P.S. 120 Parent Weekly Bulletin - 1/15/2021

P.S. 120

Parent Weekly Bulletin

Week of 1/18/21

Principal’s Memo

Dear P.S. 120 Families,

“Everybody can be great … because anybody can serve.”

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?”

-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.


I wanted to share these quotations from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with you as a timely reminder of the importance of community. Particularly at a time when we are confronted with so many challenges, helping others around us can be a way to stay positive and productive. As you enjoy Monday’s day off of school, consider it a “day on” to safely reconnect with loved ones and serve others in your community. For more resources and volunteer opportunities for Monday’s National Day of Service, please see the “Celebrations” section below.

At the same time, with the rise of positive COVID-19 cases across the city and nation, I want to urge everyone in the P.S. 120 community to continue following health and safety precautions to keep you and your loved ones well. Please limit your outings and social gatherings, maintain social distancing, wear a mask and practice frequent hand washing.

As always, please reach out to your child’s teacher, the main office, and/or any one of the school administrators should you need assistance or support. We are here to help you in any way possible.

Sincerely,
Robert Marino
PrincipalAnnouncements

  • PTA Updates:

    • January PTA Meeting: Thank you to the parents who attended our January PTA meeting on Wednesday. If you were not able to attend, please view the agenda here. For questions about any agenda items, or to suggest a topic for future PTA meetings, please email Ms. Momoh: jmomoh@schools.nyc.gov

    • Upcoming PTA Meeting Schedule: Please note that all future PTA meetings have been changed to Wednesdays at 4:15 (later start time). We hope this shift will allow more families to attend!

    • February PTA Meeting: Our next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, February 10th at 4:15 PM.

  • iReady Diagnostic Assessment: We are preparing for the second round of iReady testing, which provides us with important data regarding your child’s progress in ELA and Math. Please see these resources for Preparing your child for the iReady Diagnostic:

    • iReady Diagnostic window # 2 is 1/25/21-2/10/21. Individual teachers will communicate administration times and periods with their classes.

    • Here is how you can assist your child if they are taking the diagnostic remotely:

      • Step 1: Watch this video from iReady to familiarize yourself with the Diagnostic and how to best support your child.

      • Step 2: Get organized by finding a quiet space for your student to take the test and confirming your technology is working properly.

      • Step 3: Motivate your child by explaining how doing their best will help their teachers know how to teach them better.

      • Step 4: Support, but do not help by encouraging your child to stay focused and try their best. Please do not help your child with the answers.

      • Step 5: Celebrate your child’s effort once you have confirmed they have completed the assessment.

    • It is extremely important that you help your child navigate to and through the assessment, but that you do not help with the answers. As a reminder, iReady is an adaptive assessment that will modify the difficulty level of each question based on whether your child answered correctly or incorrectly on the previous question. Your child should answer the assessment questions independently so his/her teachers know what your child understands and can do by him/herself.

  • Apply to Kindergarten for 2021-2022 (Reminder and new resources): Do you have a child born in 2016? Do you have a neighbor or friend with a child born in 2016? Apply to Kindergarten at P.S. 120Q for the 2021-2022 school year! You must apply by January 19th. You can apply online at MySchools.nyc or by calling 718-935-2009. We can't wait to welcome our next Kindergarten class to the P.S. 120Q Dragon family!

    • View a P.S. 120 Kindergarten Virtual Open House presentation here

    • View our P.S. 120 Kindergarten application flyer here

  • NYC Schools Account (Reminder and new resource): All P.S. 120 parents/guardians are encouraged to sign up for a NYC Schools Account to view important data and documents about your child’s progress. Please visit this website to learn more. If you would like to set up your child’s NYCSA account, please contact the main office (718) 359-3390 or email Susan Zanata (szanata@schools.nyc.gov) to receive your child’s unique account creation code. Please also see this NEW video about setting up your NYCSA account.

    • NYCDOE wants all parents/guardians signed up on NYCSA by February 1st.

    • If you have not yet set up an account, school staff will be contacting you in the coming weeks to assist you. We will make outreach attempts in English, Chinese and Spanish. We hope to get to 100% so that every P.S. 120 parent/guardian has access to this important resource.

  • Teach Your Monster to Read is a phonics and reading website/app your child may use as a supplement to iReady and Imagine Learning. The app is normally $5 to download but there is a free download promotion running through January 17th. Once downloaded, access will continue to be free. Check it out! https://www.teachyourmonstertoread.com/

SEL Corner

  • Child Mind Institute Workshops for Parents: The Child Mind Institute has added more workshop series 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. Please see the information below for more details and links to register:

    • Promoting Positive Behaviors for Your Child (NEW!) – 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.

      • 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

    • For additional resources, please visit: https://childmind.org/coping-during-covid-19-resources-for-parents/

    • Lastly, Child Mind Institute has partnered with NYCDOE Student Services to host an additional parent workshop: "How to Support your Children in the time of Change" on Tuesday, February 9th at 4:30pm. Register here!


  • SEL Resources

    • If parents need support from our school counselors, please complete this form.

    • Middle School announcement for 5th grade students:

      • The MySchools website and application is now available.

        • All families should have received Welcome Letters with instructions on how to set up a MySchools account and add their child to it using a unique account creation code. If a parent/student has not received a Welcome Letter, please direct them to email Mr. Woodburn at rwoodburn@schools.nyc.gov or Ms. Zhu at xzhu5@schools.nyc.gov. Families can also contact Ms. Zhu or Mr. Woodburn for any concerns or questions.

        • The Middle School Enrollment Office will host MS Application Sessions next week. Click here to find out more if you are interested.

  • My Sister’s Keeper (MSK) is a DOE initiative designed to promote gender equity, and empower girls and young women in grades 4-12, including cisgender, transgender, gender expansive, and any other students who identify with the terms "girl" or "woman." Through this initiative, participants will be provided with access to experiences that build confidence, strengthen community and sisterhood, celebrate their greatness, and further the goals of equity and inclusion.
    Students in grades 4 and 5 whose interests align with this initiative should complete this voluntary student survey by the new extended deadline of January 29. Responses from the survey will provide the DOE with valuable input from students to help develop programs, resources, and supports that best serve their needs. Feel free to share this MSK letter, which provides an overview of MSK and a link to the student survey, with families of students in grades 4 and 5. Additional information on next steps will be shared when it becomes available.


  • Resources


  • Brain Power Wellness: As you know, we strive to enrich our minds, bodies and hearts each day at P.S.120! We have been using Brain Power Wellness activities to provide virtual “brain breaks” while we engage in in-person and remote learning.

Celebrations

  • Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, 1/18/21 - There is NO SCHOOL on Monday, January 18th in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. This day is an opportunity to reflect on the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., an influential civil rights leader. Monday is also recognized as a National Day of Service. As a family, you might consider opportunities to serve in your community. Here are some resources, both in-person and virtual suggestions to participate as you feel comfortable: