Dear PS 107 Families,
The first three weeks of the school year have flown by! It’s such a joy to see our students so engaged in learning as I visit classrooms. Thanks to our new English language arts curriculum, Wit + Wisdom, I’ve seen children participating in deep conversations with their peers, as well as writing thoughtful responses to questions about the texts they are reading.To learn more about our new curriculum, take a look at this Wit + Wisdom Curriculum Overview that’s designed especially for families.
UNIVERSAL SCREENING ASSESSMENTS
In the next several weeks, teachers will be assessing students' reading and math skills using what are called universal screening assessments.Universal “screeners” are administered to all students three times a year, in reading and in math, and assess student skills against grade-level standards. These screeners will let teachers know which students’ reading or math skills are above grade level, on grade level, below grade level, or well below grade level. For students who score below or well-below grade level, teachers will administer diagnostic assessments to determine which skills specifically they are struggling with. This helps teachers to not only identify which students need additional support, but also what type of support they need. Finally, these screeners also help us to identify our very strong students who need an extra challenge!
In Kindergarten through grade 2, we will be administering Acadience Reading and Math screening assessments. In 3rd-5th grades, we will be administering MAP Growth screening assessments. Generally speaking, the results of these screening assessments are internal documents; however, teachers will discuss how your child is doing as compared to grade-level expectations at the November parent-teacher conferences, with these screeners being one of several data points on which teachers will base their conversations with you. (Save the date for conferences, which will be held on Thursday, November 2nd, between 1 and 3 pm and between 4:30 and 7:30 pm – closer to the date, teachers will reach out to you to schedule your conference time.)
PLEASE BE ON TIME FOR SCHOOL
Just a reminder the school day begins at 8:20 am, and that our drop-off gates close at 8:25 am this year. Students will be marked late who arrive after 8:25 am. From 8:20 to 8:30 am, students unpack, settle into the classroom, eat breakfast (if they haven’t eaten at home), and complete morning work. At 8:30 am, teachers begin their morning meetings, which are critically important to helping students transition to school and know what to expect for the day ahead. Please make every effort to get your child to school on time. If you find that your regular drop-off gates are closed (or are closing), please bring your children to the main entrance on 8th Avenue, which will remain open slightly longer than the other entry points.
COMMUNICATION WITH TEACHERS
Finally, we must ask that parents please be considerate in what you email to your children’s teachers. This year, more than any year in recent memory, our teachers are spending time learning a brand-new curriculum and approach to teaching reading and writing. They are spending many hours outside of the school day preparing lessons and reviewing student work, which ultimately benefits all of our students. While we very much want parents to know that our teachers are approachable and responsive, they do have limited time to write and respond to emails, so please consider whether what you are reaching out to your child’s teacher about is absolutely necessary. If you have a schoolwide question or a question about a lost item, you can reach out to Parent Coordinator Nadia Benlarbi at nbenlarbi2@schools.nyc.gov. If you have concerns about your child’s emotional well-being, you can reach out to our school counselor Sarah Green (sgreen15@schools.nyc.gov) or social worker Colleen Dondero (cdondero3@schools.nyc.gov). Thank you for your support with this! Educators are reporting incredibly high levels of burnout, and we are trying to protect their time during an intense year, curriculum-wise.
Have a terrific week!
Warmly,
Ms Joanna