Oh, the Spring Break is upon us! There are so many reminders of renewal and rejuvenation that come with the Spring season and this break is a great time to go out and explore those changes.

School will NOT be in session from April 15th to April 24th. Students will return to the building Monday, April 25th. If you need to reach myself, Mrs. Nartowicz or Mrs. Perez-Fung, feel free to email us.

To ensure that students have a COVID-19 test kit to use prior to returning from the Spring Recess, home test kits were distributed on April 14th. Students received two boxes of test kit for a total of four test kits. Students should use the test kit on the evening of April 23, and again on the evening of April 24, before returning to school on April 25. Please note that while use of the test kit is strongly encouraged, participation is voluntary and staff and students are not required to show proof of a negative test result before being allowed to return to work and school.

Students in grades three to five will be taking NYS Math test will be given on Tuesday, April 26th and Wednesday, April 27th. Please make sure your child gets plenty of rest the night before AND arrives to school on time. This will help us ensure that we can begin the assessment in a timely manner.

School begins at 8:00 a.m. The doors at the main building open at 7:30 a.m. and 7:45 a.m. at the Annex. We have allotted a ten minute window for students to arrive to school without being marked late. Students that arrive after 8:10 a.m. will be marked late. We need your help getting your children to school on time. Every minute counts!

We hope you will join the PTA on our Spring Bike Ride on April 30th. More information is below.

I hope you all have a great Spring Break and come back ready to finish the school year strong!

Your Partner in Education,

Mrs. Figueroa

Have you read the April newsletter from the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Parent Committee? The committee would love to hear your feedback on the newsletter. Please take a few minutes and give them some feedback. The newsletter is linked here and the picture below shows you were the feedback link is located. Thank you DEI committee members.

Members of Student Council made a commercial to remind students about the Kids Heart Challenge. Please consider donating to this cause that helps others in need. We will be having our culminating event on May 5th! You can donate at: http://www2.heart.org/goto/ps188

Summer Rising Overview

A partnership between the New York City Department of Education (DOE) and the Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD), Summer Rising will connect elementary and middle school students to fun, culturally relevant, hands-on experiences to strengthen their academic, social, and emotional skills.

Summer Rising is free and open to any NYC student currently in kindergarten through grade 8. Seats are limited, so we highly encourage families to apply early to secure a seat at their preferred location. Students who are required by their school to attend over the summer are guaranteed a spot. The program will begin July 5, and will run Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. during the months of July and August. Students will be provided with free breakfast and lunch, with snacks available in the afternoon on request. Summer Rising will run for six weeks for all students, with a seventh week of enrichment for students in grades K–5. Learn more at https://www.schools.nyc.gov/enrollment/summer/grades-k-8,

How to Apply

Beginning on April 25, you can submit a Summer Rising application to enroll your child at . The application will ask for your student’s 9-digit ID number, which you can get from your school if you do not know it.

You can apply to any Summer Rising site with available seats for your child’s grade level. You should apply as soon as possible to ensure your preferred placement! Immediately after enrolling, you will receive an email confirming your spot. If enrolling multiple students, please note that you must submit each application for separately.

If you have questions or need support with the application, contact your school’s parent coordinator or email summer@schools.nyc.gov.

As of Wednesday, April 13th, 61.7% of our families have filled out the survey. The survey deadline has been extended to April 15th. Please take a moment to complete the survey. It is important because it gives us a snapshot of how we are doing. For more information please follow this link www.nycschoolsurvey.org.

If you are unable to find the paper survey, please follow the link below to take the survey. All you need is your child’s 9-digit OSIS (Student Identification Number) number. When asked for the access number, enter a lowercase “f” followed by their child’s nine-digit OSIS number (see example below). This will bring you to the survey.

Take the 2021-2022 NYC School Survey NOW!(Open external link)

The PTA has sponsored one Yoga class for all of our classes to attend. We will be working on adding an additional session. The schedule is linked below. Thank you PTA!!!

Mrs. Hollis and Mrs. Perez-Fung held a goal-setting workshop for students. Here is what they discussed.

On Saturday, April 30th, The PTA is planning to lead a spring bike-ride on the nearby Vanderbilt Motor Parkway. Students, accompanied by parents or guardians are welcomed to participate on the trip. We are encouraging all participants to decorate their bikes with safe decorations - for example cray paper, paper cutouts, streamers or pinwheel.

All riders: please bring and wear a helmet, and check your bicycles for safety prior to arrival.

Who: students who can ride comfortably and are accompanied by an adult.

What: Spring bike-ride from 220th street to Bell Blvd, then from Bell Blvd to Cloverdale. From Cloverdale, we will navigate the less traveled streets to Alley Pond Park for light refreshments (chips, cookies, juice box) and prizes.

When: Saturday, April 30th, 1pm to 2:30pm.

Where: Start at 220th St and Kingsbury Entrance to the motor parkway. We will travel to Bell Blvd then back to Cloverdale and then on to Alley Pond Park seating area benches.

How: Decorate your bicycle safely, ride with us, have a snack and be ready to hear who will win a prize for the best decorated bicycles.

Details:

We will meet at the "dead end" at the corner of 220th St. and Kingsbury 10 minutes before 1pm. If you are late, you can wait by the entrance of 220th Street, and we will circle back on our way to Cloverdale.

Questions? Contact Thomas Horan @ fifthgeart5@aol.com.

We are looking forward to seeing you!

We have an abundance of math manipulatives. Teachers have created take-home math kits for the students to use at home to help them as they do their math homework. These are for the students to keep.

We are working on steps to solving problems. Please speak to your children about these steps and how resolve conflict using these steps.

Most kids face peer pressure when they get to middle or high school. But did you know that even in elementary school, children can feel pressure to fit in and to do what “everyone else” is doing?

Sometimes, that means going along with teasing on the playground. Other times, it means watching a movie at a friend’s house that she would never be allowed to watch at home.

Now is the time to teach your child how to handle peer pressure—and how to say no to things that don’t fit with your family’s rules or values. Encourage your child to say and remember these statements:

· I can say no to things that would put me in danger.

· I can make good choices for myself.

· I can say, “You’re my friend, but I don’t choose to do that.”

· It’s OK if I make choices that are not the same as the choices my friends make.

Want some ideas to celebrate Earth Day this year with your family? Here are some great ideas:

https://www.prodigygame.com/main-en/blog/earth-day-activities-for-kids/

https://kidsactivitiesblog.com/138729/10-things-you-can-do-to-celebrate-earth-day-from-home/

https://www.amandaseghetti.com/earth-day-activities/

April 15th-22nd- Spring Break (No School)

April 25th Summer Rising online registration portal opens; Coffee and Conversations with Mrs. Figueroa 10 a.m.

April 26th and 27th NYS Math Test

April 27th Administrative Assistant's Day

April 30th PTA Sponsored Kid's Spring Bike Ride

May 2nd No School-Eid-al-Fitr

May 2nd to May 6th Teacher Appreciation Week

May 3rd Teacher Appreciation Day; PTA Mother's Day Plant Sale

May 4th PTA Sponsored BMX Bike Show All Grades; SLT meeting 6 p.m.

May 5th Kids' Heart Challenge Culminating Event for ALL Grades

May 6th Safety Meeting 7:30 a.m.

May 6th PTA Mother's Day Plant Sale

May 10th Parent DEI Committee Meeting 9:30 a.m.

May 14th PTA Sponsored Spring Family Day 2:00 p.m. in PS 188Q schoolyard

May 17th Watching Television and Movies Wisely with Mrs. Hollis and Mrs. Perez-Fung 9 a.m.

May 18th Kindergarten Parents Virtual Visit to the Main Building; PTA meeting 7 p.m.

May 19th Library Books Returned

May 20th Last Day of Morning Library

May 23rd Coffee and Conversations with Mrs. Figueroa 10 a.m.

May 26th Dancing Classrooms School-Wide Family Event 5 p.m.; CDEC Meeting 7 p.m.

May 24th-June 3rd 4th grade NYS Science Performance Test

May 30th No School- Memorial Day