Welcome

Important Dates    
Star Students  
Orientation Videos (in many languages) for Families of English Language Learners 
Oh Mighty OSIS!    
Curriculum Highlights & State Standards  
Mrs. Migliano’s Coffee & Conversation 
Mrs. Migliano’s Monthly Newsletter    

Reminders:  Free Homework Help — No Electronics at School — Can You Spare Some Paper? — Sign up for Notify NYC — Parent-Student Handbook — Lunch Collection Dates — PS196 Grading Policy

Literacy Corner — Math Place — Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3

                                                

Math Resources on the Web

At the December Data-Tech Meeting, Ms. Koatz showed parents and students more than a dozen math-related web sites.  These web sites (which you can find here: mathresourcesonweb.pdf) can help with everything from practicing math skills, to helping with Everyday Math homework, to understanding concepts like money, time, etc.  If you come across a great math web site, please let Ms. Koatz (cjarrat@schools.nyc.gov) know so that she can add it to the list.


                                                
Parent Involvement Survey—We Want to Hear From You!!!

As you know, we value parent involvement.  Our school would not be one of the best in the city without your help and support, both at school and at home.  Please help us be more responsive to your needs by filling out this brief online survey. ( http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WVH6X7Q )  If you would rather fill out a printed version of this survey, please let us know.

As always, please feel free to contact us with questions, concerns or ideas.  Thank you for your support as partners in your children’s education.  Mrs. Migliano, principal ( smiglia@schools.nyc.gov ) or Ms. Koatz, assistant principal ( cjarrat@schools.nyc.gov )

                                                  

Why Common Core? Watch This Video to Find Out!

You’ve heard us speaking about the Common Core Learning Standards for more than a year now.  If you’re still not sure why this movement started, watch the video at this link: http://vimeo.com/30055181

It will help explain how the CCLS will help prepare students for college and career readiness.  If you have questions about the CCLS, please feel free to contact Mrs. Migliano (smiglia@schools.nyc.gov) or Ms. Koatz (cjarrat@schools.nyc.gov).

                                                  

Study Island & Reading Eggs

Study Island and Reading Eggs are two online, interactive programs meant to help students with their academics.  PS196 has subscriptions to both of these programs, so they are FREE to families (both from school and from home)!

Kindergarten through 2 ^nd grade students can log onto Reading Eggs and have fun while improving their reading!  Reading Eggs makes learning to read interesting and engaging for kids, with great online reading games and activities. And it really works! Children love the games, songs, golden eggs and other rewards which, along with feeling proud of their reading, really motivate children to keep exploring and learning.

Children in ALL grades can log onto Study Island for practice in Reading, Math, and (in some grades) Science and Social Studies.  The web-based program is tied to New York State’s standards and the Common Core standards.  There is a lot of practice and students can learn and play games at the same time.

We hope you will take advantage of these wonderful resources.  If you need your child’s log-in information, please contact his or her teacher or Ms. Koatz at cjarrat@schools.nyc.gov .

                                                   


Halloween Party a Howling Success!

Neither rain nor snow nor freezing temperatures could keep our eager students away from their Halloween party!  More than 400 PS196ers showed up on October 29 ^th to celebrate in our new cafeteria.  They danced and played games with the DJ, had their faces painted and created trick or treat bags.  This year, for the first time, children were able to enjoy the Spooky Science Lab, where the adventurous could touch squishy “brains” and see glowing experiments in the dark.  A big thank you to all the parents who dedicated their time and energy to make this night such a great success!

Along with the activities and yummy food, some lucky youngsters won terrific prizes! PS196 graduate Wil A. and kindergartner Tyler R. both won scooters.  Thomas L. won a Lego basket.  Kindergartner Craig Z. and his sister Jordan, a 5th grader, won and shared a School Spirit items basket.

                                                  

Storybook Character Day

On Monday, October 31 ^st our favorite storybook characters came alive during our Storybook Character Day.  Teachers and students dressed up as their favorite characters from children’s literature.  The purpose of this day was to connect literature with fun.  

                                                  
Chancellor Walcott Visits PS196

We were fortunate toreceive a visit from Chancellor Dennis M. Walcott (and a slew of media) on thefirst day of school, September 8 ^th .   The Chancellor enjoyed working side-by-side with our students duringscience, art and music.   You can see photos here: https://owa2003.nycboe.net/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.flickr.com/photos/nycschools/sets/72157627626532528/    You can read about his visit toour school (and others in each borough) at  http://www.nytimes.com/schoolbook/2011/09/08/on-the-road-with-chancellor-walcott/

                                                  

Go to ARIS Parent Link for NYS Scores

If your child took the New York State ELA, math, science or NYSESLAT exams last year, those scores are now available through ARIS Parent Link ( http:// arisparentlink.org ).  Your child’s OSIS number is his/her “Student ID”.  If you logged into ARIS Parent Link before but don’t remember your password, just click on “Password Help.”  If you have problems, please contact Ms. Koatz ( Catherine.JarratKoatz@schools.nyc.gov ) .  Many New York City public libraries are also set up to help parents access ARIS Parent Link.

                                                  

Help OurSchool!!

Do you oryour friends and family members have a Target card?   If so, you could be helping PS196 every time you make a purchase.   Just sign up for Target’s “Take Charge of Education” by going to target.com/tcoe   There you can choose PS 196 (school code 77785) as the school you want to support and 1% of all of your purchases made with your Target card will go to our school.

Don’t forget to get all of your family and friends to link their cards, too!

                                                  

 Star Students

During the 2011-12 school year our teachers will continue to shine a light on their Star Students—students who are overachieving in different areas.  As the months pass, you will be able to click on the links below to see a list of students who won awards. 

Students who are receiving awards, and their families, will be invited to attend a ceremony directly before the monthly Parents Association meetings. 

September—Helping Others (2), Outstanding Effort, Student of the Month, click her e : September2011.pdf

October—Class Participation (2), Outstanding Effort, Student of the Month, click here: October2011.pdf      
November—Math Whiz (2), Outstanding Effort, Student of the Month, click here: November2011.pdf  
December—Avid Reader (2), Outstanding Effort, Student of the Month, click here: 
January—Good Citizen (2), Outstanding Effort, Student of the Month
February—Persuasive Writer (2), Outstanding Effort, Student of the Month
March—Consistent Effort (2), Outstanding Effort, Student of the Month
April—Accomplished Artist (2), Outstanding Effort, Student of the Month
May—Overall Academic Performance (2), Outstanding Effort, Student of the Month

June (K-2 Students Only)—Progress Throughout the Year (2), Outstanding Effort, Student of the Month 

 

                                       
Oh Mighty OSIS !

No, that’s not a mistake….we meant OSIS , not the Egyptian goddess Isis.  Your child’s OSIS number (or student number) is an important piece of data to learn and keep around.  You’ll need the 9-digit number to log onto Acuity, ARIS Parent Link, and any number of online systems for your child throughout his or her public school career.  If you are not sure of your child’s OSIS number , please contact parent coordinator, Ellen Maurer , or data specialist, Catherine Koatz .

                                          

Orientation Videos for Families of English Language Learners

Click here to view the orientation video for parents and families of English Language Learners in 13 languages, including Albanian, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, English, French, Haitian Creole, Korean, Polish, Punjabi, Russian, Spanish, and Urdu. Please scroll through (using the 'Next' and 'Prev' buttons) to find the video in the appropriate language.

 
                                        

Curriculum Highlights

Want to know what’s going on in the main academic areas from month to month?  Click here (in September 2011) for curriculum highlights in math, reading, writing, science and social studies . 

Remember, these are curriculum planning guidelines only . Your child’s teacher is always differentiating, so he or she is the best person to contact with curriculum questions.

To see the New York State Standards in call curricular areas, click here .

  
                                          Schedule of Events in May

 

May 1        2^nd Grade Poetry Café, 9:15a.m.

        2        Lunch Collection

        8        Puppetry for 1^st Grade

        10      Parent Workshop: The 4^th Grade Science Exam, 7:30 a.m.

        11      Parent Appreciation Breakfast

        12      Science Saturday Academy, 4^th grade registeredfamilies,

                  9:30-12:00 noon

        16      Spring Concert (All are welcome), 6:30 p.m.

        17      International Night (All are welcome), 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

        19      Science Saturday Academy, 4^th grade registeredfamilies,

                  9:30-12:00 noon

        22      Star Student Awards, 7:00 p.m.

                  ParentsAssociation Meeting, 7:30 p.m.

        23-25 New York State Science Performance Test (4^th grade)

        25      School Leadership Team Meeting, 7:30 a.m.

                  KindergartenMoving Up Ceremony, 9:15 a.m.

        28     Memorial Day – NO SCHOOL

        29      Parents Association Board Elections

        31      Kindergarten Orientation

                  Final LunchCollection

 

Highlightsfor June

 

June 1      FieldDay

          4      Grade 4 New York State Science WrittenTest

          5      Clerical Half Day—STUDENTS DISMISSED ATNOON

          6      5^th Grade Trip to “Peter andthe Starcatcher”

          7      Chancellor’sDay—NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS

        8      Literacy Day

                  Coffee& Conversation, 7:45 a.m.

        11      Clerical Half Day—STUDENTS DISMISSED AT NOON

      15      Theater Arts Production - Grease, 7:00 p.m.

        16      Theater Arts Production - Grease, 7:00p.m.

        19      Star Student Awards, 7:00 p.m.

                  ParentsAssociation Meeting, 7:30 p.m.

        21      5^th Grade Graduation

        22      School Leadership Team, 7:30 a.m.

                  5^thGrade Dance

        27      Last Day of School— STUDENTS DISMISSEDAT NOON

 
For the New York City Department of Education calendars (including translations in Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Haitian-Creole, Korean, Russian, Spanish and Urdu) click here .

                                        
  Free Homework Help

The NYC Public Library provides interactive online assistance in most subjects from Mondays to Thursdays (4:30 -6:30pm) via this link: http://www.nypl.org/blog/2010/03/26/dial-teacher . The United Federation of Teachers provides telephone help to students from Mondays to Thursdays (4:00 -7:00pm) at this number: 212-777-3380.

 Reminder: No Electronics at School

  As we are sure you can imagine, cell phones, game systems and iPods can be very distracting to students.  We recently sent home a letter to all families, reminding them according to the Chancellor’s Regulations and the Student Code of Conduct these devices cannot be used by students during school hours—neither at lunch/recess, nor in class.  If a child is seen using one of these devices, it will be taken away and kept in the Principal’s office.  A parent or guardian will need to come to school to collect the device.  If your child needs his/her cell phone, game system or iPod for after school, please make sure that he/she keeps it tucked away in a backpack during school hours. 

                                        
  Can You Spare Some Paper?  
          

We are always in need of copy paper, so if you can find a great sale,
please bring in a pack or two.  Thanks!!

Be in the Know—Sign Up for Notify NYC

  There is now a valuable service for all New York parents—Notify NYC.  This public notification program sends updates for emergency situations at school and other events that have an impact on the school day by phone, text message, or email to parents and guardians who sign up for the service. The service updates parents about delayed school openings and early dismissals, student relocations, and temporary school closures related to weather or other unexpected events. Parents and guardians can choose to receive alerts for up to five zip codes, and will receive notifications about schools within those zip codes. You can sign up either by visiting http://www.nyc.gov/notifynyc or by calling 311.

     Mrs. Migliano’s “Coffee and Conversation”

For the third year, Mrs. Migliano will be hosting her informal monthly meeting with parents—Coffee & Conversation.  The feedback from these meetings has been very positive, and Mrs. Migliano is looking forward to chatting with parents again about all of the issues that are important to our school community.  Please join her at 7:45 a.m. on the following dates:   September 13,  October 12, November 9, December 7, January 4, February 7, March 7, April 4, May 7, and June6.

                                    

PS196 Parent-Student Handbook!

The purpose of our Parent-Student Handbook is to provide practical information that parents can use.  Our goal is to keep channels of communication open, to inform, and resolve issues and concerns of all stake holders and to avoid misunderstandings—all in the best interests of our children. This booklet outlines the communication systems currently in place, policies that aid communication between home and school, methods to address concerns, and where to go to get specific questions answered. It provides you with the tools needed to communicate successfully with our school community.  If you have any questions about this document, please contact Parent Coordinator, Ellen Maurer .  You can access the PS196 Parent-Student Handbook by  clicking here ( 28Q196ParentHandbook.pdf )  . If you need them in other languages (Spanish, Russian, Korean, Mandarin Chinese), please contact Ms. Maurer.

                                          


  Lunch Collection Dates

For those of you who would like to purchase hot lunch for your students, the collection dates for the 2011-2012 school year will be September 12, October 13, November 14, December 15, January 23, February 17, March 27, May 2, May 31.  If you have any questions about the school lunch program, please contact our parent coordinator, Ellen Maurer .  You can see the lunch menu by going to  http://www.opt-osfns.org/osfns/ and clicking on the month under Lunch Menus (on the right-hand side).

                                          

Mrs. Migliano's Monthly Newsletter

You can read Mrs. Migliano's September 2011 newsletter ( September2011.pdf ) .  ( Chinese Newsletter_Sept2011_Chinese.pdf )  ( Korean Newsletter_Sept2011_Korean.pdf ) ( Russian Newsletter_Sept2011_Russian.pdf  ) ( Spanish Newsletter_Sept2011_Russian.pdf )
You can read Mrs. Migliano's October 2011 newsletter ( October2011.pdf ).  
You can read Mrs. Migliano's November 2011 newsletter ( November2011PrincipalsNewsletter.pdf ). (Chinese November2011_Chinese.pdf) (Korean November2011_Korean.pdf) 
You can read Mrs. Migliano's December 2011 newsletter (December2011PrincipalsNewsletter.pdf). ( Chinese )  ( Korean ) ( Russian ) ( Spanish )
  You can read Mrs. Migliano's January 2012 newsletter by clicking here . ( Chinese )  ( Korean ) ( Russian ) ( Spanish )
You can read Mrs. Migliano's February 2012 newsletter by clicking here . ( Chinese ) ( Korean ) ( Russian ) ( Spanish )
  You can read Mrs. Migliano's March 2012 newsletter by clicking here . ( Chinese ) ( Korean ) ( Russian ) ( Spanish )    
You can read Mrs. Migliano's April 2012 newsletter by clicking here . ( Chinese ) ( Korean ) ( Russian ) ( Spanish )     
You can read Mrs. Migliano's May 2012 newsletter by clicking here . ( Chinese ) ( Korean ) ( Russian ) ( Spanish )
You can read Mrs. Migliano's June 2012 newsletter by clicking here . ( Chinese ) ( Korean ) ( Russian ) ( Spanish )

    
                                      
PS196 Grading Policy

In October 2009, Mrs. Migliano, along with a team of teachers and coaches developed the following grading rubric.  The goal was to clarify our school’s grading policy, and to ensure that grading was cohesive and consistent across grades and curricular areas. To see the specifics of the grading policy, click here ( GradingPolicyPS196.pdf )


                                      

PS196 Goal Highlights for 2011-2012


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    Testing, Testing, 1…2…3
  
  As we all know, testing is a regular part of school life.  The purpose of tests can range from letting teachers know what students need to work on (formative tests), to assessing all that students have learned (summative tests).  Student testing at the New York State and New York City levels are part of the accountability called for in the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
  
  I n a continuing effort to keep you informed, we will be posting links to sites and documents that have to do with state and city testing.  If you have any questions about testing, you can contact our assistant principal, Catherine Koatz . 
  
        * 2011-2012 New York State and City Testing Calendar ( TestingCalendar20112012.pdf )
           
  
  
  

    Literacy Corner
  Looking for a just-right book for your child? Click here   or here for some suggested titles for every reading level—A-Z.
  Want to know how your child is doing in reading? Click here for the Reading Level Benchmarks from Columbia Teachers College Reading & Writing Project.  You’ll be able to see how your child is doing (on a level from 1 to 4), given her/his grade level and the time of year.  For example, a 2 ^nd grader reading on a “J” level in November would be a 3, but if a child is at a “J” level in March, then she/he would be a 2. 
  
  Parents and teachers are always trying to improve their young ones' grammar.  Here are some web sites that can help:
  Grammar Gorillas http://www.funbrain.com/grammar
  Sentence Sense  ccc.commnet.edu/sensen/part1
  Guide to Grammar & Writing grammar ccc.commnet.edu/grammar
  Houghton Mifflin's Grammar and Writing Site http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hme/k_5/index.html
  Grammar Crosswords http://www.kidcrosswords.com
  Grammar Bytes Interactive Website http://www.chompchomp.com
  Buzzword Sponge Activity http://www.wordcentral.com/buzzword/buzzword.php 
  
  If you're interested in playing some online literacy games and activities with your child, click here for a list to get you started.
  

                                      
  
  

  Math Place
  Do you have questions about Everyday Mathematics? Click here to find ideas on how to help your children with Everyday Mathematics homework, among other topics.  There are also glossaries in English and Spanish.
  Want a cool website for practicing addition, subtraction, multiplication or division?  Need some extra training for other math skills?  Check out these awesome websites: click here .    
  
  If you want something to use on your home computer, there’s an excellent CD-ROM called Math Arena .   This CD is full of really fun games and timed trials dealing with fractions, decimals, patterns, and lots, lots more.  It’s by far the best math CD on the market, and by setting the games to “Hard” it can be used by kids through middle school.  Math Arena sometimes shows up on Scholastic Software order forms.  You can also buy it from Sunburst directly, at http://store.sunburst.com (although it might cost you more).
  
  
  

   

                                      
  
  

  This web site is administered by Catherine Koatz .

   
                                      
  
  

  Join the PS196 Parents Association or just find out what’s up by clicking here !
  

                                         
  

  Our Daily Schedule

  Mondays—Fridays     8:38 a.m. —2:58 p.m.
  Extended Day Children        8:00 a.m. —8:38 a.m. (Monday-Thursday)

    Free Breakfast (Extended Day Students Only):     7:40 a.m.—8:00 a.m.
  Free Breakfast daily (All Students):     8:00 a.m. —8:30 a.m.

                                        

  
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