Dear Families,

Construction on the 4th Street playground is moving along nicely! Our in-person students excitedly inspect progress each day. Our new playground is finally taking shape and is looking like it’s going to be a huge improvement. I’ve included a recent picture and the final plan below. Although we do not have an official completing date yet, we have been told that they anticipate a ribbon-cutting event in early September.

Students begin art classes next week with Studio in a School artists Leigh Ruple and Mildor Chevalier. All classes will be virtual, and for those classes with two cohorts, in-person kids and teacher(s) will log on from the classroom, either on their devices or using an interactive whiteboard. We will also distribute art kits to all remote families beginning next week. As well, garden activities are gearing up and some classes will be planting in the classroom and we will distribute home planting kits for families to grow plants at home.

A note to in-person families: We are making some changes to the line-up protocol so that families can maintain social distancing while waiting for the gates to open. We ask that families line up on a sunflower. At 8:35 AM, we will open the gates. We will send kids to their line-up spots on a first-come basis instead of waiting for teachers to arrive.

Have a good week.

With Love,

Dyanthe

Dear Families,

TNS teachers continue to have conversations with students in response to on-going Anti-Asian violence in this country and teach about Asian American history and identity. Parents must also engage in conversation about race and racism with their children. I am sharing an event happening Wednesday evening, Violence Against Asian Americans: How Do We Support the Children, sponsored by the group Embrace Race that may also support anti-racist actions and solidarity. I also encourage all of our parents of color and white parents of children of color to join our monthly BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) support group. The next meeting is Thursday, March 25 at 5 PM. Here’s the link to register.

On Friday afternoon, the mayor announced that, due to new CDC guidance around social-distancing in schools, the DoE would change its policy. We have yet to receive any direction from the DoE about implementing these changes. As you know, TNS’s last opt-in period begins the week of April 12. At this time, we are planning to open second cohorts in Mara/Shaniqua, Amann/Shaquawn, Erin/Wanda, Catlin/Emily, and Jane/Chelsea’s classes to maintain social distancing in classrooms. I hope to notify families about their cohort assignments by the end of the week.

I am happy to share that we received funding for K - 5th grades to have seven weeks of Studio in a School, TNS’s arts partner, beginning the week of April 19. This is an excellent opportunity for our students to continue the arts, and I am very excited about working with Studio teaching artists Leah Ruple and Mildor Chevalier. They are longtime Studio teachers and have been working with students all this year. All classes will be virtual during school time, and for those classes with two cohorts, in-person kids and teacher(s) will log-on from the classroom, either on their devices or using an interactive whiteboard. Teaching artists will also assemble art kits to distribute to families.

I hope that you have a good Spring Break with your family.

With Love,

Dyanthe

Dear Families,

Several families have reached out to me recently to inquire about plans to return to school in September.  We all want some certainty as we try to plan, but they’re still many unknowns, and we need to await further guidance from the CDC, the mayor, and DoE before making our plans.  As our new Chancellor, Meisha Porter, reiterated last week, “Yes, schools need to know. Families need to know. Right now, I don’t have the answer….  We have to lean into conversations with principals, with teachers, and with families around what they need from us.”  

The health and safety of all community members are our overall priority.  As such, we will continue to follow CDC and DoE guidelines, including wearing masks, frequent hand washing, weekly testing, and social distancing.  Please remember that most of our classrooms can only accommodate 9 - 11 people safely at this time.  Once the DoE shares new programming and policy guidelines, we can begin to plan together for September.

Best,

Dyanthe

Dear Families,

Sorry... I forgot to post on Monday! ; )

I want to highlight current work happening in classrooms because it illustrates how students and teachers create curriculum that is responsive to the classroom community’s needs and interests, the events in our world and is rooted in social justice.

• Students learned about change-makers like Martin Luther King Jr., Georgia Gilmore, Rosa Parks, Fred Hampton, and Wangari Maathai in a kindergarten and first-grade classroom. The class then thought about how they could be change-makers in our community and decided to make ‘The Little Free Food Pantry.’  Families in the neighborhood can take what they need and leave what they can.  Mara, one of their teachers, built the pantry with her woodworking teacher, and the class organized donations.  I have attached pictures of the pantry, which is in the 3rd Street Garden, and the posters students made to advertise in the school and neighborhood. 

• Students read biographies about people who have shared their passions and light in the world in a second and third-grade class. The students were especially captivated by the story of Arab architect Zaha Hadid, who designed buildings inspired by the natural world and faced sexism and racism in having her buildings built despite winning multiple competitions. The class decided to design and build a city of their own (on a small scale).  Last week, an architect came to present various buildings inspired by different purposes. In the end, the teachers chose food (this is another class study this year) as the theme, and the students have been designing buildings inspired by food.  This coming week, TNS parent David Stadler will come to speak to them about building our designs!

• A fourth and fifth-grade class is beginning the read-aloud, How I Became a Ghost by Tim Tingle.  It is a Choctaw story about a boy’s experience on the Trail of Tears, which they have been studying in Social Studies.  As a part of this study, the class has a virtual field trip scheduled with the National Museum of the American Indian. Museum educators will speak to the class about the Native American experience during the Removal Act of 1830 time period. 

TNS offers a progressive education model that values student intellectual and emotional development and encourages students to take active roles in their learning.  This rich environment would not be possible if not for our teachers and our school’s commitment to providing authentic and meaningful learning experiences for children.  And it is not possible when teachers have to balance the demands of preparing students for the State tests.  At most public schools, test prep forms a significant part of the class curriculum, especially at this time of year.  Students learn how to fill out bubble sheets; teachers focus closely on materials covered in the tests; and there is little time for open, explorative, authentic learning.  Here are some essential links to help you make your decision about opt-in out of the NY State tests this year:

• The Advocacy Committee has created a TNS Testing Frequently Asked Questions if you would like more information about the state tests.  

• We encourage you to watch these videosof TNS parents and teachers talking about authentic assessment, education, and state testing.

• Please reach out to me or 4th-grade parent Peter Liem at 212-460-5034 or pcl6510@gmail.com with your questions.

• You can send me an email or fill out this form to let us know if you decide to opt your child out of the state tests this year.

Warm Regards,

Dyanthe

Dear Families,

It is family conference week.  3rd, 4th, and 5th-grade families, please speak with your child’s teacher(s) about your intentions to opt-out of the State tests during your family conference this week so that we can plan accordingly.  Please note, there has been no guidance about how schools will administer the tests yet.  

I am “retweeting” the Chancellor’s statement about the state tests this year:  “As an educator, I would say to parents, there is an opt-out, and if there is ever a time to consider whether that opt-out makes sense for you, this is the time.  We do not want to impose additional trauma on students that have already been traumatized.”  It is astonishing that when schools are deservedly being asked to rethink grading and attendance policies in response to the pandemic, the state and federal governments are mandating testing this year.  You can read the entire article here.  

At most public schools, test prep forms a significant part of the class curriculum. Students learn how to fill out bubble sheets; teachers focus closely on materials covered in the tests; and there is little time for open, explorative, authentic learning. At TNS, by contrast, students and teachers offer a progressive model of education that values student intellectual and emotional development and encourages students to take active roles in their learning.  We encourage you to watch these videos of TNS parents and teachers talking about authentic assessment, education, and state testing.

We have also provided some essential links to help you make your decision:

• The Advocacy Committee has created a TNS Testing Frequently Asked Questions if you would like more information about the state tests.  

• Please reach out to me or 4th-grade parent Peter Liem at 212-460-5034 or pcl6510@gmail.com with your questions.

• You can send me an email or fill out this form to let us know if you decide to opt your child out of the state tests this year.

Opting into blended learning in April:  This is the last chance to let us know if you intend to begin in-person learning this school year (remember, you can opt into remote at any time).  Blended learning for new students will start the week of April 12, 2021.  If you do not submit a survey, your child will remain in 100% remote learning.  You do not need to complete this survey if your child is currently attending in-person.  Please fill out the survey here.  The final day to submit the survey is Friday, March 19.

With love,

Dyanthe