I hope everyone had a wonderful Spring break. All students and staff return on Wednesday, May 1st.

We are heading into our final two months of the school year. I have said repeatedly that time really did fly this year. It is amazing to watch the growth of all of the students over the course of a school year. From September to June, our students grow and change so much! It really is one of the best parts of working in a school, being part of their journey.

May is a packed month! Parent workshops, student activities, performances, and events. Please check the calendar, and come into school to enjoy the many events in the building.

This may be the end of the 2024 School Year, but we are actively planning for September. Kindergarten offers have been sent out, 3K and Prek offers are on the way, Gifted and Talented applications are live, Middle School offers were sent, and we are excited to welcome our many new families! If you are interested in enrolling for September, feel free to reach out to loshaughnessy@schools.nyc.gov or jpepe4@schools.nyc.gov

Have a wonderful week!

There is no secret that PS 88Q has two of the best administrative professionals ever! Ms. Guardi and Ms. Pepe do it all. Payroll, purchasing, enrollment, student records, staffing, is just part of what they do. They do all of this while being the face of PS 88Q, welcoming families and visitors, and answering the phones. They do it all! Even though the official day of recognition was April 24th, we celebrate them everyday! Share your appreciation for them here.

https://padlet.com/loshaughnessy/we-love-ms-guardi-and-ms-pepe-77bgycqiwhc798j6

Over the break, our school hosted a wonderful program, Ready, Set Grow. District 24 wrote a grant to offer students in the district an amazing opportunity during the break and three additional Saturdays. One of these opportunities was to meet author Cheryl Wills, enjoy a read aloud, and receive an autographed copy of the book.

We are so excited for our new addition to the library, our Mindful Module. The Mindful Module is a space for our students to enjoy the space to take a breath, have a moment of quiet, and time to reflect. Schools are busy places, and having this space is necessary. We have a wonderful space in our building, room 301, where mindfulness and yoga are prioritized. To read about the creator, click here https://www.coveyclub.com/blog_posts/buddha-booth-portable-meditation/

This month we are hosting our annual Wellness Fair on May 21st. Please come check it out!

This past month, we honored Autism Acceptance Month in many ways. Check out Mr. Canales latest podcast with one of our amazing parents!

Please see these amazing workshop opportunities below. Without the required 15 participants, it will be cancelled from the presenter. All participants will have breakfast and lunch!

FAMILY SIDEWALK CHALK DECORATING: SUNDAY MAY 3, 1pm-3pm

(weather permitting)

Come decorate the sidewalks around PS88 with messages of love and gratitude for Staff Appreciation Week!

We will have some chalk but please feel free to bring your own.

STAFF APPRECIATION WEEK: MAY 6 - 10

We have something special planned for every day during the week to celebrate our amazing teachers, staff, and administrators at PS88Q!

There are many easy, low-commitment opportunities to be a part of it!

- If you would like to contribute to the Raffle on Friday or to the other events, please check out our Contribution document here: https://bit.ly/ContributeStaffAppreciation

- If you would like to volunteer a little of your time, please check out the SignUp Genius link here: https://bit.ly/VolunteerStaffAppreciation

ELECTIONS!! May 16th, 6pm, Auditorium

PTA EXECUTIVE BOARD, 2 PARENT SEATS ON SLT, PAC CHAIRPERSON

We will be holding elections for these parent positions at the next meeting on May 16th. These are wonderful ways to get involved in the school and make sure the work being done truly reflects the desires of our parents. They all have varying levels of time commitment and different length terms.

The SLT seats are a 3 year term. Info here:

https://www.schools.nyc.gov/get-involved/families/school-leadership-team

The PAC seat is a 2 year term. Info here:

https://infohub.nyced.org/docs/default-source/default-document-library/protocols-and-timeline-for-title-i-parent-and-family-engagement-activities.pdf

The PTA Executive Board is a 1 year term. Info here:

https://www.schools.nyc.gov/get-involved/families/parent-associations

Parents can fulfill the positions for more than one term, but elections must be held.

- If you would like to nominate yourself or someone else for the SLT or PAC Chairperson, please email Sam at PTA88President@gmail.com.

- If you would like to nominate yourself or someone else for President, Recording Secretary, or Treasurer on the PTA Executive Board, please email Ms. Ivett at IPerezlopez@schools.nyc.gov.

If you have any questions or would like more information, feel free to reach out to Sam (PTAPresiden@gmail.com), Ms. Ivett (IPerezlopez@schools.nyc.gov), or Principal O’Shaughnessy (LOshaughnessy@schools.nyc.gov).