Dear Families,

June is a month in which our moods vary from elated to sad because it is a time in which we realize that we are about to separate and may not see each other until the fall.  We take a moment to thank the incredible unifying work of our outgoing PTA Executive Board. Their efforts have been tireless this year.

There are no words that can adequately thank our staff, whose dedication to our children and families is unwavering.  I continue to be inspired by their work and the complex and deep ways they think about children, teaching and learning.  

It is also time to say goodbye to a very special member of our teaching community, Mildred Guy.  Mildred has worked at TNS for 25 years with all ages, from Pre-K to 6th grade, with different classroom teachers, paras, science teachers, support teachers, 3 principals, and Teddy.  Phew! We will miss her but wish her the best of luck on this part of her journey!

Mark Your Calendars:

• TNS and STAR Academy are hosting a Town Hall meeting about school lunch on Monday at 8:30 AM in the auditorium.  This is a chance for families from both schools to discuss the lunch menu options for next year.  Please join us.

• Monday and Tuesday are Camp Days at TNS.  Please send a change of clothes to school for your child.  If you do not want your child to go into the sprinklers, please let your teacher know.  Please note, students must come to school to participate in Camp Days and may not be dropped off or picked up from the park.

• Wednesday, June 26 is the last day of school.   Dismissal is at 11:45 AM.  It is also the last  SING of the year. We will meet in the big yard at 8:45 AM.  Please note, we do not have a bake sale.

• Class placement letters and class lists for next year go home the last day of school.  If your child is not here that day, you can email me or Noemi over the summer and we will send the information to you.  Your child’s teacher(s) will send a supply list later in the summer.

I hope you have a wonderful summer with your children, full of adventure and play and have lots of stories to share when we see each other again in September.  I will miss you!

Much Love,

Dyanthe

Dear Families,

It is a tradition to have “Camp Days” on the last two full days of school; this year they will be Monday, June 24th and Tuesday, June 25th.  Our K/1s will go to the park at 1st and 1st and 2nd - 5th grades will go to Tompkins Square Park (the north side, near 10th Street, between Avenue A & B).  Pre-K will have camp days in the recess yard.  Students will get wet if the sprinklers are on (and we hope they are), so please send a change of clothes to school for your child.  If you do not want your child to go into the sprinklers, please let your teacher know.  Please note, students must come to school to participate in Camp Days and may not be dropped off or picked up from the park.

TNS and STAR Academy are hosting a Town Hall meeting about school lunch on Monday, June 24 at 8:30 AM in the auditorium.  This is a chance to discuss the lunch menu options for next year.  Representatives from the district office and State Assembly member Harvey Epstein will also be there.  Please come and share your ideas!

Mark Your Calendars:

• There is NO SCHOOL tomorrow, Tuesday, June 18.

• Third Street Music School is hosting its spring open house TOMORROW from 3 - 6 PM.  Partners@3rd classes are tuition-free for students during the first year of instruction at Third Street.  Second year instruction is discounted, and financial aid is available for years three and beyond. The open house is free and will take place at its building on 235 East 11th Street near 2nd Avenue. TNS students ages 6 (by December 31, 2019) to 14 will be able to meet teachers, try out different dance styles, chorus, instruments, and apply for free and reduced-rate group classes with openings in the fall.  Children interested in attending the event must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. For more information, contact Third Street’s Student Services office at: 212-777-3240 ext. 53.

• 5th Grade graduation is this Thursday at 1:15 PM in the auditorium.

• Narrative Reports go home Friday.

Have a good week,

Dyanthe

Dear Families,

During the month of June, teachers are hard at work in the evenings and on the weekends writing end-of-year progress reports.  Progress reports tell the story of a child as a learner over the year; they reveal a child’s interests, strengths, and areas for growth.  Reports go home Friday,  June 21.

As this year draws to a close, TNS staff and I are taking time to reflect on decisions we made last year when we shifted to Pre-K stand alone, Kindergarten/1st, 2nd/3rd, and 4th/5th.  One shift we made was to have our 2nd/3rd grades eat in the classrooms with their teachers and have 50 minutes of recess every day. The 2nd/3rd-grade teachers and I recently met and decided to continue both.  There are so many reasons that the teachers feel that lunch in the classroom benefits children at this age. In years past when TNS shared the cafeteria space with PS 63 and our 4th/5th-grade classes, 3rd-grade students had about 20 scheduled minutes to eat, including time for transitioning from upstairs and to the schoolyard and about 20 minutes for recess.  We think that our children in these grades need more time for lunch and play. When the students have lunch in the classroom, teachers have the opportunity to facilitate social-emotional learning and manage social interactions, if needed. Teachers also have the opportunity to get to know their students and forge relationships outside of academics. Most of the time, it is a quieter and calmer setting than the cafeteria.  That said, eating in the classrooms does mean teachers need to be more vigilant about the rodent situation and I am certain they are committed to this! I very much hope that families value and appreciate the work teachers do with our students during lunch in the classroom. I believe that it is one of many aspects of our school that is so unique and special.

Friday is Field Day!  Get ready for organized chaos!  This is one of my favorite TNS traditions because it is all about eating, playing and just being together.   Our entire school will go to Prospect Park for a picnic and outdoor activities. All classes will have buses this year.  Please check with your child’s teacher about departure time. Sadly, I will not be at Field Day this year because I am going to my brother’s wedding, but I can’t wait to hear about all about it!

Two very important notes:  

• Please do not purchase food, including ice cream or icies for your child unless you plan to buy for the entire school.

• Parents wishing to take children out early or directly from the park must sign-out with their classroom teachers.

Mark Your Calendars:

• NO SCHOOL for students Tuesday.

• Third Street Music School is hosting its spring open house on Tuesday from 3 - 6 PM.  Partners@3rd classes are tuition-free for students during the first year of instruction at Third Street.  Second year instruction is discounted, and financial aid is available for years three and beyond. The open house is free and will take place at its building on 235 East 11th Street near 2nd Avenue. TNS students ages 6 (by December 31, 2019) to 14 will be able to meet teachers, try out different dance styles, chorus, instruments, and apply for free and reduced-rate group classes with openings in the fall.  Children interested in attending the event must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. For more information, contact Third Street’s Student Services office at: 212-777-3240 ext. 53.

• Our final PTA General meeting will take place Thursday at 8:30 AM in the PTA room.

Warmly,

Dyanthe

Dear Families,

In response to emerging needs within our school community, the Diversity Committee felt it important to find an organization that could support our school’s work around issues of gender. Over this year, we researched several different community-based organizations that provide gender PD and family workshops and decided to partner with the Ackerman Institute.  While the Gender Family Project of The Ackerman Institute certainly focuses on gender diversity, this workshop will have us look at all the ways we identify (race, religion, ethnicity, socio-economic background, etc.) and how these identifiers intersect with one another. From their website: The Gender & Family Project (GFP) empowers youth, families, and communities by providing gender affirmative services, training and research. GFP promotes gender inclusivity as a form of social justice in all the systems involved in the life of the family.  This Thursday, our staff will participate in our first session with GFP. We plan to continue this work next year and to provide workshops for families, too.

Mark Your Calendars:

• Today is the 4th Grade Written Science Test.

• Tuesday, June 4th - Eid-El-Fitra - SCHOOL CLOSED

• School Leadership Team meets Wednesday at 8 AM in Room 313.  We will work on next year’s Comprehensive Education Plan.

• Thursday, June 6th - PD for Staff - NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS

• Friday is the Spring Jam from 5-8 PM. Families are encouraged to also bring gently used clothes next week for the rummage sale which will be held during the Spring Fling.  

Warmly,

Dyanthe

Dear Families,

Whenever possible, we uphold one of our school’s founding principles that children remain with the same teacher(s) and the same grade cohort for two years.  Our goal to have children and families be known well by their teachers and each other and continue to have that relationship grow, remain an important value.  However, there are times when in response to the changing needs of our school, we need to make adjustments. Next year, we will need to make a few shifts in our ICT (classrooms with 2 teachers) configurations in our K/1 and ⅔ classes.  This means that some of our Kindergarten and 2nd grade students will move to new classrooms next year. Shaniqua, Dara, Catlin, and Dianne & Shaquawn will continue to teach K/1. Chelsea will join Jane to co-teach ⅔, along with Olivia & Lindsey, Matt, and Grace & Caroline.  These are the only anticipated shifts for next year. Teachers will communicate directly with families about changes in class placement before the end of the school year.

I hope you will join us for our Parent Sing tomorrow, just after the drop-off in the small cafeteria.  We will sing all the songs on this month’s sheet so that you are more than ready for all school Sing on Wednesday.  Even if you can’t join us, we ask that on Wednesday families do the following:

• Sing during the songs and wait until the whole Sing is finished to talk to your friend or neighbor

• Stay silent between songs so we can transition smoothly into the next song and start Singing in unison.

• Save your applause.

• Wave goodbye to your child at the end of Sing and exit quickly so that classes can also exit quickly (The last two songs, the two goodbye songs, are part of the Sing and we ask everyone to Sing along as a way of saying goodbye).

Spring Curriculum Nights at TNS are this Wednesday and Thursday from 5:30 - 7 PM.  Families will explore Project/Work Time. We will also have our Studio in A School end-of-year art exhibit open both nights.  Childcare is available.

Mark Your Calendars:

• SING is Wednesday at 8:45 AM in the big yard (weather permitting).  We will have a bake sale in the lobby beforehand.

• Erin, Wanda, Dara, Dianne & Shaquawn, Caroline & Grace, Jane, and Alexis & Corinthia’s classes go roller skating Friday!

Student Non-Attendance Days in June:

Tuesday, June 4th - Eid-El-Fitra - SCHOOL CLOSED

Thursday, June 6th - Anniversary Day - PD for Staff - NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS

Tuesday, June 11th - DOE Clerical Day - NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS

Tuesday, June 18th - TNS PD Day - NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS

Wednesday, June 26 - LAST DAY OF SCHOOL - DISMISSAL AT 11:45 AM

Have a good week,

Dyanthe