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Principal's Letter
Dear Parents:
As an educator, I have always felt the weight of the responsibility that was inherent in my role as a teacher, advisor, and role model for each of the students in my "orbit." As I watched the events unfold Wednesday, that responsibility felt much heavier. After a night of interrupted sleep, I calmed myself by dropping into multiple humanities classrooms on Thursday to listen. I was grateful for the insights, guidance, and carefully planned lessons the teachers provided and for the maturity and intelligence with which the students approached the discussions. As I said to the teachers — teaching both civics and civility is critical and our responsibility.
Do you know what Booker T. Day is?
Booker T. Day is traditionally an enrichment day in which students have an opportunity to take advantage of some of the special human, geographical, culinary, experiential, and resources in New York City. Thanks to a cadre of parents, friends, connections, relatives, alumni, and sometimes celebrities, we get hosts to welcome students to their place of work, take them behind the scenes at the Metropolitan Opera or on stage at Carnegie Hall, on the set of CNN or NBC, on a walking tour of Harlem or Central Park. We have had volunteers welcome students to their offices at big firms, banks, software development companies, hospitals, research labs, an off Broadway theatre, and to a construction site. And, the list goes on and on. We’ve used Booker T. Day to open students’ eyes and give them a one-of-a-kind experience.
We are interested in having a virtual Booker T. Day this year and need hosts.
Can you host a group of students?
Can you get your contacts, relatives, neighbors or others you know to host?
What do you or they have to do to be part of our Virtual Booker T. Day?
Meet with a group of students — probably no more than one Zoom screen full. Talk to them about your career, your work, an amazing place you visited, your specialty, or some other special interest of yours. (If you have one of these, but don’t know what you would do, feel free to email me, and I can give you some ideas.) Even if your own children might not be interested in hearing you, I guarantee you that other kids will.
Booker T. Day is Friday, February 26th from 9:15AM-10:15AM.
Think about it! Start thinking about who you know too. It’s a great opportunity for the students. Share your expertise or recruit someone you know to do it. Email me at eelster@schools.nyc.gov to volunteer or with questions.
Booker T. (VIRTUAL) Tournament Cubed
On a MUCH lighter note, we are planning some community building FUN to beat the winter doldrums — the first ever Booker T. (VIRTUAL) Tournament Cubed Why cubed? — because it will have brackets for students, parents, and the faculty. We need your feedback as our planning gets underway. Please consider filling out this short survey: https://forms.gle/P239stF6dY2gaYBCA. You don’t need a great jump shot to fill out the form!
Elana Elster |
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Virtual After-School Begins Next Week
All classes will be remote for this session regardless of whether in-person school starts again or not. Programs will begin next week and run through the week of March 22. If you registered your child for a class, you should have already received a confirmation email from Anne McIntosh Pejovich. Teachers will be sending out Zoom links starting this weekend.
Please note that the virtual after-school winter session is being run on a pay-what-you-wish donation basis. If you are able, please help offset the cost of teachers' time by making a donation. Many families have donated between $50 to $200 per club but any donation amount is welcomed and acceptable. Our goal is for all kids to be able to participate in the club of their choice without cost being an obstacle.
Note that parents are responsible for the legal supervision of their children since the teacher cannot have eyes on the children at all times.
Please reach out to Anne McIntosh Pejovich with any questions at: AMcIntosh6@schools.nyc.gov.
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Upcoming PTA Meetings + Events
JANUARY 12: PTA GENERAL MEETING + SHSAT EXPERT
Join us for the next PTA Meeting on January 12 at 7:00 PM. Our guest speaker will be Stuart Servetar, former MS54 parent and founder of iBid Prep, a popular UWS tutoring service. Stuart will share his professional insights and guidance on specialized high schools and preparing for the SHSAT. Seventh grade families will find this particularly useful.
DATE: Tuesday, January 12
TIME: 7:00 pm
REGISTER: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMkcO6grD0jG9Dw18RW6XJdgTgIdL3q8ck-
December Minutes
January Agenda
January Budget Report
JANUARY 13: FUNDRAISING MEETING
All are invited to the next Fundraising meeting! We're excited to build on what we learned this fall with new virtual events including a Student Talent Show, and an outdoor community-building event like the Turkey Trot, but with competitions and prizes. We'd love to hear your ideas, too! We've got a great team of volunteers, so no one will be stuffed doing all the work for an event. Come join this innovative, fun crew!
DATE: Wednesday, January 13
TIME: 9:00 am
LINK: https://zoom.us/j/96442960606?pwd=YXZHR0s4blJvRjR6czRiUGRpRmNkUT09
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HS Admissions Updates
MYSCHOOLS ACCOUNTS OPEN + REGISTER FOR THE SHSAT + LAGUARDIA AUDITIONS
Be on the lookout for emails and instructions from Ms. Mansell to ensure you're up-to-date on the High School admissions process. Important dates and deadlines are included on the school calendar on MS54.org.
Action items for NOW:
1. Make sure you have a MySchools account. Account creation codes were sent by email and snail mail several weeks ago. Please let Ms. Mansell know ASAP if you cannot set up your account.
2. Fill in your Family Income Inquiry Form particularly if you suspect you meet the federal guidelines for receiving free or reduced-price lunch. Those who meet the requirements will have a significant advantage in the admissions process. The form is here: www.myschoolapps.com/
3. Register for the SHSAT and LaGuardia auditions. The last day to register is January 15. Log onto MySchools and follow the prompts for registering for the SHS (Specialized High Schools). You must rank your specialized high school choices when you register for the test. You should get a receipt after you register. If you have an IEP, your testing accommodations should be listed on that receipt. If they are not, let Ms. Mansell know ASAP.
4. Join Ms. Mansell on January 21 for a presentation on building a balanced Non-Specialized High School list.
High School Admissions Meeting Part 2: Non-Specialized High Schools
Time: Jan 21, 2021 07:00 PM
Join: zoom.us/j/94159623646?pwd=dE9US0g2aTJPU2J3RFN6ZEdBY0tQQT09
Meeting ID: 941 5962 3646. Passcode: HighSchool
OPEN HOUSE/VIRTUAL TOUR CALENDAR ON MS54.ORG!
The PTA is helping eighth grade families by compiling HS open house + virtual tour dates, times, and links into a calendar on the HS Information page of MS54.org.
Please contribute any information you hear of. Thank you and we hope this helps!
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Thank a Teacher with an Award Nomination
Please nominate your favorite MS 54 teachers for a Big Apple Award that recognizes NYC teacher excellence. To nominate a teacher, work with your kids to complete this form: https://forms.gle/MWisTk1Bpw8QdNn1A
Complete the form for as many teachers as you want to nominate. MS 54 PTA members will review and coordinate the submissions. Final nominations are due by January 10 so please submit your nominations by Saturday, January 9 by noon so there's time to review and submit them.
The Big Apple Awards is New York City’s educator recognition program that honors and celebrates educators who go above and beyond for their students and school communities. Nominating a teacher for the Big Apple Awards is a great way for students and families to show their appreciation for the City educators who have gone above and beyond for their students throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Wellness Update
YOUR SUPPORT OF THE FOOD DRIVE IS CRUCIAL AT THIS TIME: "Family to Family" means more than ever as more families are reaching out for support. If you can, please order from the MS54 PTA Food Drive Wish List and choose "Anne McIntosh Pejovich" as the recipient. That's all you have to do to make a difference to a family in need. If you need food, please contact Anne McIntosh Pejovich at amcintosh6@schools.nyc.gov.
IDEAS TO WARM UP WINTER! Check out what we cooked up at the last Wellness Meeting! Summary HERE.
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS: The next Wellness Meeting is January 22 @ 7:30 am.
Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/98243158571?pwd=eTl2NGZGSWxjeENQQXFsMXpMQlhWZz09
Meeting ID: 982 4315 8571, Passcode: 082911
FRESH AIR WILL DO YOU GOOD! Wellness Walks continue every Sunday @ 10 am at the Community Garden at 91st Street. Text Alison Gardy at 917-696-2370 to confirm. Last-minute works!
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Equity Team Update
Parents may be interested in events and resources from the Immigrant History Initiative, including this upcoming workshop on January 22nd on Asian American identity and racism.
From the event announcement: Talking to children about racism and identity can be confusing and intimidating. We are partnering with Dr. Jenny Wang (instagram @asiansformentalhealth) to hold a free workshop for parents on how to engage in conversations about these important issues with kids of all ages. Register now at tinyurl.com/aapiparents. Workshop will take place on January 22, at 7:00 PM Eastern. The workshop will also have simultaneous interpretation in other languages if we receive enough interest!
The MS54 Equity Steering Committee is also working to organize a full Equity Team meeting for later this month. Stay tuned!
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Middle School Admissions Advocacy
The DOE announced that middle school admissions for September 2021 would be conducted via an open lottery. There are arguments for and against admissions screens, but lotteries make no attempt to match students with schools that best meet their individual needs. If you would like to express support to maintain middle school admissions screens, please consider taking the following actions:
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The School Store is Open
You can shop for all your favorite classic MS54 gear including zippies, hoodies, plaid flannel PJ bottoms, and masks!
School store pickups and shipping have resumed. Customers who receive a confirmation email with order status as "Ready" can pick up their orders Monday through Friday from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm. Use the 108th St entrance by the Security Guard desk. Please bring a hard or digital copy of your order at pick up.
Questions? Contact us at schoolstore@ms54pta.org.
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DOE Info & Community Updates
Virtual DOE High School Admissions Events
Applying to high school? The DOE is hosting two kinds of virtual events to share information about high school admissions in New York City. Click here to register for any event(s) you’d like to attend—dates and times are listed below and at the link.
Virtual High School Admissions Information Sessions. At each of these events, the DOE will walk you through how to apply to high school, including any changes due to COVID-19, how to build your application, and how to participate in Specialized High Schools admissions. After the presentation, the DOE will respond to your questions.
- January 11, 4pm to 5pm | Interpretation will be provided in: Spanish, Mandarin, French
- January 12, 6pm to 7pm
- January 13, 4pm to 5pm | Interpretation will be provided in: Spanish, Mandarin, Russian
- January 14, 5pm to 6pm
- January 15, 1pm to 2pm
Virtual Arts High School Fairs. Interested in applying to audition programs? At these online events you can learn about audition requirements for each discipline, the audition process for this year, and how to use MySchools and the Virtual Audition Submission Tool (VAST). Additionally, this is a chance to meet representatives from NYC’s audition schools, including LaGuardia High School. At the end of the event, school and DOE staff will respond to your questions. Please note that schools from different boroughs will showcase their programs on different days.
- January 21, 1pm to 3pm, featuring Manhattan and Bronx audition programs | Interpretation will be provided in: Spanish, Mandarin, French
- January 25, 5pm to 7pm, featuring Brooklyn and Staten Island audition programs| Interpretation will be provided in: Spanish, Mandarin, Russian
- February 2, 4pm to 6pm, featuring Queens audition programs | Interpretation will be provided in: Spanish, Mandarin, Bangla
- February 4, 6pm to 8pm, featuring Manhattan and Bronx audition programs | Interpretation will be provided in: Spanish, Mandarin, Bangla
The day before the event, you’ll receive a confirmation email with the link to the virtual event(s) you registered for—when the event starts, click this link to join.
Child Mind Institute Caregiver Support Workshops
The Child Mind Institute’s upcoming three workshop series are designed to provide families with proactive strategies they can use to support their child’s mental health and learning needs while virtually learning from home. These workshops are available at no cost to all NYC DOE parents and caregivers. For additional resources, please visit: https://childmind.org/coping-during-covid-19-resources-for-parents/.
Promoting Positive Behaviors for Your Child – Please click here to learn more and register.
- Structuring a Home Learning Environment; Wednesday, February 3rd, 2021 | 4:00pm – 5:00pm EST
- Managing Kids' Screen Time; Tuesday, February 9th, 2021 | 9:00am – 10:00am EST
- Motivating Your Child for Remote Learning – Part 1; Wednesday, February 17th, 2021 | 4:00pm – 5:00pm EST
- Motivating Your Child for Remote Learning – Part 2; Tuesday, February 23rd, 2021 | 9:00am – 10:00am EST
- Improving Your Relationship With Your Child; Wednesday, March 3rd, 2021 | 4:00pm – 5:00pm EST
- Parent Calming Techniques; Tuesday, March 9th, 2021 | 9:00am – 10:00am EST
Coping During COVID-19 – Please click here to learn more and register.
- Managing Grief and Loss; Monday, January 11th, 2021 | 4:00pm – 5:00pm EST
- Managing Stress and Anxiety; Tuesday, January 12th, 2021 | 5:00pm – 6:00pm EST
- Mindful Parenting; Monday, January 18th, 2021 | 5:00pm – 6:00pm EST
- Managing Intense Emotions; Wednesday, January 20th, 2021 | 5:00pm – 6:00pm EST
- Will My Child be Okay?; Monday, January 25th, 2021 | 5:00pm – 6:00pm EST
- Fostering Resilience Within Your Family; Thursday, January 28th, 2021 | 4:00pm – 5:00pm EST
Supporting Learning at Home – Please click here to learn more and register.
- Supporting Your Child in Virtual Learning; Wednesday, January 13th, 2021 | 5:00pm – 6:00pm EST
- Building and Supporting Executive Functioning Skills; Tuesday, February 9th, 2021 | 4:00pm – 5:00pm EST
- Building a Foundation for Reading at Home; Wednesday, February 10th, 2021 | 5:00pm – 6:00pm EST
3rd Annual NYC Public School Film Festival
The Festival will open for submissions from NYC Dept. of Education students January 5 through March 16, 2021. Films will be selected for the Festival by a panel of educators and media professionals. Films will be screened virtually on May 6, 2021. Following the May 6th virtual screening, student filmmakers will be invited to virtual discussions with industry professionals. Submitted films must be 5 minutes or less, and in .mp4 or .mov format. Films must use only original or public domain music. No nudity, profanity or violent acts are permitted. Youth filmmakers must play the major creative role on the production of the submitted works — as directors, writers, and/or editors. For full rules and regulation information, please go to: filmfreeway.com/NYCPublicSchoolFilmFestival
Find Help at findhelp.org
If you or your family need assistance of any kind, please try this new resource: findhelp.org. It was created by Aunt Bertha, a non-profit that connects people and programs — making it easy for people to find social services in their communities. Simply type in your Zip Code, and this site will connect you to a lot of different resources from food, housing, jobs, money, legal, and so much more.
Jazz Power Youth Program
Classes meet virtually once a week outside of school hours on Thursday from 4:30-6:30 pm (starting in March). They are looking for students who are interested in learning more about music, dance, blues, theater etc. The program is geared towards middle schoolers and high schoolers and completely free. There are open classes for more info for parents and students on February 11, and March 11 through zoom. Visit https://jazzpower.org/2020/12/jazz-power-youth-open-studio-class/ for more info.
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Events Calendar
Week of January 11
First week of virtual after-school sessions
January 12 @ 7 pm
January General Meeting + Guest Speaker Stuart Servetar of iBid Prep
Former MS54 parent and iBid Prep founder Stuart Servetar will share info and guidance on specialized high schools and preparing for the SHSAT. Seventh grade families will find this particularly useful.
Register: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMkcO6grD0jG9Dw18RW6XJdgTgIdL3q8ck-
January 13 @ 9:00 am
Fundraising Meeting
Help fun plan spring events that build on our biggest fall wins!
Link: https://zoom.us/j/96442960606?pwd=YXZHR0s4blJvRjR6czRiUGRpRmNkUT09
January 15
Last Day to Register for the SHSAT
Eighth grade families should reach out to Ms. Mansell at rmansell@schools.nyc.gov if they have any questions.
January 15 @ 7:20 am
January SLT Meeting
Any member of the MS54 community who wishes to observe the meeting may email slt-cochairs@ms54pta.org in advance for the Zoom link.
Jan 21, 2021 @ 07:00 PM
High School Admissions Meeting Part 2: Non-Specialized High Schools
Join: zoom.us/j/94159623646?pwd=dE9US0g2aTJPU2J3RFN6ZEdBY0tQQT09
Meeting ID: 941 5962 3646. Passcode: HighSchool
January 22 @ 7:30 am
January Wellness Meeting
Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/98243158571?pwd=eTl2NGZGSWxjeENQQXFsMXpMQlhWZz09
Meeting ID: 982 4315 8571, Passcode: 082911
January 27
The SHSAT will be given at Booker T. If students are back in the building on January 27, 7th graders in Cohort C will not be coming into school that day because we will need the use of all the classrooms and staff to administer the exam.
January 29
End of 2nd marking period. Please make sure to check grades in Jupiter this weekend to see how your child is doing and avoid any surprises.
You can always find the most up to date information on meetings and events at ms54.org.
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Amazon Smile
When you're doing your holiday shopping, please be sure to activate Amazon Smile by going to smile.amazon.com and selecting MS54 as the charity recipient. Do this once and you're set forever! And while you're getting your holiday shopping done, please consider making a donation to the MS54 Holiday Food Drive for families in the MS54 community.
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Parent Resources
While we endeavor to keep you well informed through this newsletter, inevitably topics and conversations come up throughout the week. Here are additional ways to stay in the loop:
The MS54.org website is where you'll find calendars, directories, meeting minutes, forms, and information on topics including equity and wellness.
The MS54 PTA Facebook group is a private group of parents, teachers, and staff where information is shared and issues are discussed. Members can post and share articles and messages with our school community.
The btwms54pta Instagram is where to get visual inspiration and motivation from images, recipes, quotes and more.
The Well at 54 is our Facebook group devoted to sharing timely wellness tips, articles and solutions.
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