Principal's Newsletter - April, 2022
Greetings Public School 147 Families,
Our Principal's Newsletter for April is now available. Translated versions may be viewed by clicking on the "Select Language" tab on the upper right hand corner. Thank you.
Principal's NewsletterUpcoming EventsApr. 15 – Apr. 22Spring Recess – School is Closed Apr. 26 – Apr. 27 NYS Mathematics Exam: Grades 3 – 5 May 2 Eid al-Fitr – School is Closed |
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Dear Parents/Caregivers, I hope this newsletter finds you well and in good health. Spring is here and with that comes warmer weather and longer days. There are many exciting events happening at PS147. I hope that you enjoy just a few of many highlights reflected here. At PS147, we collectively celebrate the success of all students, families and staff. Together, we work towards ensuring that our students achieve throughout the school day and extended day after school activities. Please continue to read the Class Dojo Home Page and your child’s Teacher Classroom page for important NYCDOE school information, events, and special highlights. Warm Regards, Ms. Sandra Noyola Principal |
Attendance Spirit Week
During the week of March 14, our school celebrated Attendance Spirit Week. We highlighted students who have improved their attendance and had 100% attendance since the beginning of the school year. Students were given prizes, certificates and had their name announced.
New York State Testing
New York State testing for grades 3 – 5 has already begun. Below, you will find testing dates:
New York State English Language Arts Exam
March 29 – March 30
NYSESLAT (Speaking)
April 11
New York State Mathematics Exam
April 26 – April 27
NYSESLAT (Listening, Reading and Writing)
May 9
Grade 4 ONLY – Science Performance Exam
May 24 – May 26
Grade 4 ONLY – Science Written Exam
June 6
Residencies
🎵 🎹 Our partnership with the Afro-Latin Jazz Alliance is in full swing! 🎸🎵
Students in kindergarten through 2nd grade have been participating in the G.R.I.O.T. with teaching artists Daniela "Dani" Serna and Maria Gonzalez. Global Rhythms in our Tribe (G.R.I.O.T.) is an opportunity for young people and curious learners of all ages to reconnect with the foundations of music found around the globe: voice and percussion. The G.R.I.O.T. program uses folkloric traditions from throughout the African diaspora to teach rhythm, get people singing, and build community through music making.
Students in 3rd, 4th and 5th grade have been learning guitar and piano as part of ALJAM! A.L.J.A.M. (Afro Latin Jazz Academy of Music) provides music instruction –including instrumental music and music theory– to New York City public schools at no cost to the students, providing them with Grammy award winning instructors and top performing musicians, such as lead trumpeter Jim Seeley of the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra. Students have been working with Yuri Juarez for guitar and Miho Nobuzane sensei for piano.
Our Student Council members were instrumental in articulating how important it is for students to have an authentic performing arts experience and for collaborating to make this happen!
Our remote recital date will be on Thursday, April 14, 2022. Zoom information will be forthcoming. 😃
Sprinting Through Spring
Beginning April 1st, we will begin our “Sprinting thru Spring” attendance initiative. This initiative promotes academic success thru daily attendance. For every week that your child attends school each day, their name will be entered to win a prize. Your child will receive one (1) entry per every week of perfect attendance. At the end of the month, students will be selected at random to win an amazing prize.
Virtual Parent Workshops On the Horizon
We are pleased to offer our families virtual parent education workshops. Information for each workshop along with respective links will be provided via Class Dojo by our Parent Coordinator, Ms. Santiago.
April 6, 2022 from 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Understanding Social/Emotional Learning for MLL/ENL parents
Chancellor Banks 4 Pillars
- Scale, sustain and restore what works
- Re-imagine the school experience so that youth are excited about coming to school
- Prioritize student health and wellness and measure its impact on student success
- Intentional engagement with parents, families and communities
PS147 continues to create opportunities to reflect these 4 Pillars.
As you know, based on multiple sources of student data gathered by teachers, our instructional focus is in the area of vocabulary. With this, teachers are strategically focusing on vocabulary and the 5 Pillars of Literacy (phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension) across all subjects. The Theory of Action that is correlated to our vocabulary area of focus is as follows:
Area of Focus
Vocabulary
Theory of Action
If teachers increase grade-specific academic and content area vocabulary through explicit instruction, then students’ comprehension of fiction and non-fiction texts will improve.
Did You Know?
Our Community Coordinator, Ms. Harper has launched a partnership with Stop n’ Shop to support families/students in temporary housing. Ms. Harper is an advocate for our STH students and families as she strives to improve conditions of those who are impacted by food injustice.
In addition to the Afro-Latin Jazz Alliance Residency, our students will also be partaking in residencies with Abron’s Art Center and City Lore. These residencies will cater to our younger students in grades K – 2 and are scheduled to begin in mid-April.
Kuo-Flynn sensei, in collaboration with teachers, is helping to re-establish our partnership with the Japan Society. On Friday, April 1, 2022, our students in the Japanese Dual Language classes enjoyed a virtual gallery tour. Great job team!
Our PTA Executive Board, in partnership with school building leaders and teachers, are sponsoring a residency titled, “Character & Integrity Building – No Excuses.” Beginning this month, Judge Woods will lead a course designed to “engage young people with a real time, no nonsense, interactive approach to bettering their life by preparing them to address actual life situations before they can become life altering incidents.” By incorporating into his presentation life experiences, topical discussions, historical perspectives and thought-provoking plays, Judge Woods is able to create meaningful change in the lives of young people. Through his course, Judge Woods will help to begin the transformation process of improving a young person’s character and integrity while also demonstrating the importance of protecting their name and reputation – not only for today, but for the rest of their lives. Judge Woods will be working with specific classes in grades 4 and 5. The workshops will be tailored to support and address topics related to integrity and character. To learn more about Judge Woods, his mission and legacy work, please visit his website at www.cibuilding.org.
Our school librarian, Ms. Federico, was able to secure a grant thru the Wide Rainbow Library Project. Each unique library is curated with over 100 children’s books. The Black Art Library is a collection of resources about black visual artists, authors and illustrators.
