Education Updates from WJPS
2021-2022
Outdoor Mask Policy
Outdoor Mask Policy
Beginning on Monday, February 28, masks or face coverings are optional when outside on school grounds. Masks will still be required for all students, staff, and visitors inside schools. We will continue to maintain strict COVID-19 protocols, including increased ventilation, distancing when possible, a daily screener to make sure those with symptoms do not come to school, and test kit distribution.
As a reminder, vaccination is the best tool we have to fight COVID-19 and to keep our schools safe for all our students. Children ages 5 and older are eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19. If your child is eligible but not yet vaccinated against COVID-19, you can make an appointment for vaccination at vaccinefinder.nyc.gov or call 311 to find a vaccine site near you. The vaccine is free for all New Yorkers, regardless of immigration or insurance status. We thank you for your continued partnership.
Middle & High School Applications
MIDDLE SCHOOL
The middle school application is open, and the deadline to apply is March 1, 2022!
HIGH SCHOOL
The high school application is open, and the deadline to apply is March 11, 2022!
Mindfulness Classes on Parent University - now at 8 pm
Mindfulness is emerging in public education based on 60 years of teachers, parents, and families discovering and utilizing these strategies of stress management, attentional focus, awareness, acceptance, and self-regulation to:
Stay with & realize solutions to personal and public challenges and changes
Increase one's capacity to notice and appreciate life in ways that support resilience
Support joyful learning and growth
Develop critical thinking skills
Join us each Tuesday and Thursday at 8:00 pm as we build community and harness the power of self-care and self-healing through the discovery of the conscious breath, meditation, and movement.
View this flyer and click to register on Parent University.(or search under “Health & Wellness” category
“Child Support Services” Webinars on Parent University
In this 3-part series, learn how child support works, the services available, and what parents/guardians need to know to better understand their case, their responsibilities, and how the HRA Office of Child Support Services (OCSS) can support you. Each session is 30 minutes and includes Q&A.
Session 1: Child Support Basics - Monday, March 7 @ 10am and 6pm
Session 2: Key Points for Custodial Parents - Monday, March 14 @ 10am and 6pm
Session 3: Key Points for Noncustodial Parents - Monday, March 21 @ 10am and 6pm
Click here to enroll on Parent University (or search the course catalog under the “Adult and Continuing Education” category)
The Searchable Museum of African-American History and Culture
RESOURCE: VACCINES FOR EVERYONE AGES 5 AND UP
Vaccine Details for Children Ages 5 -11
People of all ages can get COVID-19. While COVID-19 is more dangerous for adults, children are still vulnerable. With more contagious variants of the virus, more young people are getting COVID-19 and being hospitalized. Some people also have long-lasting health problems after having COVID-19, such as difficulty breathing, muscle and joint pain, headaches and tiredness.
Getting children vaccinated also helps protect others, such as grandparents and relatives who have a medical condition that increases their risk for severe COVID-19. It even helps people in your community, since being vaccinated helps stop the spread of the virus.
The Pfizer vaccine is now approved and available for children 5-11 years old in NYC
Children aged 5-17 must get Pfizer. It is the only FDA/CDC vaccine approved for children.
The Pfizer vaccine is 2 doses, given 21 days apart, to be fully vaccinated
The vaccine went through rigorous research, trials, and evaluation and is safe, free, and easily accessible in NYC.
Everyone aged 5+ should get vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as possible
Even if a child (or their parent) had COVID-19, they should still get the vaccine because it helps protect them against infection, severe illness, or death from COVID-19.
For more information about vaccines and children, families can go to nyc.gov/covidvaccine and see this FAQ.
Parents or guardians can call 212-COVID19 (212-268-4319) with questions about the vaccine
People should also talk to their health care provider with concerns or questions specific to their own medical situation.
Vaccine Access:
Find a vaccine site near you at nyc.gov/vaccinefinder or by calling 877-VAX4-NYC
You can search “Pfizer 5-11” under vaccine type for a site that administers to this age group
City-run vaccine sites offer vaccines for children aged 5+
For City-run sites, including H+H hospitals, appointments and walk-ins will be honored.
The City is working to ensure that health care providers, including pediatricians and pharmacies, across the City have access to vaccine supply for children. Check with your doctor, local pharmacy or nyc.gov/vaccinefinder.
Consent:
Children must have a parent or guardian's consent to get the vaccine. Children 5-15 y/o must be accompanied by an adult when they receive the vaccine, and if the child is accompanied by an adult who is not the parent or guardian, written consent or verbal consent by phone from the parent or guardian must be obtained at the time of vaccination.
For specific questions about school vaccinations, please discuss with your child's school
Incentives:
The $100 individual incentive is available to children who get vaccinated. Children may use a parent's email address to redeem their visa gift card.
Organizations participating in the $100 Vaccine Referral Bonus program (including PAs/PTAs) are also able to get the $100 incentive per child they refer to get vaccinated. See more information at nyc.gov/vaccineincentive
Resources:
YouTube: Videos from NYC Health in ten languages
Parent University: Live and pre-recorded classes on Covid-19 Vaccines. The courses are taught by experts from the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), and include updates about COVID-19 vaccines, as well as live question-and-answer sessions.
NYCDOE website: Health and Safety in Our Schools
Get FAFSA and Financial Aid Help from The New School
It’s college application season and (gulp) time to think about paying for school. Most families seeking money for college need to fill out the government's Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. The form can be intimidating or confusing to students and families. We are here to help.
Check out UnderstandingFAFSA.org. It's a new website developed by the Center for New York City Affairs, and home to our popular book FAFSA: The How-To Guide for High School Students (And the Adults Who Help Them). Our latest edition is free and available online in ten languages with updates & resources in response to Covid-19.
We hope our new website will be particularly useful for first-generation college students who are filling out the FAFSA for the first time. We seek to answer the most common questions of NYC students and families. And we offer additional info for students who may need additional help, including those who are undocumented or homeless.
Written in partnership with NYC college professionals, our website and how-to guide walk families through the entire financial aid process, including:
Filling out the FAFSA,
Communicating with colleges,
Choosing among college financial aid offers.
Please take a look today! And consider spreading the word among friends and colleagues who work with college-going families.
Children’s Books About Mental Health
From The Child Mind Institute: We’ve contacted publishers all over to call in books that address mental health and learning disorders and other common challenges, like dealing with painful experiences and coping with strong emotions. See the complete list of 44 books here.
We included books for kids up to 12, from picture books to be read with preschoolers to chapter books for independent reading by older children. Our clinicians read them all and picked the best in each category, based on how helpful they found them.
Direct links to books about: Abuse | ADHD | Anxiety | Autism | Bullying | Depression | Dyslexia | Feelings | Grief and Loss | Identity | Neglect | OCD | Self-Esteem | Selective Mutism | Sensory Processing | Tourette’s Syndrome | Trauma
The NY Public Library Best Books of 2021
The New York Public Library is proud to present our Best Books of 2021. Our annual recommendations for kids, teens, and adults, curated by our expert librarians, encompass fiction, nonfiction, graphic novels, poetry, kids’ books in Spanish, and much more.
All of these books are in the Library’s catalog and many are available in multiple formats, including e-books, audiobooks, and accessible editions. Happy reading!
Check the website for lists or download them here:
How to Create Your NYCSA Account
Parents are able to to view and update their emergency contact information and their child’s health information directly in NYCSA. This information will automatically update in the DOE system.
Families can now access the new NYC Schools Account (NYCSA) portal, which consolidates several important parent-facing applications in one place. In addition to seeing information for MyStudent, such as grades, attendance, and transportation, families will also be able to access Parent University and the Bullying Reporting online form.
Parents can reset the passwords to their student’s DOE email accounts through the Manage Account page; please note the change in URL from http://mystudent.nyc to http://schoolsaccount.nyc. Families who currently have a NYCSA account will automatically have access to new features in the portal.
Parent University!
Parent University seeks to educate and empower families as partners, advocates, and lifelong educators in their student's education through free courses, resources, events, and activities.
Parent University serves all families, from early childhood through adulthood. Even if you are not a parent, we encourage you to become involved with Parent University. With an expanding course list Parent University is ready to support you. Register and enroll for a course today!
To register for a course:
Visit parentu.schools.nyc
Sign in with your NYC Schools Account or create a new account
Choose a course from the Course Catalog tab
Click Enroll
Check your email for confirmation!
For more information about Parent University, including flyers in different languages, please visit the Office of Family and Community Empowerment page on the DOE website. To get started, watch this short video tutorial and learn how to create an account. Then, go to parentu.schools.nyc .
We hope to see you on Parent University!
Here are some courses:
Mindfulness is emerging in public education based on 60 years of teachers, parents, and families discovering and utilizing these strategies of stress management, attentional focus, awareness, acceptance, and self-regulation to:
Stay with & realize solutions to personal and public challenges and changes
Increase one's capacity to notice and appreciate life in ways that support resilience
Support joyful learning and growth
Develop critical thinking skills
Join us each Tuesday and Thursday at 7:30pm as we build community and harness the power of self-care and self-healing through the discovery of the conscious breath, meditation, and movement.
Mindfulness for Parents (Every Tuesday & Thursday at 7:30pm)
New York City’s Public Libraries Announce No More Late Fines, Ever
As of October 5, 2021, everyone is getting a fresh start at the Library: All existing fines and replacement fees in all patron accounts have been cleared and erased. This is the case for all three of New York City’s public libraries: New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library and Queens Public Library.
Late fines will no longer accrue on borrowed materials returned after their due date.
Please note: some replacement fees will still apply. Learn more about the new policies in Manhattan, Bronx and Staten Island (NYPL), Brooklyn and Queens.
Check out your local library for all the great free resources and services it offers!
NYC Students Can Access FREE Digital Books
The Sora app is the quickest and easiest way to read digital books. NYC students grades K-12 can log in using school credentials and instantly access hundreds of ebooks and audiobooks on virtually any device, for FREE.
New York City Department of Education’s ebook and audiobook collection is available 24/7.
Download the FREE Sora app - use set up code NYCSCHOOLS
Students log in with their DOE email account
Download Digital Books or Audio Books
Wide Open Schools Website for Families
Wide Open School, powered by Common Sense, is a NYC DOE-approved website with learning activities for students. Activities are free and available for all subjects for preschool - grade 12.
Families can find support for learning at home, like tips for keeping kids focused and helpful information about using online learning tools. Families can also find an overview of the units their children are studying throughout the year in grades K-8 with high school coming soon.
When to use Wide Open School:
To engage with your child about what your child is learning at school.
To help parents with conversations at teacher conferences.
As a backup plan when the school is having closures or technical difficulties.
When looking for free after-school or summer activities.
When looking for family tips for learning at home.
To learn more about Wide Open School's tools and resources, visit nycschools.wideopenschool.org.
RESOURCE: How to help someone who needs mental healthcare
Get started with a new guide from the Mayor's Office of Community Mental Health, produced with NYC Health + Hospitals and the NYC Health Department. The guide walks you through how to get mental health support for anyone, at any level of need - including what to know, where to look, and who to call.
Explore the guide online here.
Mental Health Resources for All New Yorkers
NYC has greatly expanded mental health and substance misuse services, and increased services as the COVID-19 pandemic created additional challenges.
The 24/7 helpline 1-888-NYC-WELL is FREE and provides many different kinds of support and interventions. The website Mental Health for All helps with finding support for recovery from depression; grief support; support through any kind of crisis; and substance use disorder services.
New York City has universal health care (NYC Care) that includes counseling services. No New Yorker, documented or undocumented, needs to go without coverage. Mental health is as important as ever during tough times. NYC will continue to promote universal access to mental healthcare during the COVID-19 recovery and beyond.
World Journalism Preparatory School
Email: helen.reed@wjps.org
Website: WJPS.org
Location: 34-65 192nd Street, Flushing, NY, USA
Phone: 718-461-2219
Facebook: facebook.com/wjpspc
Twitter: @wjpspc