Dyanthe and Shaquawn’s Weekly Letter

Dear Families, We are excited to share that we are starting the TNS StU (Student Union), a student-led organization to ensure every community member feels safe, seen, and celebrated! StU is the brainchild of one of our ⅘ teachers, Charlotte, who used this structure to help students realize their power and exercise their autonomy to […]

Dyanthe and Shaquawn’s Weekly Letter

Dear Families, As Thanksgiving approaches, classes explore 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, this is a day of mourning for Indigenous communities as they remember the violence against the Wampanoag by the English settlers. Unfortunately, […]

Dyanthe and Shaquawn’s Weekly Letter

Dear Families, We are excited to share that TNS teachers, paras, admin, and service providers are working with the Child Mind Institute this year. I am sure that some of you have heard of Child Mind, but we were surprised to learn about the work they do in schools. The Child Mind Institute School and […]

Dyanthe and Shaquawn’s Weekly Letter

Dear Families, While all of our classes start the year exploring their identities and the identities of the classroom members, each class’s work looks distinct. Identity consists of the various characteristics we use to categorize and define ourselves and the various characteristics that are constructed by those around us. Classes explore aspects of their identity […]

Dyanthe and Shaquawn’s Weekly Letter

Dear Families, Family conferences are next week.  We hold family conferences twice each year, in November and March. Family conferences at TNS are different than at most schools.  It is an opportunity for teachers and the child to talk with the adults in each child’s family about the child’s work and progress in school. Children […]

Dyanthe and Shaquawn’s Weekly Letter

Dear Families  All NYC public schools are required to practice the protocols they will follow for different kinds of emergencies throughout the school year.  The first is a building evacuation, or “fire drill.” We practice this drill several times throughout the year; it’s the one your children are most familiar with. Different scenarios would call […]

Dyanthe and Shaquawn’s Weekly Letter

Dear Families, Our hearts go out to the staff and families affected by the violence and the outbreak of war in the Middle East. Yesterday, a new kindergarten parent approached Dyanthe at dismissal to ask how we discussed awful world events with our kids.  She explained that teachers take the lead from the kids. They […]

Dyanthe and Shaquawn’s weekly letter

Dear Families, Monday, October 9th, is Indigenous Peoples’ Day — a holiday highlighting Indigenous peoples’ cultures and suppressed histories. Indigenous Peoples’ Day emerged as a direct challenge to the narratives that undergird Columbus Day — the federal holiday used to celebrate Christopher Columbus’ purported “discovery of America.”  Teachers are having conversations with students about the […]

Dyanthe and Shaquawn’s Weekly Letter

Dear Families, On the last Friday of each month, we sing together as a whole school.  This is a long-standing TNS tradition. Singing is a social glue. It creates a feeling of family and nurtures respect, joy, and community.  Some SINGs are for the entire community, and some are only for staff and children. Community […]

Dyanthe and Shaquawn’s Weekly Letter

Dear Families, All of our classes engage in a practice called Guided Discovery, a teaching strategy used to introduce materials in the classroom. The primary goal of Guided Discovery is to generate interest and excitement about classroom resources and help children explore their possible uses. Guided Discovery also provides opportunities to introduce vocabulary, assess children’s […]