The Wednesday Weekly

Dear PS 107 Families,

It has been another wonderful week of school, with teachers and students diving into the learning of the school year. Ms Rinah and I have been visiting classrooms daily, and we are seeing students engaged in collaborative work, whether it’s building structures with Magna-Tiles in Kindergarten or analyzing a complex text in 4th grade. We just love seeing our Core Value of Curiosity in our classrooms every single day!

Speaking of PS 107’s Core Values, the value of Community was on full display this past Saturday, during our first-ever Welcome Back Potluck hosted by the parent Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) team in the Big Yard. Thank you to parents and co-chairs Christine Canedo-Pullan and Carolyn Vadino for turning this dream into a reality! PS 107 also has a staff DEI team, as well as a student DEI team, and we are looking forward to collaboration and cross-pollination with our parent DEI team this year, as we work to ensure that every PS 107 student and family feels welcome and that they belong in our community.

STUDENT SCHEDULE CHANGES

I’m thrilled to announce that our part-time PE teacher, Mark Sacoto, is able to join our staff full-time this year instead. I won’t get into the weeds of NYC Public Schools’ budgeting, but while our budget remains extremely tight, the cost of bringing Mark on five days a week on a substitute teacher budget line is exactly the same as bringing him on two days a week on a full-time teacher line. Mark has agreed to work on a substitute line, for which we are so grateful and excited. Because of this, we have had to reprogram our students’ schedules with their specialty teachers. This new schedule will go into effect next Monday, September 23rd. Some changes you can expect to see:

• Students in PreK, Kindergarten, and First Grade will have an additional period each week with one of our speciality teachers – Mr Mark, Ms Ali, Ms Julie, Mr DiFranco, Ms Barnes, or Ms Galella. This will be a period of play for our youngest students, who really need more opportunities for play in their schedules.

• Students in 2nd Grade will now have a Library period each week with Ms Galella! In previous years, 2nd graders visited the Library with their teachers, but now they will have a period of instruction with our librarian and will be able to check out books more regularly.

• Students in 3rd through 5th grade will have what they’ve always had: two periods of Science, two periods of PE, one period of Art, and one period of Music each week. Their PE period will now be able to be more instructional in nature, rather than the entire grade playing several different games at once. Our classroom teachers also won’t have to accompany their classes to their 2nd period of PE each week.

Your child’s classroom teacher will send home their new schedules soon so that you can see on which days students have each speciality subject now. As a reminder, we strongly encourage students to wear their gym shirts on PE days! They will be for sale by the main entrance tomorrow morning at arrival for our first in person PTA meeting of the year. You can also purchase gym shirts here.

THURSDAY: FIRST PTA MEETING OF THE YEAR (IT’S IN PERSON!)

We hope that you will join us at our first PTA Meeting of the school year, which is tomorrow morning at 8:45 am in the PS 107 Cafeteria. Our PTA is so excited to bring back in-person meetings, and we’d love to see as many parents there as possible, particularly because we’ll be introducing our new PE teachers, Ali Annunziato and Mark Sacoto, to all of you. In addition, Ms Rinah will be sharing our safety and emergency protocols with the community. Our Cafeteria is small, so some attendees may need to stand, but I think we can all agree that there’s nothing like in-person meetings for building community!

CURRICULUM NIGHT: SEPTEMBER 25TH

Please be reminded that PS 107 will be hosting Curriculum Night on Wednesday, September 25th from 4:30 to 7:30 pm, in-person! The schedule for the evening is as follows:

• Specialty Teachers (Art, Music, PE, Library, and Science) will be giving a panel presentation, 4:30-5:25 pm, 4th Floor Art room

• Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade presentations, 5:30-6:25 pm, individual classrooms

• PreK, 3rd + 4th grade presentations, 6:30-7:30 pm, individual classrooms

• 5th grade teachers panel presentation, 6:30-7:30 pm, 4th Floor Art room

• Speech Teachers, School Counseling Team meet and greet, 4:30-6:30 pm, Cafeteria

• School Administrators – Ms Joanna and Ms Rinah – will be available in the main office and the halls to say hello and get to know you and your family

We will provide childcare in the Big Yard, supervised by school staff members. However, we encourage you to leave your children at home if you can because it will be difficult to supervise all 540 students at once in the Big Yard! Please note that childcare is only open to current PS 107 students, and not siblings who do not attend PS 107.

PS 107’S TOY POLICY

Finally, in the last week, several children have brought to school what we consider dangerous toys or toys that promote violence. Please be aware that these are not permitted in school and will be confiscated by school or after-school staff if they are brought in. Our Parent Handbook has been updated to include this under the “Toys” section.

Have a wonderful week, and I hope to see many of you at tomorrow’s PTA meeting!

Warmly,

Ms Joanna

• Middle School Enrollment Information
• Wednesday, October 9, 2024: Middle School Application Opens
• 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

• PS 107 Middle school information session with Sarah & Nadia
• Thursday 10/10/24 @ 7pm via zoom (more information to follow)

*Please be sure to join your class in Konstella as there will be a good deal of information coming your way with regards to 5th grade activities during the course of the year

SAFETY UPDATE FOR BREAKFAST STUDENTS

When students arrive to the building early for Breakfast (or even Early Bird) please be sure to walk them in to Agent Sharon's desk.

Sometimes, the students try to follow their parents back out the door and Agent Sharon isn't able to prevent this if she is seated at her desk.

Thank you for your assistance 🧡

FAMILY INCOME FORMS

All families should complete the Family Income Inquiry Form, which helps schools receive money for their programs ,whether or not they qualify for free or reduced lunch.

NYC SCHOOLS ACCOUNT - NYCSA

This is a NYC DOE parent account for students grades K - 12 that enables parents/guardians to view all of their children’s records - grades, fitnessgrams, attendance, your child’s DOE email, etc. At least one parent/guardian will need to have access to this account. We strongly encourage all parents/guardians to have their own account. Any parent with children in grades 1-5 who does not have their own NYSCA , please contact nbenlarbi2@schools.nyc.gov for instructions and your unique account creation code.

PLEASE NOTE: Incoming PreK ,Kindergarten, and new to NYC Public School families will receive the account creation letters by the end of this week. Your child's OSIS number can be found in Operoo in the Student Profile. It is listed as the "student id" . Please email Nadia at nbenlarbi2@schools.nyc.gov if you have any questions.

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.

Click here if you would like to nominate a teacher: https://flagaward.org/

LOST & FOUND

We ask families to please label your child's belongings with their first and last name. I recently had a lost item come into the lost & found and was able to easily return it to the child. I obtained permission to post this picture to show another way to label clothes.

A stamp! It is an easy way to be sure items return to you and you don't have worry about the label coming off :) If you are interested or want more information, let me know and I am happy to get the information to you.

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

**Missing a scooter? We have one in the main office! Scooters are not allowed on the premises so please be sure to check and see if this is yours. We will dispose of it if nobody claims it :(

COMMUNITY OUTREACH UPDATE 9-9-24

DEI COMMITTEE UPDATE 9-10-24

GREEN COMMITTEE UPDATE 9-9-24

AUDITIONS for D15 2025 MUSICAL

The auditions for this year's musical will take place on Wednesday September 25th, 2024 from 3:30-6:30 PM. The attached flyer has all the information needed for preparation and the location for the audition and rehearsals will be PS 456 - 489 State Street, Brooklyn, NY 11217.

This show requires a commitment to rehearsals on Wednesdays from 3:30 to 6:00 pm. More information will be available to students cast in the production after the audition.

*Please use the QR code on the flyer to register. I have attached a copy as well.

CEC 15

The next Calendar and Business meetings are scheduled for Tuesday, September 24 at PS 15 and October 8 at 131 Livingston St, Rm 301. We hope you will be able to join us.

A list of upcoming meetings is available at CEC15.org

PS 107 MILE TRIAL - Sunday, September 29th, at 10:00 AM in Prospect Park.

Last year, this event was a huge success with 100% of the proceeds going to charity!

This year, 100% of all proceeds will be going to charity, but this time it will support Coach Katie and Coach Leslie’s fundraising for the Chicago Marathon! They’ll be running the marathon with the Children’s Tumor Foundation Team, so 100% of their fundraising goes directly to CTF research and awareness.

We don’t want this to just be for kids on the track team, all PS 107 kids and families are invited to run!

Attached below is the flyer and the link to the Eventbrite. The links on the flyer take you to the CTF website and the Eventbrite: PS 107 MILE TRIAL EVENT SIGN UP

Tickets will be $25. If anyone reaches out about needing a scholarship, or wanting to run but not being able to pay, please let us know.

SCHOOL BREAKFAST FOR 2024-2025

PS 107 will no longer be offering bagged breakfast for students to eat in their classrooms daily. We will continue to offer free breakfast, but in order to take advantage of it, students must come to school between 8 and 8:10 am for breakfast. They will be supervised in the cafeteria by PS 107 staff members. There is no sign up required to have school breakfast. Students just need to come through the main entrance with a caregiver to the safety agent desk and let Agent Sharon know they are there for breakfast. Students will be dismissed to their classrooms at 8:20 am. Students will not be admitted for breakfast in the cafeteria after 8:10 am daily. Note that children will not be denied breakfast if they arrive late! Any child who arrives after 8:20 am (the start of the school day) and needs breakfast can pick up a bagged "breakfast after the bell."

SCHOOL LUNCH FOR 2024-2025

School lunch will continue to be offered to all students for free daily. Most likely, PS 107 will use the PreK-8 Express Hot Lunch menu. The best way to keep track of what is being served is on the NYCPS website. You can find the link to view menus on this page. Note that food substitutions may occur based on supply chain issues, and we do not recommend relying on school food if your child is not a flexible eater. 😀

2024-2025 ANNUAL FORMS

The following forms are currently available for completion via Operoo:

• Emergency Blue Card

• Daily Dismissal form

• Media Consent form (for new-to-NYC Public Schools students only)

• Prospect Park and Neighborhood Walking Trip permission slip

• Park Slope Armory YMCA consent form

Please be sure to complete these forms by 9/16/24. Thank you 😊

JOIN KONSTELLA!

A great deal of schoolwide parent communication at PS 107 is sent out via the Konstella platform. If you are not already signed up for Konstella, please follow the directions here.

When you have your child’s classroom assignment, you will follow the instructions to add yourself to the classroom here in our Konstella Cheat Sheet.

If you have difficulty or have any questions, please reach out to the Communications Team at communications@ps107.org or Nadia Benlarbi, PS 107’s Parent Coordinator at nbenlarbi2@schools.nyc.gov.

MAKING SCHOOL DAY DISMISSAL PICK-UP CHANGES

If there is a change to your child’s dismissal, please be sure to note the change on the Daily Dismissal form in Operoo. If it is a same day change, please email your child’s teacher and cc Nadia at nbenlarbi2@schools.nyc.gov in addition to making any changes on the Daily Dismissal form. You can also contact the main office at 718-499-2054.

LOWER GRADES

Please be sure to send your children to school with a full change of clothes. Accidents can happen easily when they are younger as they often get distracted and don’t check in with their bodies. Please be sure to return your child with a new set the next day if they need to be replaced.

LABEL!

Please parents, remember to label your student’s water bottles, lunch boxes, backpacks, and clothing with their full name (last names are essential!) and if there is space, please include their class number. We want to be able to return all fabulous items to their rightful owner!

IDENTIFICATION

When entering the school building you must present your ID to the safety agent when signing in.

One helpful tip is to take a picture of your id. Often, we will have our phone with us even if we don’t have our id. This way, you always have it handy :)

UPCOMING EVENTS

• PTA General Meeting - Thursday, September 19, 8:45am
• School-Wide Lice Check – Thursday, September 19
• Chipotle Fundraiser - Saturday, September 21, 4pm-8pm
• CHiPS Food Drive - Beginning Sept 25, and every Wednesday @ 8:20am
  
• Annual Fund: Matching Donations Campaign - Monday, September 23 through Friday, September 27
• Tea Collection Fundraiser – Monday, September 23 through Sunday, October 8
• Movie Night - Friday, September 27, 7pm
• Fall Picture Day - Monday, September 30

SAVE THE DATE

• DEI Meeting – Tuesday, October 1, 8:30pm
• Fall Festival – Saturday, October 19, 12pm
• Stoop Crawl - Friday, October 25, 6:30pm
• Brooklyn Nets Game - Sunday, November 3, 3:30pm
• Please purchase your tickets by Thursday, October 3 @ 12pm
• Disney On Ice – Saturday, January 18, 7pm
• If interested in attending, please submit survey by Sunday, September 22

MEETINGS

PTA GENERAL MEETING

Please join us on Thursday, September 14th from 8:45 to 9:45am for our first PTA General Meeting of the 2024-2025 school year.

This first meeting of the year will be held in-person at PS107. (Subsequent meetings will generally take place on Zoom.) The agenda will be shared prior to the meeting.

We hope to see you there!

DEI MEETING

Join us on Tuesday, October 1st from 8:30pm to 10pm for the first Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee Meeting of the school year.

The meeting will take place on Google Meet and will run from 8:30pm until 10pm.

To join, use the link here.

FUNDRAISERS:

CHIPOTLE FUNDRAISER

On Saturday, September 21st from 4pm to 8pm, order online and pick-up Chipotle using the digital code 6TTFLRL or show the cashier the digital flyer here and 25% of event sales will be donated to the PS 107 PTA!

ANNUAL FUND MATCHING DONATIONS CAMPAIGN

Contribute to the Annual Fund, which directly supports essential school programs and resources.

From Monday, September 23rd through Friday, September 27th, all donations will be MATCHED by an anonymous team of PS 107 families until we reach 10K!

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! Thank you so much to our generous anonymous matching gift donors and to our amazing school community for all of the ways you contribute.

TEA COLLECTION FUNDRAISER

The Tea Collection School Days Fundraiser is back!

Use the promo code SDF23PS107 (activated at midnight on Monday, September 23rd and valid through Sunday, October 8th) to shop Tea Collection and get 20% off!

After you check out, 15% of your purchase price will be donated BACK to the PS 107 PTA. It's a win-win.

SPECIAL EVENTS

LICE CHECK

The PTA organizes school-wide lice checks as needed throughout the year to help prevent and/or contain the spread of lice around our school.

The first of such checks will take place on Thursday, September 19th.

Please contribute to the cost of school-wide, professional lice checks by submitting a one time payment of $15 per child here.

MOVIE NIGHT

On Friday, September 27th at 7pm, bring your blankets or chairs and get ready to watch MIGRATION with PS 107 friends and families in the Big Yard!

Volunteers will be selling pizza, popcorn, candy, and drinks at the event; all proceeds go to the PTA.

Volunteer here and get a free ticket for you and your family, or watch out for the Konstella link on Thursday, September 19th at 8:30pm or Friday, September 20th at 12:30pm.

(Tickets sell out fast, but we will have a waitlist in case of cancellations.)

FALL PICTURE DAY

Picture Day is coming on Monday, September 30th! Volunteers are always welcome to help wrangle the talent; please look-out for volunteer opportunities here.

FALL FESTIVAL

Save the Date for the unbe-leaf-able PS 107 Fall Festival! Join us on Saturday, October 19th as we take over 14th St and the Big Yard with food, music, games, inflatables, pumpkin painting and more!

In addition to celebrating the season, the Fall Festival is an important fundraiser toward PS 107's PTA, and we are actively looking for sponsors.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO JOIN OUR SPONSOR SOLICITATION TEAM? Please sign up via the Konstella list here.

STOOP CRAWL

An adults only event, the Stoop Crawl on Friday, October 25th is a traveling “Eat and Greet” hosted at families' homes throughout the school zone.

It is reliant on the warm hospitality of host families so 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.

Can't host but would love to attend? No problem, register and get your tickets here.

BROOKLYN NETS

On Sunday, November 3rd, 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, and will cost $30, with $10 benefitting our school. Please purchase by Thursday, October 3rd at 12pm to ensure your seats are secured and that you will be sitting in the PS 107 reserved section.

DISNEY ON ICE

Calling all “Frozen” and “Encanto” fans: On Saturday, January 18th at 7pm, the PTA is considering a group trip to Disney On Ice at the Barclay’s Center.

Please let us know if you are interested by completing this form by Sunday, September 22nd.

SUPPORTING THE PTA = SUPPORTING PS 107

Thank you to everyone in our school community for all of the ways you show up!

2024-2025 NYCPS CALENDAR

For the complete 2024-2025 school year calendar, please click here.

For the complete 2025-2026 school year calendar, please click here.

UPCOMING EVENTS

September 19 - Schoolwide Lice Check

September 19 - PTA Meeting in person 8:45 am

September 24 - CEC 15 Meeting - details to follow

September 25 - Curriculum Night @ PS 107 4:30 to 7:30 pm

September 27 - Family Movie Night

September 30 - Picture Day!

SCHOOL HOLIDAYS

October 3rd & 4th - Rosh Hoshana School Closed