Principal’s Message
The Week of July 6, 2020
Dearest Sensational P.S. 56 Families,
Happiest Summer Vacation wishes continue, and I hope everyone thoroughly enjoyed our 4th of July Holiday Weekend!
Reminder dearest parents: Report cards were released on July 1st to your NYC Schools Account (https://www.schools.nyc.gov/learning/in-our-classrooms/nyc-schools-account). Once you log in and click on your child's name, you are able to select a box where you can find your child's report card. In addition, you will find a promotion tracker there, which will indicate that your child is on track for promotion. Please contact our Parent Coordinator, Carmen Garcia if you need any support accessing your Schools Account (1-718-552-0429).
We are so proud of all our students this 2019-2020 school year, and it has been our tremendous honor to be part of your children’s academic lives and to watch them grow as learners. Your children are amazing learners – confident and capable of setting and meeting goals, while always striving to be better than their last best! This year, they have grown as readers, writers, mathematicians, scientists, geographers, critical thinkers, artists, musicians and so much more. They have applied their technology skills on a daily basis, while practicing digital citizenship. They have learned to work through problems with compassion and empathy. They demonstrated our school core values (Service, Persistence, Achievement, Responsibility, Kindness, Love of learning, Empathy for all) by their daily example, and taught us something new in every moment of every school day. #OurStudentsAlwaysSPARKLE!
Each teacher shared a summer activity plan for their students. Putting aside some time every day to focus on our learning is always important, especially in helping us avoid what educators call the summer slide – a possible loss of learning during vacation time. The best way to avoid this slide is designating time for reading and practicing our math skills every day. All our students will have access to iReady reading and math lessons until August 13th. Please encourage your children to complete a reading and math activity each day. We promised our students that we will celebrate and recognize their commitment to summer learning with a special surprise when we return to school!
Reminder: The reopening of schools can only happen when the City of New York is in Phase 4. The chancellor has stated that the NYC Department of Education must be prepared to follow the guidance issued by health experts for the safety and well-being of all our children, their families and staff. The Health Department guidelines will determine our planning and preparation for our reopening in September. We must be ready for a number of options for teaching and learning. All options will need to take into account that we are ensuring social distancing for our entire school community when we are in the school building. The goal remains to provide as much in-person learning as possible, and give every child the academic support they need while keeping them safe. A blended learning model is a combination of in-person learning and remote learning. Our Chancellor requested that all parents complete the Return to School 2020 Survey by June 30th. There are a variety of ways blended learning can operate, and we know every student and family have experienced remote learning differently. Survey responses will be shared with principals. This will support our planning and preparation for reopening in September. As always, the health and well-being of our school family are our number one priority. Our strong and positive home-school connection will continue to support the academic journey of every child. As we receive more information from the chancellor, I will share it with all of you.
Staying connected is also a top priority always! Throughout the summer, I will share all updates to you via our school website (ps56bronx.org) and One Call Now emails, text messages and phone communications. Please check for updates every week.
Grab and Go meals are available throughout the summer! Grab and Go meals are available Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the front entrance of our school. This service is available for children, their families and adults (suggested times to relieve congestion is 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. for children and their families; 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for adults). Our shout-outs of gratitude for the Wonderful P.S. 56 Top Chefs continue! We are also so thankful for our Super Safety Agents and our Awesome Custodial Staff.
There are never enough words to express how much we appreciate your ongoing support. The success of everything we are doing is possible because of YOU! On behalf of the entire P.S. 56 Staff, thank you, from our hearts to yours! We wish you all a healthy and happy summer, overflowing with wonder-filled moments that will become cherished memories! May laughter, smiles and fun be in abundance, as well as countless opportunities for the best of times with family and friends.
Fondly,
Maureen O'Neill
Principal
My weekly updates & reminders:
P.S. 56 continues to be designated by New York State as a School in Good Standing. We are tremendously proud of this designation as it represents our outstanding home-school connection, our outstanding instruction and the outstanding learning of our students. We have begun preparing our Comprehensive Education Plan for our 2020-2021 school year. As always, our goals this year are aligned with our mission to educate the whole child in a rigorous and nurturing learning environment, while focusing on growth and achievement in ELA, mathematics and the Social-Emotional Learning of all our students. Improved attendance and daily on-time arrival will also support the academic success of every child.
The DOE continues to deliver devices to the families that requested a device. A device can be ordered for each child in your family who is a student at P.S. 56. If you requested a device, please make sure you completed the Device Agreement form and check your emails for your delivery date. If you need any assistance, please contact our Parent Coordinator, Carmen Garcia (#1-718-552-0429). It is not too late to request a device. We are here to help you complete the application! You can also call the Help Desk at 718-935-5100, press 5, for support.
An Important Reminder: The city has initiated the GetFoodNYC program. Families can sign up for a box with 2 days worth of food that is delivered to your home. You can get more information and sign up by visiting nyc.gov/getFood.
You can continue to contact me at #914-570-4527 or through my email mbyrneoneil@schools.nyc.gov. Please do not hesitate to contact me with questions, suggestions or just to say hello!
