This Week @ PS 88Q

As we come to the close of October and reflect on these first two months of the school year, I want to share how truly wonderful it has been getting to know all of our new families and students, and continuing to connect with each of our returning students as they grow into their new grades and stages. Our school community feels stronger than ever, and it’s such a joy to see the excitement, curiosity, and kindness that fill our hallways each day.

One of the meaningful practices we’ve embraced every yearm and again this year is our Go-To Person initiative. At PS 88Q, we believe every student should know they have a trusted adult in the school they can go to whenever they feel worried, have a problem, or simply need someone to listen. The My Go-To Person initiative helps students identify and strengthen those supportive relationships so that no child ever feels alone.

Here’s how it works:

• During morning meetings or SEL lessons, teachers and staff introduce the idea of a Go-To Person — someone they trust, such as a teacher, paraprofessional, counselor, staff member, or administrator.

• Students reflect on who makes them feel safe, heard, and supported, then select their Go-To Person.

• Our staff commit to checking in regularly — whether it’s a warm smile, a friendly greeting, or a quick conversation — to reinforce that connection.

• Students also create a “My Go-To Person” card to keep in their desk or folder, and classroom displays like our “Caring Tree” serve as daily reminders that support is always close by.

• Each month, we hold Check-In Days and SEL lessons to remind students that it’s always okay to ask for help and to celebrate trust and friendship.

This initiative is such an important part of who we are at PS 88Q. I encourage you to ask your child who their Go-To Person is and to make that connection part of your conversations at home.

As October is Bullying Prevention Month, the Go-To Person initiative also reminds us how essential it is to have someone to talk to — and to understand the importance of being an upstander. Treating others with kindness, respect, and empathy is not just a PS 88Q value — it’s a life skill that helps build a caring community wherever we go! Check out the options for our Annual Anti-Bullying Poster/Essay/Video Contest below!

📅 Reminders for the Week:

• Monday, October 27: Fifth Grade Trip to IS 93

• Tuesday, October 28: Ballroom Basix

• Wednesday, October 29: Band Concert — Open to Everyone!

• Thursday, October 30:

  • Grade 5 Assembly: Visit from NYS Unified Courts (Guest Speaker at 9:00 AM)

  • PTA Meeting, SLT & PAC Elections at 6:00 PM

• Friday, October 31:

• Coffee/Breakfast with Mrs. O’Shaughnessy at 8:15 AM

• Fall Parade at 9:00 AM 🎃

• Tuesday, November 4: Election Day/No Students
• Tuesday, November 11: Veterans Day: No School

We’re thrilled to announce the newest addition to our student programs — Theater! with Mr. Mason Early.

Starting this year, students from Kindergarten through Grade 5 will explore the magic of storytelling, performance, and creativity through hands-on theater instruction. From building confidence on stage to learning the art of expression, our young performers are discovering new ways to shine!

✨ Check out a glimpse of our budding actors in action!

We’re excited to share that Gardening, Art, Eagle’s Lens, Chorus, Drama, and Band have all begun! These programs offer wonderful opportunities for our students to explore new interests, build skills, and express their creativity.

We’ll continue adding more activities as we go, so stay tuned for even more ways for students to get involved and grow.

💡 We’d love your input!
If you have ideas or suggestions for additional after-school opportunities, please share them with us — together, we can keep enriching our students’ experiences!

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! 🦅✨

To kick off our tree unit, we introduced real tree pods and invited the children to predict what might be inside. Together, we opened one to discover the seed hidden within. The photo shows the children using magnifying glasses and their sense of touch to explore and investigate the seed up close. In the coming weeks, we’ll plant the seed and observe its growth as part of our ongoing exploration of trees.

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

It is not just Election season in NYC, but at PS 88Q too! With the primary complete, it is officially campaign time. This week, the candidates took to the hallways and hung their posters. This is all leading up to Election Day.

Election Day:

Wednesday, November 5th

Who is running?

President:

• Matthew Delgado 5-403

• Rahmanh Mozeb 5-408

• Christian Diaz 5-408

• Gitanjali Ghimire 5-410

• Robert Mooney 5-405

Vice President:

• Lukas Filija 5-403

• Curtis Story 5-408

• Daniel Shehatta 5-405

• Keidelyn Garcia 5-402

Publicist:

• Leo Henriquez 5-403

• Miliani Santiago 5-402

• Matthew Rodriguez 5-408

• Amira Cuzco 5-408

Secretary:

• Landon Restrepo 5-403

• Camila Benitez 5-402

• Ereny Jacob 5-408

“

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.

https://forms.office.com/r/8hczvT3xPa

Dear Families,

We are excited to announce our Fall Costume Parade on Friday, October 31st at 9:00 AM! This is always a highlight of the season, and we can’t wait to see our students’ creativity shine.

Students will exit by grade through the main entrance and parade around the school perimeter counterclockwise, following this route:

• Along Fresh Pond Road

• Down 68th Road

• Across 60th Place

• Back along Catalpa Avenue, entering through Exit 3 (the yellow doors)

Our older students may even get the chance to parade twice around the block!

Families are warmly encouraged to cheer them on along the route or walk with your child’s class. It’s a fun, festive day to celebrate together — costumes, smiles, and community spirit!

If you prefer that your child not participate in the parade, please complete the permission slip that will be sent home on Tuesday, October 21st or the link below

We look forward to a wonderful morning full of joy and creativity!

What a fun way to kick off the fall season and Halloween! Join us for our Special Fall Concert featuring talented student musicians from our Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday band groups.

🕔 Doors open at 5:45 PM
🎵 Show begins at 6:00 PM

Come enjoy an evening of music and celebration with our amazing students — we can’t wait to see you there!

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!

P.S. 88Q is seeking a Parent Advisory Council (PAC) Chairperson for the 2025–2026 school year!

As a Title I school, we receive additional federal funding to support student learning. The PAC Chairperson plays an important role in representing the voices of our Title I families. This parent leader works closely with the principal and school leadership team to:

• Share input on how Title I funds are used to support students and families

• Help plan family engagement activities and workshops

• Communicate important information about Title I programs and rights to parents

If you are passionate about family involvement and want to make a difference in our school community, please consider joining us as our next PAC Chairperson!

Interested? Contact Mrs. O’Shaughnessy @ loshaughnessy@schools.nyc.gov or our Parent Coordinator, iperezlopez@schools.nyc.gov for more information.

Elections will be held at our Title I Meeting, on October 16th. Please see attached information.

On behalf of Delci, we are excited to invite you to our upcoming Parent Workshop. This will be a wonderful opportunity to connect, learn, and celebrate together. Childcare will be available!

Please find more details and register using the following link: https://cvent.me/YOgeWb

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Delci Rodriguez at DRodriguez@uft.org

We look forward to your participation!

NEXT PTA MEETING: SLT AND PAC ELECTIONS

** Our next PTA Meeting will be Thursday October 30 from 6pm-7pm IN PERSON ONLY. **

We will be holding SLT Elections and PAC Elections. And we will be talking through the proposed calendar for the rest of the year based on the results of the parent survey! We have some exciting ideas to share!

As always there will be activities for the kids during the meeting.

SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR

The Scholastic Book Fair will be November 10-14 with a Family Shopping Evening Thursday November 13 from 4pm-7pm.

This is a yearly favorite for the kids and parent volunteers are the only way it happens!

We need you! SIGN UP HERE TO HELP: bit.ly/BookFairFall25

PICTURE DAY

Picture Day went so smoothly with the new set up in the gym. THANK YOU to all of the parent volunteers who made it happen!

Parents can order your pictures online for the next 6 months. Go to Lifetouch.com and use Picture Day ID EVTJ7ZQRQ

If you have any questions about your pictures or the website, please contact Lifetouch Customer Service for Parents: 1-800-736-4753.

FALL/WINTER CARING CLOSET

The Fall/Winter Caring Closet was a huge success - our biggest one yet!

THANK YOU to all of the hardworking volunteers that made it happen!

The Spring/Summer Caring Closet will be in April this year.

Dear Parents, Guardians, and Staff,

We warmly invite you to attend the upcoming Community Education Council District 24 (CEC24) meeting on:

📅 Tuesday, October 28, 2025
🕕 6:00 PM

📍 Public School 68Q – 59-09 St. Felix Avenue, Glendale, NY 11385

This meeting is an opportunity to:

• Learn about important updates affecting our schools and students
• Share your thoughts and concerns with council members
• Hear from district leadership and community representatives
• Engage in meaningful dialogue to support our children's education

Spanish and Chinese interpreters available.

Your voice matters, and your participation helps shape the future of our schools. We encourage all families and staff to join us for this informative and collaborative evening.

The members of the CEC, will be presenting Resolution 186 In Support of Extending Hold Harmless Funding for NYC DOE Schools, Sponsor: Matthew Crescio, CEC24 President

Co-Sponsor: Kate Barvels, Manisha Jain and Gina Liberta

If you have any questions or need translation services, please contact us at CEC24@schools.nyc.gov.

Details are below:

Hybrid Meeting Details: Zoom meeting

https://nycdoe.zoom.us/j/92102973851?pwd=wimTNfQIm0CNIMwXV7JVKPQ8N1w3ZQ.1

We look forward to seeing you there!

親愛的家長、監護人和工作人員：

我們熱忱邀請您參加即將舉行的社區教育委員會第 24 區 （CEC24） 會議，內容如下：

📅 2025🕕 年 10 月 28 日星期二下午 6：00

📍 公立學校 68Q – 59-09 St. Felix Avenue， Glendale， NY 11385

這次會議是一個機會：

· 了解影響我們學校和學生的重要更新

· 與理事會成員分享您的想法和擔憂

· 聽取地區領導和社區代表的意見

· 進行有意義的對話，支持孩子的教育

提供西班牙語和中文口譯員。

您的聲音很重要，您的參與有助於塑造我們學校的未來。我們鼓勵所有家庭和工作人員加入我們，參加這個內容豐富且協作的夜晚。

如果您有任何疑問或需要翻譯服務，請透過 CEC24@schools.nyc.gov 與我們聯絡。

中央選舉委員會成員將提交第186號決議 支持延長紐約市教育局學校免責資金，發起人：CEC24 總裁 Matthew Crescio

聯合發起人：Kate Barvels、Manisha Jain 和 Gina Liberta

詳情如下：

混合會議詳情：Zoom 會議 https://nycdoe.zoom.us/j/92102973851?pwd=wimTNfQIm0CNIMwXV7JVKPQ8N1w3ZQ.1

Estimados padres, tutores y personal,

Lo invitamos cordialmente a asistir a la próxima reunión del Distrito 24 del Consejo de Educación Comunitaria (CEC24) sobre:

📅 Martes, 28 de octubre de 2025 🕕 6:00 p. m.

📍 Escuela Pública 68Q – 59-09 St. Felix Avenue, Glendale, NY 11385

Esta reunión es una oportunidad para:

· Conozca las actualizaciones importantes que afectan a nuestras escuelas y estudiantes

· Comparta sus pensamientos e inquietudes con los miembros del consejo

· Escuche a los líderes del distrito y a los representantes de la comunidad

· Participar en un diálogo significativo para apoyar la educación de nuestros hijos

Intérpretes de español y chino disponibles.

Su voz importa y su participación ayuda a dar forma al futuro de nuestras escuelas. Alentamos a todas las familias y al personal a unirse a nosotros para esta noche informativa y colaborativa.

Si tiene alguna pregunta o necesita servicios de traducción, contáctenos en CEC24@schools.nyc.gov.

Los miembros de la CEC, estarán presentando la Resolución 186 En apoyo a la extensión de la financiación de exención de responsabilidad para las escuelas del Departamento de Educación de la Ciudad de Nueva York, patrocinador: Matthew Crescio, presidente de CEC24

Copatrocinador: Kate Barvels, Manisha Jain y Gina Libert

Los detalles están a continuación:

Detalles de la reunión híbrida: Reunión de Zoom https://nycdoe.zoom.us/j/92102973851?pwd=wimTNfQIm0CNIMwXV7JVKPQ8N1w3ZQ.1

Kind regards

Janet Kregler

Administrative Assistant

Community Education Council 24

Public School 71 - Forest

62-85 Forest Avenue, Room 110

Ridgewood, New York 11385

718-821-7772, ext. 1101

CEC24@schools.nyc.gov

Website: www.CEC24.org

Dear Families and Colleagues,

One of my three commitments as Chancellor is to empower our families and communities. Today, I want to share updates on two initiatives led by our Division of Inclusive and Accessible Learning (DIAL) specifically designed for this purpose: our Multilingual NYC Advisory Council and our Beyond Access Series.

Founded in 2024, the Multilingual NYC Advisory Council was charged with boldly reimagining multilingual education in NYC Public Schools. The Council recently announced its final recommendations, which include expanding pathways to multilingualism, promoting a culture of inclusion for multilingual families, and more. You can access the full report on our website. I want to thank the dedicated council members—families, educators, community leaders, advocates, and beyond—whose expertise will help us better serve our multilingual learners.

I’m also proud of our Beyond Access Series, a collection of webinars for families focused on students with disabilities. This series covers everything from the basics of special education—what it is and how to request evaluations—to understanding your rights as a parent if your child already has special education services. It also provides practical strategies to support students at home, reinforce the progress they’re making in school, and nurture their growing independence. Our most recent webinar had nearly 5,000 attendees, and I encourage you to join us for our next session on November 17.

Through these initiatives and others, I am eager to continue supporting, empowering, and listening to our families and communities.

In partnership,

Melissa Aviles-Ramos

Chancellor