Election Day Election Day is a “work from home” day for all NYC DOE students. The students will come home on Monday with work to do on Tuesday. The work is independent work; there will be no live classes or any interactions with teachers on Tuesday. Students bring their completed work in on Wednesday. Attendance will be recorded for Tuesday based on whether the students completed their work. Students who did not complete the work will be marked absent.
DESSA/Social Emotional Assessments One of the Chancellor’s priorities this year is to address students’ social and emotional needs. The teachers will be completing a DESSA Assessment for every student. How well does the student deal with conflicts? Does the student put in effort? Does the student have high expectations for themselves? Is the student able to make friends? Does the student make good decisions for themselves? Does the student take responsibility for their actions? After they see the results, there are lesson plans and instructional activities available to the teachers so they can address some of the emerging patterns of need.
If you do not want your child assessed, please fill out this form by 6pm on Monday, November 1st. (If you have already emailed me, you do not have to fill out the form.) The teachers will be completing these on Election Day.
MAP Assessments We are concluding our administration of the MAP – Reading and Math Assessments. After I review the school-wide results, I will share some of the results with you. More information will also be forthcoming about how you see how your child did.
NY STATE Reading and Math Scores from Spring 2021 The state has released the test scores from the spring. They are now available through your NYC Schools Account.
Vaccinations and COVID-19 Testing Consent If your child is not fully vaccinated, please sign the consent for COVID-19 testing in school. This will help keep our community safe. You can do this through your NYC Student Account. If your child is vaccinated, it is important to upload their vaccination information through vaccine.schools.nyc.
Early Academy Reminders
Open office hours and intervention with ALL teachers on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 8 - 8:40am. Students do not need to sign up in advance, but must arrive by 8:25am.
Have you signed up forBooker T.'s 2nd Annual Turkey Trot yet?! Even though the deadline to purchase the cool Turkey Trot tech shirts has passed, you still have time to sign up for this fun event that helps raise funds for our school! For those of you with shirts on order, they are in the works and on track for delivery in November to your kid's homeroom (unless you chose to pay to ship elsewhere).
The Turkey Trot takes place between November 13th - 30th where you can run or walk 5K (3.1 miles) any place on your own time. The suggested fee to register is $20 for adults; participants under 18 are free! In order to encourage as many participants as possible, there is also a "Pay as You Wish" option. Come join the fun!
Shop + Support MS54 with Charleston Wrap Fundraiser — Quality Wrapping Paper + Great Holiday Gifts!
We’ve partnered with Charleston Wrap, an amazing online shop, to support Booker T. in the easiest and most fun way: Gift Shopping! We receive 40% of every sale — a deal that can’t be beat! Register today at www.registercw.com with our Organization Code: 21508 and invite your friends and family to shop along with you (your family's Martha Stewart aficionado will love it) or SHOP NOW with our PTA. Questions: fundraising@ms54pta.org.
HOWL-O-WEEN + HOT CHOCOLATE DOG WALK October 30, 2021 @ 4:30pm
Riverside Park at West 91st Street RSVP
Let's have our own MS54 Halloween dog-costumed parade (*human costume optional) and some hot chocolate, too! RSVP for all the details: activities@ms54pta.org. All are welcome, so if you love dogs and don't have one, come on out and meet some MS54 pooches! This free event is presented by the MS54 PTA.
GET YOUR FAMILY PORTRAIT IN TIME FOR HOLIDAY CARDS + SUPPORT MS54 BOOK NOW!
Our fabulous team of MS54 photographers are offering ten-minute, outdoor sessions in Central Park for one family portrait (color, edited) to be used any way you like. You’ll receive your digital print via email within five days and 100% of the proceeds go to Booker T.! You can also buy a session for another MS54 family. Questions: fundraising@ms54pta.org. Once you’ve booked your session, we’ll send you a scheduling link. For $25 off until November 1st: PHOTO25.
MS54 PIE SALE Orders due November 2, 2021 BUY NOW! Our annual Thanksgiving fundraiser, the fabulous MS54 Pie Sale is still on but only throughTUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2ND! With five flavors, you're sure to find something for everyone: Apple Crumb, Brandied Pumpkin, Brownie, Southern Bourbon Pecan, and Strawberry Rhubarb. Pies can also be donated in honor of a teacher or staff member as well as sent directly to Ascension Church Food Pantry. You can shop online or envelope payment to Room 144. You or your Booker T. scholar must pick-up your purchase in person on Tuesday, November 23rd from 3 – 6:30pm. Any pies not picked up during that time will be donated.
MORNING PANEL DISCUSSION How Can We Help Our Children Take Care of Themselves Socially, Emotionally, and Physically November 3, 2021 @ 8am REGISTER Join MS54 panelists Social Worker Nicole Miller, Physical Education Instructor Frank DiPasquale, Parent Coordinator Anne McIntosh Pejovich, and Family Healing Ambassador and Wellness Lead Alison Gardy to discuss a topic of importance to all of us.
MS54 OUTING: COLUMBIA VS HARVARD FOOTBALL GAME November 6, 2021 @ 1pm
West 218th Street (short walk from the 215th Street #1 subway station) BUY TICKETS
Columbia University is giving us a special rate of $7/ticket for ages 2yrs+. Each student will receive a FREE lunch cooler; we’ll get our school name on the video board; and kids may be able to get on the dance or fam cam! We’ll be in Section C, around the 40-30 yard line. Questions + Ticket Scholarships + Going Together: activities@ms54pta.org. 12yrs+ must show proof of vaccination; masks required for ages 5+. Rain or shine.
MS54 PTA GENERAL MEETING November 9, 2021 @ 7pm REGISTER
Come join us to avoid FOMO and to find out about the latest happenings at MS54 during the PTA’s General meeting. Teachers + Staff are always welcome, too.
WELLNESS MEETING — WORKSHOP WITH DR. VIJAYETA SINH! How to Take Care of Yourself While Still Taking Care of Your Family November 10, 2021 @ 8pm REGISTER
Too often we think we don't have the time or money to take care of ourselves. But if our own energy is depleted, how can we show up for our children? Psychologist and Booker T. parent alum Dr. Sinh will show us that self-care does not have to depend on time or money, but can be as easy as committing to a few simple strategies. Questions for Dr. Sinh? Contact wellness@ms54pta.org.
JOIN OUR NEXT FUNDRAISING TEAM MEETING November 12, 2021 @ 9am REGISTER
Have a great idea to support the school? Want to join a fun crew and find out about all the events we’re planning this year? Or, just stop by to meet other friendly Booker T. folks. All are welcome.
THANKSGIVING FOOD DRIVE
If you would like to receive a bag of pantry items for your Thanksgiving dinner, please send a confidential email (before November 1st) to Parent Coordinator, Anne McIntosh Pejovich.
If your family is willing to donate a complete bag of Thanksgiving items to MS54 families in need, you can:
Buy a bag of groceries and drop them off (before November 17th) at the MS54 West 108th Street entrance, Monday - Friday, between 7:30am and 4pm. Thanksgiving Grocery List (please purchase a full bag of the following items): cranberry sauce, canned gravy, canned pumpkin, chicken broth, flour, sugar, vegetable oil, wild rice, instant mashed potatoes, canned yams, cornbread mix, canned string beans, canned onion rings.
8TH GRADE TURKEY TROT MEETUP November 20, 2021 @ 1pm
LOCATION AND RSVP TBD
8th grade families please come join us in Central Park to exercise and help raise money for Booker T. by participating in our annual Turkey Trot! All families are welcome and you don’t have to pay to participate. Email 8thgraderep@ms54pta.org with suggestions and any questions.
EQUITY TEAM MEETING November 23, 2021 @ 7pm REGISTER
We will continue our discussion and assessment of practices to build a welcoming and affirming school environment.
ANNUAL APPEAL Check if your employer matches charitable donations, and double your impact! Thank you to all of you who have donated to support our school! To donate, please mail checks payable to "PTA of MS 54, Inc." to:
PTA of MS 54, Booker T. Washington
103 West 107th Street
New York, NY 10025
Questions? Contact Rachel Polimeni, PTA Annual Appeal chair / Co-Assistant Treasurer
NYC DOE Virtual Information Sessions: Getting Started with MySchools and Registering for the SHSAT
At each event, the DOE will walk through how to create your MySchools account, use MySchools to explore high school options, and register for the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT). After the presentation, the DOE will respond to questions about these topics. Each event will be hosted live. Join on Zoom at the event’s start time: https://tinyurl.com/2022HSInfo. IMPORTANT NOTE: Check your email or schools.nyc.gov/High 48 hours before the event: the DOE will send a message that includes this same Zoom link and the password you’ll need to join, as well as numbers to call for interpretation in provided languages. November 3rd, 3 - 4pm | Event held in English. Interpretation provided in: Haitian Creole, Korean, Russian November 4th, 6 - 7pm | Event held in English. Interpretation provided in: Spanish, Mandarin, French November 9th, 6 - 7pm | Event held in English. Interpretation provided in: Arabic, Bangla, Urdu
Brilliant NYC Community Meeting & DOE November 15, 2021 @ 6pm REGISTER
A discussion on co-designing students' learning experience using the latest educational research. Hosted by CEC3 Superintendent Christine Loughlin.
Free Classes on Applying to NYC High Schools
InsideSchools just launched free online classes—available in Spanish and English—that walk NYC families through how to find the best school for their child and how to apply. They're available exclusively on InsideSchools+ and open to all. You'll need to join IS+ (membership is free) to have access to the classes. Applying to NYC High Schools 2021-22 Escuelas Secundarias de NYC: 2021-22
Free Events
InsideSchools and their nonprofit partners host free events on topics covering education. parenting, and mental health. Check out the entire list.
