JANUARY FAMILY NEWSLETTER

Happy New Year to you and yours!

As we celebrate another new year, it is always a great time for looking back to the past, but more importantly, looking forward to the coming year. It is a time to reflect on the changes we want, or need, to make and resolve to follow through on those changes. So as we begin 2024, I want to assure everyone that the high expectations and the commitment we made at the beginning of the school year to provide quality learning and care will continue as we dive in to this second half of the school year.

Additionally, I have also heard the many concerns you have expressed around "learning loss", not just this school year, but for the past few years since the start of the pandemic. While we understand that students everywhere have not been learning at the same rate as in a normal, pre-pandemic year, we are shifting from using this deficit-based language of "learning loss", which implies that our students are broken and that learning has not happened at all, to a mindset that focuses on how learning across the board may look different but is still happening, and what learning has been gained despite the challenges. At P.S 219, this means that we are focusing on accelerating - We are using the knowledge we have gained to adjust our teaching to provide even more personalized and differentiated instruction that is based on individual student needs, more small group instruction in the classrooms, and increased collaboration between home and school to ensure that academic supports are consistent and aligned with the needs of our children. As we continue to monitor our data from our second round of i-Ready assessments (more information to come) strategic reading, literacy and math instruction (which occurs at 8:00am sharp) we are confident that our students will make continued growth. With that being said, IT IS CRUCIAL THAT SCHOLARS ARE IN SCHOOL ON TIME, EVERYDAY! This will maximize every opportunity for the optimal amount of academic growth for our children.

We are going to have an impactful 2024 and we are looking forward to MORE academic growth, more school pride, community love and care!

I hope that you all continue to stay safe and be well.

Yours in partnership,

Mrs. Williams

-Proud Principal

It's a new year and we're still rocking our uniforms! Just a reminder we’re showing school pride through our uniforms all year long. Please find information listed below regrading what to wear, to have an amazing school year 😊

P.S 219 has a required school uniform for several very important reasons:

1. Uniforms unite our community.
2. Uniforms reduce distractions any clothing competition.
3. Uniforms help uphold our scholarly atmosphere.

All students must come to school wearing a P.S 219-Kennedy King uniform with pride! The basic uniform items without a school logo can be purchased from Ideal uniform store, cookies, young world, old navy, etc. Uniform items purchased with the school logo can be purchased on line from https://www.milkuniforms.com/p-s-219

The unform is as follows:

Uniforms (3K-5th Grade) can be purchased as follows:

• Tops: Royal Purple and/or white solid polo shirt with/without the logo is required every school day.
• Bottoms: Navy, or black, slacks, joggers, dress, skirt, etc. (Families may purchase bottoms/skirts/dresses from any store of their choice)
• Shoes: A “safe shoe” that covers all or most of the foot, adequate for walking up and down stairs all day. A sneaker is preferred. Sneakers can be any color to celebrate the students' style and flair. Crocs, other foam shoes, and UGG slip-on shoes (any type of slipper) are not permitted.
• Belts: If needed, a solid color is preferred
• Tights: any color and pattern (no lace is preferred)
• Socks: any color and pattern
• Gym Uniform: Grey or navy jogger suit. Options can be found on the uniform website with the school logo or purchased without from any store of your choosing.

If students have an accident or soil their clothes, a clean uniform will be provided for students to change into. Students in 3K, Pre-K, and Kindergarten are required to always keep a change of clothes in school.

PURCHASING INFORMATION

Website: https://www.milkuniforms.com/p-s-219

• Online Purchasing
• Families can purchase uniforms online from the website above.
• Online purchases will be shipped to the families’ homes.
• Free shipping is offered for orders of $75 or more.
• Shipping time can be expedited but 10 business days is suggested for standard delivery.
• Pricing: see image

Please note that head coverings are only permitted for religious reasons. All other head covering must be removed.

Thank you so much and we look forward to seeing you soon. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me or the main office at 929-397-9566 ext. 2161.

• Thursday, January 4th: School Leadership Team Meeting
• Wednesday, January 10th: Parent Nutritional Workshop
• Monday, January 15th - NO SCHOOL (MLK Day)
• Monday, January 22nd-26th: i-Ready Reading & Math Diagnostics
• Tuesday, January 30th: PTA/PAC Meeting

Attendance Matters!

Last month we hosted a perfect attendance party and scholars had a wonderful time .We will be hosting another attendance event for our scholars who have perfect attendance in January!

More importantly, scholars that are in school every day have higher academic data, grow as readers and master mathematical concepts and strategies. We need you to partner with us in ensuring that scholars have the greatest opportunity to maximize instructional minutes by being in school and in class, learning. Our school-wide attendance goal is 95%-100% daily and we have a school-wide attendance average of 90% in November! In December our attendance declined and we need to get it back up! You can help us continue maintaining a strong scholar attendance by continuing to make sure that your scholar(s) arrive on time, every day and communicating with your scholars classroom teacher or the main office for excused absences. Thank you for supporting our increased efforts for timeliness, so we can maximize learning time. On The Road To 90%!

i-Ready Personalized Instruction Guidance for Families

In preparation for i-Ready Middle of year diagnostics, please click on the link below to support your scholar using i-Ready. At home you can access guidance for using i-Ready including login and technical support. Learn how you can support your student with i-Ready.

curriculumassociates.com

It’s a whole new reality of learning and living for our children. The reality is that we live in a world where tech is ever-present and there is an increase for the need to spend time teaching our children how to navigate online responsibly. With the rise of safety concerns, cyberbullying, easy access from strangers on online platforms, we are asking families to partner with us as new technology and new apps are being created daily, and online communication is becoming an increasingly common. It is crucial to help our children achieve and understand digital literacy and be consistent and vigilant in monitoring usage to prevent cyberbullying prevention, ensure online safety, digital responsibility, and digital health and wellness.

RAISING DIGITAL CITIZENS

1. Remain positively engaged

2. Support their good choices

3. Know the protection features on your devices and on websites

4. Review privacy settings

5. Teach critical thinking

6. Teach them to respect private information about themselves and others

7. Teach your children how to interact safely

8. Empower your children to handle issues around bullying, hurtful comments and unwanted contact & sharing

1. Emphasize that they have the power to end conversations and log off the Internet at any time, and to not let shyness or embarrassment prevent them from talking to a parent or family member if they get into an iffy or risky situation

9. Support positive and safe engagement

Information from: National Cybersecurity Alliance

IN THE KNOW - Apps our students are using:

• Tik Tok

• Instagram

• Snapchat

• Facebook

• Twitter

• Text free App (Call/text)

• Roblox

• Omegle

• Discord

• Gaming sites where there are live chats

HOW TO SET UP PARENTAL CONTROLS & OVERSIGHT

• Parental controls - "How To"

• Parental controls on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch / Youtube video tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDwOeoc6LAw

• Parental controls on Android / Youtube video tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7b-0gbQWOmc

• Apps that set up online controls

• Bark

• Kaspersky Safe Kids

• Our Pact (Kids can be involved)

• Family Orbit- track messages

• Google family link- set a timer (automatically shuts off)

• Set up check ins regarding social media, device usage

• Regular conversations about being a digital citizen and safe online

• Writing up an actual contract with time limits/expectations/rules and consequences if those rules are broken

We are available to support should you need anything!

If you choose to send your student to school with a cell phone, it must remain in their backpack at all times. If you need to relay a message to your student during the day, please call the school directly. You can reach the main office by calling the following: 929-397-9566.

Students should ensure that any personal belongings they bring with them to school do not pose any type of distraction or physical or emotional risk to themselves or others. Students are not permitted to bring toys, cards, games, and electronics not specifically authorized by the teacher. If these materials are brought to school and used during instructional periods, they will be confiscated and returned only to the parent/guardian. Finally, please note that the school does not take responsibility for any personal belongings of value brought to school.

https://www.schools.nyc.gov/school-life/food/menus/school-lunch-meals?value=s8#menuDiv

We want to make sure that you are fully connected to us. Please make sure our main office has the correct email and most updated phone numbers for you. We want to make sure that you receive all the texts and memos throughout the month. For some of you, it may be that your email settings block our messages and for others, it may be that we do not have accurate information. If your phone number changes, please alert your child's classroom teacher, send an email to, or call myself, Mr. Gordon or the main office.

Scholars in Grades Kindergarten thru 5th grade, whose families identied that they needed assistance with technology, have been provided with a replacement or school loaner laptops. To date, all scholars in K-5 have a working school laptop and a pair of brand new headphones to use both at home and in school. Students will need laptops at home for i-Ready lessons, Edulastic lessons and any other at-home projects and tasks. Students will need laptops in school for classroom assignments and for upcoming school assessments. Going forward, scholars are responsible for transporting laptops back and forth to school one they are assigned. Please be advised: there will be one piece of technology sent per student based on what families have identified. Please work with your student to ensure that laptops and headphones remain in good functioning shape as we have reached our maximum number of technology purchases. If you need support, please reach out to Mrs. Williams and Mr. GoldSmith