Dear Families,

As we approach the mid-year point, most classes switch from science to Spanish and vice versa.  If your child has had Spanish with Mara, they will begin science with Emily and if they have had science, they will begin Spanish.  All classes continue to have physical education with Teddy! Classes change over the week of January 28th.

Next Monday, January 28th, teachers will share the ways they “measure” student growth and learning and make decisions about class instruction.  This is the first workshop in a series about assessment leading up to the NY State tests for 3rd - 5th grades. We will meet in the PTA Room at 8:35AM.  

The Neighborhood School to Puerto Rico with Love Association is excited to announce that they will once again have a handmade pop-up store to raise money for families in need in Puerto Rico.  If you like to make handmade items or you know someone who does, please help by donating one or more items. The sale will be the week of February 4-8.  Popular items include Valentine cards, anytime greeting cards, hand-knit or hand-crocheted items, pins, barrettes or headbands, soap, candles, paper or fabric flowers, tote bags of all different sizes, sachets of all types, beaded jewelry, etc and so forth.  Please email dianne@tnsny.org for more information.  Thank you!

Mark your calendars:

• Please come to my Morning Hour Wednesday at 8:35 AM in the PTA Room.  We will continue to talk about literacy at TNS.  

• The Lice Treatment Center will do a school-wide lice check Thursday morning.

• The Diversity Committee potluck is POSTPONED to Thursday, January 31 from 6 - 7:30PM.  Childcare  will be provided.

In spite of the cold yesterday, I noticed that it was still light at 5PM and I remembered that we are month past the Solstice and the days are only getting longer.  : )

Warmly,

Dyanthe

Dear 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. In addition to check-lists and continuums to help families understand how their child is doing, teachers write descriptions filled with precise detail that reveal a child’s interests, strengths and areas for growth.  As I read over your children’s reports, I am struck by how each one paints a distinct picture of each child. Reports go home Monday, February 4.

Mark your calendars:

• This year, the PTA is partnering with TNS family owned restaurants to fundraise for TNS.  Families come together for a night out and restaurants donate 20% of sales from the evening back to the PTA. This month’s event is at Bricia Italian Restaurant at 79 Clinton Street Tuesday, from 4 - 10PM.

• Our PTA General Meeting is Thursday at 8:35 in the PTA Room.

Agenda:

1. Principal updates

2. Treasurer’s report

3. Enrichment updates

1. BioBus

2. Farm Trip

3. Wellness in the Schools Event

4. Earth Day/ECO event

4. Events updates

1. Holiday Fair

2. Auction update

3. Bricia Restaurant Night is Tues 1/15

4. Next Movie Night is scheduled for Fri Feb 8

5. Committee updates

• The ECO Committee meets Friday at drop-off in the small cafeteria.

• Wanda, Dara, Dianne & Shaquawn, Caroline & Grace, Matt, Alexis & Corinthia and Erin go ice skating this Friday!   Remember to check-out our skate swap in the PTA room (left-hand side).  You can drop off a pair of skates your child has outgrown and/or pick up a pair that fits.  Open to all!

Have a great week,

Dyanthe

Dear Families,

We believe that children learn best through first-hand experiences with people, materials and places; that is why trips are such an important part of our school’s curriculum.  Some trips, like ice skating may not be so much about content learning, but about giving children opportunities to have different kinds of life experiences.  Many of our children learn to ice skate by going on these trips twice each year.  This Friday, Hannah, Catlin, Shaniqua & Chelsea, Lindsey & Olivia, Jane and Joanne & Sofia’s classes go skating.  Remember to check-out our skate swap in the PTA room (left-hand side).  You can drop off a pair of skates your child has outgrown and/or pick up a pair that fits.  Open to all!

Wellness in the Schools (WITS) cooking lab is coming to TNS and Star Academy this week.  WITS is a national nonprofit that partners with schools to teach kids healthy habits to learn

and live better.  Students will be learning about beans and making hummus together.

Lastly,  it’s flu season.  To help keep our community as healthy as possible, never send your child to school with fever.  Please also remember that in order to return to school, your child must be must be fever-free for 24 hours (“fever-free means” without the help of Tylenol, Motrin, etc.).  Thank you!

Mark your calendars:

• The Grants Committee meets Tuesday at drop-off in the small cafeteria.

• The Wellness Committee meets Wednesday at drop-off in the small cafeteria.

• The Diversity Committee meets Thursday at drop-off in the small cafeteria.

Have a great week,

Dyanthe

Happy New Year!

Just a reminder: winter weather does not keep our students inside at recess.  It is very important that children come to school dressed for the weather. Please make sure your child has all the necessary accessories (hat, scarf, mittens and snow pants) to stay warm and active outside!

Mark your calendars:

• The School Leadership Teams meets Thursday at 8 AM in Room 313.  

• The Garden Committee meets Friday at drop-off in the small cafeteria.

• We have Popcorn Friday this week!

Please note, especially if you pick-up, classes are back upstairs (Room 417) for Physical Education this month.  Our students will be climbing the wall (literally).

Welcome Back,

Dyanthe

Dear Families,

A HUGE thank you to the organizers, volunteers and families who supported our Holiday Fair!   As always, I was overwhelmed by the generosity of those who donated their time, food, talents and positive energy to make this event so successful.  I was especially impressed with this year’s maze (see pics)- a Winter Palace; the lines were long, but from what I heard, well worth it! Thank you!

The BioBus is coming to TNS this week!  Students in our ⅔ and ⅘ classes will discover the excitement of hands-on science aboard their Mobile Labs.  Students will work side-by-side with BioBus scientists and use the same advanced research microscopes found aboard their mobile labs.  Our 2nd and 3rd graders will explore the inner workings of Daphnia, a shrimp-like animal found in ponds and puddles across NYC and the country.  Observing Daphnia, our 4th and 5th grade students will discover how skin, muscle, nerve, and blood cells have evolved from these single-celled organisms to work together inside the ecosystem a living animal, and how Daphnia interacts with the microscopic elements of its freshwater ecosystem.

Mark Your Calendars:

• The Advocacy Committee will meet Monday at drop-off in the small cafeteria.

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

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

• Parent’s of Unique Kids Support Group meets Thursday after drop-off  This is a support group for parents and caretakers to share experiences, defeats, and strategies with each other.  Our K/1 teacher, Diane will facilitate.

• Our 2nd - 5th grade classes will share what they have learned in their West African Dance residency Friday morning:

• 8:30-9:15: 2nd & 3rd Grade

• 10-10:45: 4th & 5th Grade

I hope that you have a wonderful and well-deserved break with plenty of opportunities to laugh, play and relax with family and friends.  We will see you again Wednesday, January 2, 2019!

Warmly,

Dyanthe