P.S. 56 Norwood Heights

Principal’s Message                                                                                                                                                                                 

                                                    Week of September 21, 2020

  Dearest Parents of THE Sensational Students of P.S. 56, 

     Our happiest new school year wishes to everyone continue!  Last week we officially began our 2020-2021 school year and it was pure JOY to welcome all our students to their next chapter of learning.  Despite the challenges of launching remote learning, there was still so much excitement as we exchanged hellos and shared our plans for a wonder-filled year of learning together!  There are not enough words to convey our gratitude to all of you, dear parents, for your patience, flexibility and support.  I know navigating the world of technology is not always easy, and internet connections are not always reliable.  But to everyone’s credit, we are managing all the bumps in the road, and the wide, happy smiles of all our children make managing the bumps so worthwhile.  Working together – we’ve got this!  Together we are going far!          

     All our children are without limits as their next chapter of learning begins.  Steadfast in our commitment to the education of the whole child, we have planned units of study that support every child’s physical, emotional and academic growth.  This is always such a special time of the year here at P.S. 56.  There is excitement and wonder-filled anticipation abounding for this next new chapter of learning in the lives of all our students.  We have three cohorts of super sensational students:  Cohort A, Cohort B and Cohort D.  Cohort D students are all the children who will be participating in Fully Remote Learning.  Cohort A students will attend school every Tuesday and Thursday.  Cohort B students will attend school every Wednesday and Friday.  Cohorts A and B will also attend on alternating Mondays. Parents who chose Fully Remote Learning (Cohort D) will have the opportunity in November to change to the Blended Learning model, if they wish.  Parents who chose Blended Learning may opt to go Fully Remote at any time.  Whether our students are learning fully remote or in a blended learning model, we will continue to ensure all learning is engaging, joyful, wonder-filled and fun! 

     This week all our students (both Fully Remote, Cohort D) and Blended, Cohorts A and B) will continue learning at home.  ALL our students should be on their devices every morning to begin a new day of learning, and follow the flow of the day posted by their teachers.  The mayor announced last Thursday that in-person learning in DOE school buildings will now begin the week of September 28^th.  Cohort A students will begin on Tuesday, September 29^th in our school building.  Cohort B students will have their first in-person day in our school building on Wednesday, September 30^th.

     Grab and Go meals (breakfast and lunch) continue to be available this week from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. through Friday, September 25^th.  Beginning Tuesday, September 29th, Grab and Go meals (breakfast and lunch) for our students learning at home will be available Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 12 noon (at our main entrance).  Students learning in the school building will have breakfast and lunch in their classrooms.  Students may bring lunch from home, if they wish.  

     If you need a device for your child, please contact our school office (718-920-1100) as soon as possible.  We will continue distributing devices this week.  In addition, please complete the Remote Learning Device request form at https://coronavirus.schools.nyc/RemoteLearningDevices.  Central wants to know the number of devices needed per school.  We want all our students to have the resources they need to have a successful year of learning!  Each teacher has prepared a “bag” of resources for every student to use when learning at home.  The contents of the bag include a notebook, folder, two sharpened pencils and a learning packet of materials and academic resources to support all our students.  Parents have been contacted regarding the day and time to pick up their child’s school bag!  Please contact our Parent Coordinator, Carmen Garcia, if you need any support (school days 718-920-1100, after school hours 718-552-0429).      

     During this time of Covid-19, it is imperative that all our parents and guardians complete the P.S. 56 Parent Contact Information 2020-2021 form.  We need 100% of everyone’s information and their preferred language of communication to ensure our ongoing strong home-school connection.  Our One Call Now messaging system provides important updates and information every family needs to know.  Most importantly, we need to be able to reach all our families in a moment’s notice.  If you have not already done so, please complete this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf8ULUIGtsWvcN52SidBs5wpR9KUhy-POMvBF_P5vGPHovDBw/viewform?usp=pp_url

     Dear parents, we understand the challenges everyone continues to face this year.  All our families have been impacted by Covid-19, and for some of our families the personal losses and economic hardships were devastating.  Being here for each other and staying connected remain more important than ever.  We are all longing for the return to our traditional school life before Covid-19.  This year our school day will look different for the safety and wellbeing of our entire school community.  Our goals remain constant:  Every child feels safe.  Every child feels loved and known.  Every child reaches his/her full potential while becoming a lifelong learner.  We cannot guarantee there will never be any positive cases of Covid-19 at our school.  However, we are implementing and practicing all the safety and health guidelines and protocols from the DOE.  It is important we all practice the three W’s:  Wear our masks, Wash our hands, and Walk and stand at least 6 feet apart.  Wearing our masks and practicing physical distancing at all times, as well as staying home when we are sick, are non-negotiables.  If your child is participating in the Blended Learning model, continue having these important conversations on a daily basis.  Please watch our Super Heroes Wear Masks staff slideshow posted here on our school website with your children.  It is an opportunity for all our students to see the staff of P.S. 56 with and without their masks.  The masks we wear show that we care and Super Heroes Wear Masks!                    

     Please visit our Parent Information tab at the top of our website for immediate access to important and supportive links.  There are many excellent resources available for all families.  Heartfelt appreciation always for your constant support. I am so grateful to be on this new learning journey with all of you!

Fondly,

Maureen O’Neill

Principal

Below is the P.S. 56 Learning Schedule and the arrival and dismissal times for students participating in the Blended Learning model: