"Weekly Notes" from Mrs. Figueroa
Week of March 7th to March 11th
We have a lot of exciting things planned for this week.
We will be reviewing the various safety drills, such as the Shelter-In, Evacuation and Soft Lockdowns. Teachers will also be sharing bicycle, scooter and bus safety lessons with your children.
This week is Civics Week. We are a Civics for All partner school. As a partner school, our students have the opportunity to join a live virtual event where students can ask questions to Justice Sonia Sotomayor on Wednesday, March 9th. Additionally, the teachers will be sharing lessons with the students throughout the week that focus on developing a civic mindset. Ask your children about what they are learning this week!
On Wednesday, March 9th, I will be hosting virtual "Coffee and Conversations" at 10 a.m. Please join me with your cup of coffee, tea, water, or in my case, Diet Coke, as I share some calming strategies that we have been teaching the students to help them focus and calm themselves. Additionally, I will provide any new updates from the Department of Education on changes to the mask mandates and what we are doing at PS 188Q to ensure the health and safety of all community members. Mrs. Perez-Fung will email the link out to families the day before the meeting. I hope to see you all there!!
We had two 5th grade students make it to the second round of the NYC Spelling Bee. Maxwell and Mason took the second round of the Spelling Bee online before the mid-winter break. Although they did not make it the next round, they both came very close--one to two points away from the cutoff. We are so proud of Maxwell and Mason. Congratulations!
I am here for you and your children. Please reach out to me if you need anything. You can call me at the school or email me at CFiguer4@schools.nyc.gov. Feel free to introduce yourself if you see me outside at arrival or dismissal.
Have a great week!! Remember---at PS 188Q, we DREAM, BELIEVE and ACHIEVE!!!!
🚩Mask Policy Update
The DOE has announced the following and families have the decision to continue to have their child wear a mask if they would like. We will respect and honor every families' decision:
NEW: Effective March 7, face coverings will become optional, indoors and outdoors, on NYC public school grounds and on school buses, for all K-12 students and staff with a few exceptions. Please note that while wearing a face covering will no longer be required, anyone who chooses to wear a mask may continue to do so; face coverings will continue to be available through the school’s custodian engineer. Face coverings are still required or recommended in the following scenarios:
Face coverings are required:
Face coverings after return from 5-day isolation: Anyone returning on Day 6 after a positive COVID-19 diagnosis or after having COVID-19 symptoms without testing is still required to wear a well-fitting mask at all times on school property through Day 10.
Face coverings for Early Childhood programs: The indoor mask mandate is still active for LYFE, EarlyLearn (Infants & Toddlers), 3-K, Pre-K, and 4410 classrooms. Children two years old and older, and all staff in these classrooms, must continue to follow the same face covering requirements whether they are in a district school, CBO, or home-based program. Since children under the age of five are not yet eligible to receive the vaccine, face coverings remain our strongest defense against COVID-19 for early childhood populations.
Face coverings in medical rooms/nurses’ offices: Wearing a face covering is still required in medical rooms/nurses’ offices, as well as in School Based Health Centers. Nurses will have masks on hand for anyone entering who needs one.
Face coverings are strongly recommended:
Face coverings following exposure: It is strongly recommended that face coverings be worn when an individual has been exposed or potentially exposed to COVID-19 (in the same room for 15 minutes or longer with a person who tested positive for COVID-19). This face covering should be well-fitting and should be worn for 10 days after the known exposure.
Social Distancing
NEW: There are no requirements for social distancing in public spaces, including classrooms, cafeterias and auditoriums, unless the person is returning from isolation. As per NYS guidance, those that are required to still wear face coverings due to returning from isolation should distance when they have to remove their mask for eating.
Visitor Policy
NEW: A face covering is now optional for visitors.
All visitors wishing to enter DOE school buildings must continue to show proof of having at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccination, show identification, and complete the daily health screening form.
For more information, please visit:
DEI Parent Team March Newsletter📃
In an effort to help empower the PS188Q community to value and celebrate unique identities, the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Parent Team will be sharing monthly newsletters focusing on different topics to help create an environment in which everyone feels valued, respected, and accepted. Each DEI newsletter will highlight a monthly focus or topic that can be discussed with your child/children. To help with your discussions at home, each newsletter will also provide sections that relate directly to the specific monthly focus (including articles and links) which will enable families to explore and learn more about the monthly topic.
This month's topic is Ability. The featured book is The Smart Cookie by Jory John and Pete Oswald. Take a look at the DEI Parent Team's newsletter for more about the featured book and topic.
Thank you DEI Parent Team, Mrs. Perez-Fung and Mrs. Hollis for all your efforts in this process!
💭Calm Down Breathing Weekly Strategy
🛑Stop and Drop Reminder
📅Upcoming Events📅
March 9th: ☕ Coffee and Conversations💭 with Mrs. Figueroa 10:00 a.m. via Zoom- link will be sent out the day before
March 11th: End of Marking Period
March 13th Daylight Savings Time begins⏰---don't forget to set your clock AHEAD one hour
March 15th Fostering Self-Esteem Workshop 9:30 a.m.--link will be sent out the day before
March 16th PTA Meeting 7:00 p.m. All are welcome!
March 18th PreK Application ends
March 21st Spring Picture Day 📸--Main and Annex
March 22nd Community Education Council District 26's Virtual Town Hall Event with Chancellor Banks 6:15 p.m.--Pre-registration required
March 24th Coffee and Conversations with Mrs. Figueroa 10:00 a.m. via Zoom- link will be sent out the day before.
Report cards available via NYCSA.
March 29th and 30th NYS ELA Test for 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students
📢A Look at Events from this Week at PS 188Q📢
Long Island Children's Museum Visit
Standing on Cups
Will it Hold Me?
Building Structures
📚📖Read Across America Day📚📖
📓Teacher's and Writer's Collaborative Residency
Some of our Third and Fourth Grade classes have been participating in a residency with Teacher's and Writer's Collaborative. Last week the students worked on a "spell poem." Here is an original piece from one of our student's.
Kaboogy
Kaboogy, kaboogy, kaboogy
the monkey looks for food
monkey brown, monkey black
kaboogy, kaboogy, kaboogy
the monkey finds a banana
it sees the banana
it smells the banana
it eats the banana
CHOMP!
kaboogy, kaboogy, kaboogy
Need to Get in Touch with Mrs. Figueroa❓
Email: CFiguer4@schools.nyc.gov
Website: https://parentcoordinatorps188q.com/
Location: 218-12 Hartland Ave, Queens, Bayside, NY 11364, USA
Phone: 929-600-5683
Need to Get in Touch with Mrs. Nartowicz❓
Email: cnartowicz@schools.nyc.gov
Website: https://parentcoordinatorps188q.com/
Phone: 718-464-2026
Need to get in touch with Mrs. Perez-Fung❓
Email: mperez-fung@schools.nyc.gov
Website: https://parentcoordinatorps188q.com/
Location: 218-12 Hartland Ave. Oakland Gardens, NY 11364
Phone: 929-600-5683