Dear Families,

I am excited to share that finally, after months of waiting, our Exception Request for a Parent Coordinator has been approved!  This means that we can hire someone to replace Noemi!  Hooray!  It will take some time, but it is in the works and I will share updates with you as I learn more.  

As you have heard, the Mayor announced that all 3K, Pre-K, and grades K-5 will return to in-person learning on Monday, December 7.  Our reopening team meets today and will share plans as soon as possible so families can plan accordingly.  Please note that all 1st - 5th grade students must submit a testing consent form in order to return to the school building.  

As we prepare to be in the building again, I want to share some important updates about ventilation, especially as the weather gets colder.  Thanks to our advocacy efforts and with the support of our custodial staff and superintendent, our building received 24 air purifiers manufactured by Intellipure before in-person school started.  This was a kind gesture on the part of the Department of Education.  Recently, we received additional air purifiers for classrooms and were told this was so teachers can close more windows when it’s cold.  Each school building was also given a CO2 monitor (CO2 is Carbon Dioxide NOT Carbon Monoxide) to regularly monitor airflow in classrooms.  While appreciative of these efforts to keep us safe, the Building Council is still seeking the science in writing that gives specifics about window ventilation and air purifiers for COVID.  We continue to advocate for ALL schools to receive reliable, scientifically sound guidelines about the ventilation in classrooms that are specific to each school building’s unique variables. 

Looking Ahead…

• Monday, December 7 is a TNS half-day.  Dismissal for all students is at 11:10 AM.

• The School Leadership Team (SLT) will meet on Thursday, December 10 at 2:30 PM.  This meeting is open to all.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89975856001?pwd=KzJ1bm01Y2NhM3AwWTgrL21raC9NQT09

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Warmly,

Dyanthe

Dear Families,

As Thanksgiving approaches, it is essential to shed light on the indigenous perspective on how this holiday came about. Though we now use this day to spend time with family and friends and share delicious food, for indigenous communities this is a day of mourning as they remember the violence against the Wampanoag from the English settlers.  Unfortunately, when it comes to the history of Thanksgiving, generations of Americans have been taught a one-sided history in homes and schools.  Over the next few days, classes will learn about the history of Thanksgiving beyond the singular narrative that reinforces negative stereotypes and myths about the Native People.  Cheryl shared Family Resources: Native American Cultures to support families navigating follow-up discussions.  Remember to listen and give children a chance to talk, process, and play out their thinking without interruption.  When we react by interrupting or judging that something wrong, the message children get is, “I shouldn’t talk about this” and that shuts down the conversation. We want to show children that it is safe to talk about, to play in front of adults, and that way we open the doors for communication.  Please reach out directly to your child’s teacher if you have questions.

In an effort to consolidate and organize online communications and form and manage groups, our PTA will be using Konstella for TNS news and information. At its most basic, Konstella centralizes all school information in one place. It’s not a perfect system, but it creates consistency and makes it easier for the PTA and class reps to communicate with you.  The site also has a “Social Groups” platform where any parent can create a social group and ask people to join it and you’ll be able to communicate with one another as well as private message individuals or groups. For example, there is a Middle School group there for sharing information about middle school tours and application processes, Weekend Activities, and a Brooklyn group.  All families have been added to their classes. If you complete your registration, you can use the full Konstella app. If not, you will just receive emails in your inbox.  Beginning next week, my letter will be included in the PTA newsletter and sent via Konstella.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

This week at TNS…

• Families can pick up materials for students today until 2 PM.

• There is no school Thursday and Friday in observance of Thanksgiving.

Sending Love,

Dyanthe

Dear Families,

All NYC schools will be required to switch to fully remote learning if the citywide coronavirus positivity rate reaches 3% over a seven-day average.  For most of our students, there will be no transition at all.  But not whether remote or blended, our students and teachers will stay together in their classes, and unlike in the spring, we will arrange ways to continue to distribute materials to students.  I will continue to update you as we learn more.

This week at TNS...

• Today is a TNS half-day. Dismissal is at 11:10 AM.

• The PTA will meet on Tuesday at 5 PM.  All families are encouraged to participate!

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84825390973?pwd=SHBUZVNwVkltNDROcm9jWVJoNG12UT09

• BE GRATEFUL YOGA:  A 30-minute practice designed for staff and parents to use at any time when gratitude and self-care boost is needed. No yoga experience necessary!  All TNS Community adults welcome! Kids of course can follow along but this is specifically created to give back to our TNS adults who give so much to our kids. Please join us for any or all sessions!

WED 11/18 = 3pm

FRI 11/20 = 4pm

SAT 11/21 = 10am

bit.ly/begratefultns

Looking ahead…

• There is no school next Thursday and Friday in observance of Thanksgiving.

Warmly,

Dyanthe

Dear Families,

Dear Families,

Tomorrow is a remote day for all students and staff.  Teachers will have live meetings in the morning and will assign asynchronous work for students in the afternoon.  

Our School Leadership Team, a group made up of elected parents, teachers, and me, have agreed that we will offer families two additional times (as originally promised by the DoE) to make the shift from remote-only to blended: after February Mid-Winter Break and after April Spring Break.  We believe that this will support families to reach decisions for their unique circumstances and also keep the number of in-person students low at a time when COVID rates are rising.  We will host a Town Hall on Thursday, November 5 at 5 PM to explain the process of opting into blended learning in 2021. We will also share building and safety updates at that time.

Family conferences are this week.  All conferences will be conducted remotely.  Wednesday, November 4 is set-aside for evening conferences, and Thursday, November 5 is half-day.  Dismissal for both remote and in-person students will be at 11:10 AM. 

This week at TNS…

• Pre-k social worker, Alice Auth will host a gathering for Pre-K and K/1 families this Thursday at 4 PM.  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81802298758?pwd=dnA5dXBIcENXVVJmL3k2bGQzYVVTUT09

• Join us on Thursday, November 5 at 5 PM to learn about the process of opting into blended learning in 2021. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81807710397?pwd=djY4ZkJLQzgxRW4ySVJ0eE5YZUNuZz09

Looking ahead…

• There is no school on Wednesday, November 11 in observance of Veterans Day.

Best,

Dyanthe