run smoothly, we need your help! There are opportunities to support this fun dance for the entire 107 community here.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Erin Bestreich (erinbestreich@gmail.com) and Betsy Goldfarb (betsyolney@gmail.com).
SPECIAL EVENTS
JEWISH AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH TREATS!
Tomorrow morning — Thursday, May 15th — the Jewish American Heritage Affinity Group will be handing out free rugelach and other Jewish treats during drop-off from 8:00 to 8:30 AM in front of the school.
Please stop by to grab a sweet bite and join us in celebrating Jewish American Heritage Month!
All are welcome — we hope to see you there!
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
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
CHiPS Needs You!
Looking to get involved in the community but don't have a lot of time to give? Community Outreach and the CHiPS donation collection team are seeking volunteers for the 2025-26 school year to help handle the weekly morning collection of donations to CHiPS. We are looking for volunteers to rotate through the year, 30 minutes a week, 8:10AM-8:40AM on Wednesdays, and/or driving donations (car required, generally back to the neighborhood by 9:30AM).
Please reach out to Julie Fields Julie.a.fields@outlook.com if interested in learning more.
NYCPS CALENDAR
Please click here for the complete 2024-2025 and 2025-2026 school year calendars.
UPCOMING IMPORTANT EVENTS
May 16 - Spring Movie Night
May 21- Spring Picture Day
May 22
- PTA Meeting : PTA & SLT elections held at this meeting 9am (zoom)
- Fifth Grade Talent Show 7pm
May 28 - Pre K and K Grade Picnic, Bandshell North
May 29 - 1st Grade Picnic, Bandshell North
May 30 - Family Morning 8:20 am
June 3
- 3rd grade & Alvin Ailey Final Culmination (details to follow)
- 2nd Grade Picnic, Picnic House North
June 4 - Spring Fling
June 9 - Big Yard Games
SCHOOL HOLIDAYS/CLOSURES
May 26 - Memorial Day (School Closed)
June 5 - Eid al-Adha (School Closed)
June 6th - Clerical Day (Non Attendance Day for Students)
June 19 - Juneteenth (Schools Closed)