Dear Families,

I am writing to let you know that Sing is going to look a little different this year.  

It is an important practice for schools to revisit long-standing traditions regularly to consider what is working and what’s not.  It is in this spirit that our staff came together several times last year to reflect on Sing. 

Sing began at TNS when the school was small enough to hold all classes in the first-floor gym space (it’s a small space!). The school wanted to create a time when students and staff could come together around a shared activity - singing.  Singing brings our voices together as one, offers an opportunity to teach history, language, and learn about other cultures. It connects people of all ages. It is also an activity that children of any age can participate in. Originally, Sing was held in the middle of the day and was only for staff and children.  At some point, we changed the time of Sing to the morning after drop-off and began to include families.

Our school has grown a lot larger since then.  In response, we moved Sing to the auditorium. However, as we have continued to grow we find ourselves having outgrown this space as well and can be overwhelming for many children!  We thought of a few possibilities to resolve this, one being to hold Sing outside. Of course, the weather puts some limits on this. 

After discussing Sing thoroughly and at length, our staff decided to try a new format this year.  Sing will happen on one of the last Fridays of the month. Sometimes Sing will include families and other times, it will only be for staff and children.  Whenever possible, we will hold Sing outside in the recess yard.  Here are the dates we will have Sing with Families:  9/27, 10/18, 12/20, 5/29, and 6/26. They are also on our TNS calendar (http://tnsny.org/docs/calendar). 

Our staff has made these decisions through a thoughtful process, taking into consideration the needs, well-being, and safety of our children.  We thought of and tried out many different scenarios and decided that this one feels right for TNS, as we are now. We will reflect on how it went at the end of the year and will revisit this tradition on a regular basis to make sure we are doing the best we can for our children. 

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thank you,

Dyanthe

Please click on the image below to download a PDF version of the TNS PTA newsletter for the week of 9/16/19 .

Please click on the image below to download a PDF version of our first newsletter of the year.

The 2018-2019 Yearbook, The TNS Times, is completed, printed, and ready to sell. The 5th graders worked hard to create an excellent yearbook, and they ensured that every TNS child is included. Get your copy in the lobby tomorrow morning and throughout this week for only $10.