Dear Neighborhood School Families,

During the month of January, teachers are hard at work in the evenings and on the weekends writing narrative reports.  Narrative reports tell the story of a child as a learner; they are descriptive, filled with precise detail, and reveal a child’s interests, strengths and areas for growth.  Children seldom progress in a neat and predictably-sequenced manner; each child is a unique individual with different life experiences and no two developmental pathways are the same.  As I read over your children’s reports, I am struck by how each one paints a distinct picture of each child.  I know you will cherish reading them.  Reports will go home Monday, February 6.

There are two opportunities TODAY to come together and stand up for the values and ideals that we hold so dear at TNS:

There is a “Rally Against Hate” in Tompkins Square Park from 6:30-7:30 p.m. tonight. It will be held at the entrance of the park on East 7th Street and Avenue A.  Councilwoman Rosie Mendez, elected officials, faith leaders, and community organizers will stand together against the Trump administration’s executive orders targeting Muslims and all immigrants.

There is a rally today at 5 p.m. in front of the Tweed Courthouse (52 Chambers Street) to oppose the nomination of Betsy DeVos as the next Secretary of Education.  We have heard from members of both the Mayor’s office and the Chancellor’s office that national media will be in attendance to cover this historic vote as NYC sends a clear message to the nation regarding the future of our public schools.

Mark your calendars:

• Judy, Dianne & Shaquawn, Jane, Olivia & Chelsea, Grace & Caroline, and Laura & Michiko’s classes will go ice skating at Prospect Park Tuesday.

• The ECO Committee will meet on Thursday at drop-off in the PTA Room.

• We have a TNS half-day this Friday.  Dismissal at 11:45 a.m.

Warmly,

Dyanthe

Dear Neighborhood School Families,

In my letter last week, I wrote about how part of our work at school is to teach children to resolve conflicts respectfully.  Of course, we hope our grown-ups will model this behavior when opportunities arise.  When parents come to me to share a concern about their child or teacher, one of my first questions is, “Have you discussed this with your child’s teacher?”

TNS was formed around the belief that families and teachers can learn from each other and we have always emphasized the collaborative relationships that develop around supporting children.  Open and ongoing communication between families and staff is essential to support children’s development.  We have created a process for TNS families and staff to communicate with one another when concerns or conflicts arise; the goal being to maintain or restore collaboration so that children receive the strongest possible support.  We are committed to supporting every child and every family. We hope that this document, called, “Guidelines for Resolving Concerns Between Members of Our School Community“ will serve as a guide to keep our community strong.  

Please come to hear Jamaal A. Bowman speak Monday at 6:30 p.m.  Jamaal Bowman is the founding principal of Cornerstone Academy for Social Action Middle School and has worked as an educator for over 15 years. He is the author of “The Tyranny of Standardized Testing“, “Let ‘Em Play” and “End School Privatization”.  You can learn more about him from his blog: https://jamaalabowman.wordpress.com.

At TNS, we look at children and measure their development on an individual continuum.  Teachers use techniques of assessment such as anecdotal notes, running records and writing and math samples to analyze individual student’s progress.  I encourage you to come to our discussion on Thursday, January 26th at 8:40am in the PTA Room to learn more about the ways in which TNS teachers assess student learning.  Our teachers, Erin, Dianne, Jane, Grace and Corinthia will share the ways they “measure” student growth and make decisions about class instruction, and the place state testing plays in instruction and curriculum.  Please join us!

Mark Your Calendars:

• Our Garden Committee will meet at drop-off Monday in the small cafeteria.

• The Diversity Committee will meet Tuesday at drop-off in the small cafeteria.

• SING is Wednesday at 8:45 in the auditorium.  Please also join us for the bake sale in the lobby beforehand (also, this is a call for donated baked goods).

Have a good week,

Dyanthe

Dear Neighborhood School Families,

“Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”  

-Martin Luther King Jr.

When I was a classroom teacher, one of my favorite picture books to read with my students was  “Martin’s Big Words”.  It tells the story of Martin Luther King Jr.’s life work and the civil rights movement and throughout the book, it features many of Dr. King’s memorable quotes.  It is a beautiful book that is as compelling to adults as it is to children because it shows the power of conviction, resistance and perseverance.  This week, we honor and celebrate the life and work of Dr. King; we commemorate the universal love, forgiveness and nonviolence that empowered his revolutionary spirit.    

The Neighborhood School sees diversity as one of our great strengths; we value an inclusive community that is marked by mutual respect, trust and responsibility.  Now, more than ever, in the spirit of Dr. King, we must see ourselves as a large and diverse community and come together for one another.  On a daily basis, this means continuing to help children resolve conflicts respectfully and encouraging them to speak up when they see meanness.  For our older students, it means teaching them to interrupt biased language, calmly ask questions and send a clear message: “This kind of language doesn’t fly here”.  By doing this, we continue to cultivate the values that Martin Luther King Jr. taught us through his example — those of courage, justice, compassion, dignity and humility.  

This week and next weekend, there are many events, and of course the everyday work in classrooms, to empower our children and us to stand up for the values and ideals that we hold so dear at TNS.  I hope you will join us.

Mark Your Calendars:

• The School Leadership Team (SLT) will meet Tuesday in Room 301 at 8 a.m. Monthly meetings are for the School Leadership Team Representatives and are open to all TNS families.  

• Parent’s of Unique Kids Support Group meets this Wednesday morning at drop-off in Room 301.  This is a support group for parents and caretakers; it is an opportunity to share experiences, defeats, and strategies with each other.  Kindergarten teacher, Dianne will lead the group as a fellow parent.  

• We will be making signs in preparation for both the DC and NYC Women’s March on Wednesday at 3 p.m. in Library.   TNS will be going as group to the NYC Women’s March on Saturday, January 21 and everyone is welcome!!

• Please join us for our January PTA General Meeting this Thursday at 8:40 a.m. in the PTA Room.  We will discuss the PTA’s role in the NYC Women’s March on Saturday.  Please come and share your ideas!

• Please come to hear Jamaal A. Bowman speak Monday, January 23 at 6:30 p.m.  Jamaal Bowman is the founding principal of Cornerstone Academy for Social Action Middle School and has worked as an educator for over 15 years. He is the author of “The Tyranny of Standardized Testing“, “Let ‘Em Play” and “End School Privatization”.  You can learn more about him from his blog: https://jamaalabowman.wordpress.com.  

Warmly,

Dyanthe