Happy August! I hope everyone is enjoying their summer. It is a wonderful time to take that break, enjoy the time to not have to schedule every minute, and to spend time with friends and family.

I am enjoying the time too! I am working, as getting ready for September happens in the summer. Our wonderful hiring team has been busy too, as we are adding many new staff members. PS 88Q is growing, and that is a fabulous thing. With the addition of our new Nest Program, our Gifted and Talented Program, our STEM ICT classes, just to name a few of our programs, as well as new students, we are expanding. Our website is updated with each new hire (under staff directory), so stay tuned.

We also are so excited to announce we have added to our leadership team as well! Ms. Kate Herman is joining Ms. Lowe and I as our I.A. Assistant Principal. Ms. Herman is not new to PS 88q. As an instructional lead for Queens North, Ms. Herman has supported us since 2019. Having her join our team is an incredible asset to the PS 88Q community.

Over the next few weeks, please continue to check our website and your child's NYCSA account for information such as:

• Class assignments
• Supply Lists
• Arrival and Dismissal Protocols (we are anticipating the beginning of our school yard project)
• Calendars

I will also be hosting a Meet and Greet in our schoolyard on August 31st @ 10am. Looking forward to kicking off the 2023-2024 School Year.

Have a wonderful week!

Our amazing Mr. Canales has been busy with his latest idea...Podcasts! To kick off this new feature, he has begun interviewing Mr. Kevin Goodish, and me! There is so much more to come, and I am looking forward to the future podcasts that will include our scholars in hot topics. To listen in, you can hear all of the podcasts in one spot, on our website

https://www.ps88q.com/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=4023823&type=d&pREC_ID=2489338

Dear PS 88 Community,

I am thrilled to introduce myself as the new I.A. Assistant Principal of PS 88. It is with great pleasure and enthusiasm that I can join a school community with the caliber as each of you.

Allow me to share a little about my background and experiences. I bring with me over 15 years as an educator which includes K-12 teaching experience in health, physical education, and special education. Along with expertise in MTSS and as an administrator within District 24. My passion lies with ensuring that each student, regardless of their needs, receives an education that is inclusive, nurturing, and tailored to their strengths.

My experience as a teacher in the DOE, an Education Administrator in the Queens North Borough Office and as an Assistant Principal at PS 211, I have been part of teams that thrive on collaboration and teamwork to strengthen knowledge, experience, and dedication to drive positive change within students and a school. I look forward to partnering with each of you to continue to create an exceptional educational experience for PS 88 staff and students and families.

I strive myself on being an open communicator and cultivating a culture of respect, trust, and collaboration. I welcome each of you to reach out to me with your thoughts, suggestions, and concerns. By us having these meaningful conversations, sharing best practices, and supporting one another, we will be able to navigate challenges as well as celebrate successes within our educational journey.

I cannot wait to meet each of you personally, learn about your experiences and to build strong partnerships together. Wishing you a fantastic summer.

-Kate

Please see below for the PS 88Q Calendar. It is updated often, but all holidays, vacations, etc are all on the calendar. Bookmark it!

In June, we held our PTA elections, and we are happy to announce that we have a new PTA Board. They are:

President: Samantha Desz ( PTA88President@gmail.com )

Treasurer: Sabita Krishnan (PTA88Treasurer@gmail.com)

Secretary: Camila. (PTA88Secretary@gmail.com )

They have been working hard this summer and have begun planning many events, opportunities and new initiatives for the year. Stay tuned for their "Swing Back Into School" event to kick-off the school year. To join their mailing list, please click below!

https://forms.office.com/r/RwWsAww7UE

This year, PS 88 and PS 91 had the wonderful opportunity to collaborate and work together. Big shout out to Principal Filippi, Assistant Principal Psahos and Kevin Goodish and his team for a wonderful summer. Mr. Canales was there too, and of course, added some World Cup Fun to the day!