This Week @ PS 88Q

Happy November!

I hope everyone enjoyed the extra hour of rest thanks to Daylight Savings Time. I know we all needed it! As we move into this new month, I want to take a moment to reflect on what an incredible week we’ve had together.

Our students and staff had an absolute blast dressing up and parading through the neighborhood in our annual celebration. The day was filled with laughter, learning, and plenty of fun; a perfect reminder that joy and creativity belong in every classroom. A huge shoutout to our Eagles Lens Media Crew for capturing every magical moment. Check out all the videos in the link below!

https://sites.google.com/view/the-eagles-lens/what-is-the-eagles-lens

It was also a week of celebrations and performances. Our first band concert of the year was simply amazing! The talent, teamwork, and dedication on display made us all so proud. Great job Mr. Dumont and Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday band.

You’ll find links to this week’s highlights below, don’t miss them!

Looking ahead, here are a few important reminders:
📅 Tuesday, November 4 – Election Day: No students in attendance
🎤 Wednesday – Student Government Speeches
🚍 Thursday – Grade 5 Trip to IS 77

🗳️ Friday – Student Government Elections
🇺🇸 Tuesday, November 11 – No School: Veterans Day

And a quick note — Report Cards will be issued on December 4. We do not have a half day this week, but rather on December 4th for Parent Teacher Conferences

Please see attached letters

This week, our school family celebrated a truly powerful moment as Mr. Canales completed his treatment and rang the bell—first at Memorial Sloan Kettering, and then again right here at PS 88Q. It was a beautiful, emotional day filled with hope, joy, and deep gratitude. Every staff member gathered to welcome him back, surrounding him with love and cheers that reminded us all of what it means to be a family.

Like our shirts say, “Nobody in this family fights alone.” Mr. Canales’s journey has shown us the power of resilience, faith, and community. We are so proud of his courage!

Our Kindergarten students have been busy behind the mic, recording their very own podcast series where they take on the role of interviewers! In their most recent episode, they had the exciting opportunity to chat with Mr. Zielson’s fourth-grade class. Through these interviews, our kindergarteners not only got to practice their listening and speaking skills, but they also gained a deeper understanding of the importance of student voice.

In this special podcast, our young podcasters share their thoughts and feelings about the experience—how they prepared, what they learned, and how it felt to connect with older students. It’s a wonderful reminder of how empowering it is for children to be heard, and how listening to their peers can inspire new ideas and build confidence. Be sure to tune in and celebrate the amazing work of our kindergarten stars!

Our First Band Concert of the Year!

What an incredible start to our musical season! Our talented student musicians took the stage for the first band concert of the year — and wow, did they impress! With only a few rehearsals (some with just two practices!), they performed with energy, confidence, and heart. Their hard work truly shined through every note.

A huge thank you to Mr. Dumont for leading our musicians and to everyone who came out to support them. Stay tuned — our Holiday Concert is just around the corner, featuring Mr. Dumont and the Band along with Mr. DeCastro and the Chorus. It’s sure to be another unforgettable performance! 🎵✨

District 24 is hosting a Middle School Fair On Monday November 10th from 6:00pm-8:00pm. This is a great opportunity to explore your child's options, and connect with our District Staff.

Our Digital Media Club took flight this week, and The Eagle’s Lens team is already diving into production on a ton of exciting projects! From creative videos and photo stories to behind-the-scenes coverage of school events, these young storytellers are capturing campus life like never before.

📸 Want a sneak peek?
Head over to their Google Site to see what’s in the works — and don’t forget to scan the QR code below for all the latest updates!

🔗https://sites.google.com/view/the-eagles-lens/what-is-the-eagles-lens

📱 Scan the QR code to learn more!

The cameras are rolling, the creativity is flowing — and this is just the beginning for The Eagle’s Lens! 🦅✨

Dear Families,

The PS 88 Social Justice Committee has organized a food drive to benefit a local food pantry.

We will collect donations until November 14th, 2025. To ensure variety, each grade has been assigned an item. Donations can be dropped off at the main entrance or given to your child's classroom teacher.

3K, Pre K and Kindergarten: juice boxes

1st grade: canned goods

2nd grade: cereal

3rd grade : pasta

4th grade: soup (can or box)

5th grade: box or bag of rice

Thank you for your generosity.

PS 88 Social Justice Committee

As part of October's National Anti-Bullying Month, NYCPS’s Kindness over Bullies citywide campaign, and the Respect for All initiative, we are encouraging students to participate in the Respect for All essay, poster, and multimedia contest. The annual contest gives students an opportunity to showcase their efforts to prevent bullying and to raise awareness through writing, art, and other multimedia expressions. All entries are due to the Main Office by November 7th, 2025.

Our amazing school aides are very popular in the cafereria for many things, including Ice Cream! There are many choices for the students, and ice cream is available daily for $2.00.

P.S. 88Q is proud to be a Title I school, which means we receive additional federal funding to help ensure that all students have access to a high-quality education. Title I funds allow us to provide extra resources, academic support, and enrichment programs—including many of our afterschool opportunities—that directly benefit our students and families.

Our school’s Title I status is reviewed each year based on lunch form submissions. Even if your family does not qualify for free or reduced lunch, completing the lunch form helps us maintain our Title I designation and the important funding it brings.

Please take a moment to complete the form today:
👉 https://www.myschoolapps.com/

Your participation makes a big difference for our entire school community!

PS88 PTA: UPDATES AND EVENTS

📚 SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR

The Scholastic Book Fair is almost here! The Fair will be Monday November 10 through Friday November 14 during the school day (No school/no fair Tuesday 11/11). There will also be a Family Shopping Evening Thursday 11/13 from 4pm-7pm.

Parent volunteers are needed! (If you can, please sign up below for one of the shifts!)

The easiest way for kids to shop at the Book Fair is with eWallet, which we strongly encourage using for your child! No cash to lose, no worries! Plus family members and friends can add money to your child's eWallet! (See below for more on using eWallet.)

We're happy to say that we will be participating in Share the Fair again this year. These are supplemental funds used to ensure that every child can get a book at the Book Fair. When you are funding your child's eWallet, you can elect to contribute to Share The Fair!

To get started on funding your child's eWallet and learn more about Share the Fair, please go to our PS88 Book Fair Website: bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/pssenecaschool

You will also be able to purchase books from our Fair Website from 11/10-11/23!

🙋🏻‍♀️ WE NEED VOLUNTEERS!

The Book Fair quite literally cannot happen without parent volunteers. If you can, we would love your help, and there are multiple shifts available (morning, mid-day, afternoon).

» See available shifts and sign up here: bit.ly/BookFairFall25

📅 GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING—THANK YOU!

Thank you so much to everyone who braved the weather to attend our second monthly meeting! It was great to see new and returning faces. Be sure to keep an eye out for a summary newsletter from the PTA about what we discussed, including the calendar for the rest of the school year—and an exciting new fundraiser coming up in December!

🎉 WELCOME THE NEWEST PARENT MEMBER OF THE SLT - Zack Bruce

We're happy to announce Zack Bruce as the newest addition to the PS88Q School Leadership Team (SLT)! We voted Zack onto the SLT at the PTA Meeting and we're so excited for what he brings to the table.

STAY IN TOUCH

Keep up with the latest PTA news, announcements, and events.

» WhatsApp: https://chat.whatsapp.com/ILNl02KhJQb3mcy8C9Gb63

» Instagram: www.instagram.com/ps88q.pta

» Link in Bio: linkin.bio/ps88pta

Dear Families and Colleagues,

Last week, I visited World View High School in the Bronx to celebrate a group of students and their exciting accomplishment: earning six or more course credits at Lehman College. They are not college students yet, but they are getting a head start on college-level learning, thanks to the College Now program.

College Now is a partnership with the City University of New York (CUNY) that allows our high school students to enroll in CUNY courses before they graduate, helping them save both time and tuition down the road.

It’s one of the many ways our Office of Student Pathways is reimagining college and career preparation. Along with initiatives like FutureReadyNYC and Career and Technical Education, College Now equips students with the skills, knowledge, and exposure to thrive in both higher education and the workforce.

At this time of year, our schools are actively supporting seniors to prepare for their next steps. Remember, all graduating NYC Public Schools students are guaranteed admission to a CUNY program, and our students’ CUNY application fees are waived through November 21.

For additional information and advising opportunities, visit our website. And thank you to CUNY, our many partners, our families, and our staff, all of whom play a critical role in building bold futures for our students.

In partnership,

Melissa Aviles-Ramos

Chancellor