Past Messages for Families

Week of October 23, 2023: What's Happening in NYC Public Schools

American Sign Language (video)

This Family Update provides important information about the 2023–24 school year calendar, admissions and enrollment deadlines, parent-teacher conferences, and how to get the latest news from New York City Public Schools.

School Year 2023–24 Calendar

Welcome to the new school year! You can view and download printable files of the calendar for the full 2023–24 school year in multiple languages and see important upcoming dates such as parent-teacher conferences and days when schools may be closed at schools.nyc.gov/calendar. Please note:

• On days when school buildings are closed due to severe weather or other emergency conditions, all students and families should plan to participate in remote learning.
• Under New York State law, public holidays (also referred to as legal or federal holidays) that fall on a Saturday are not observed on a weekday; where such holidays fall on a Sunday, they will be observed on the following Monday. Per New York City Public Schools’ policy, when non-public holidays fall on a weekend, schools remain open on the weekdays immediately preceding or following that holiday.

The following are non-public holidays observed by NYC Public Schools: Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Election Day, Diwali, the day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve, Lunar New Year, Good Friday, Eid al-Fitr, Passover (first two days), and Eid al-Adha.

This year, schools will remain open on the weekdays immediately preceding or following the non-public holidays noted, which fall on weekends during the 2023–24 school year: Rosh Hashanah (September 16–17), Veteran’s Day (November 11), Diwali (November 12), and Lunar New Year (February 10).

Please reach out to your school with any questions about the school calendar. To assist with future planning, calendars for the 2024–25 and 2025–26 school years are also available on our website.

Fall 2024 Admissions

Great news: the opening dates and deadlines for 3-K, Pre-K, Kindergarten, Gifted and Talented (G&T) programs, middle school, and high school (including Specialized High Schools) for fall 2024 admissions have already been announced! Here are resources to help you throughout your child’s application process:

• Learn about key admissions dates and more at schools.nyc.gov/enrollment. Each admissions process page includes the 2024 NYC Public Schools Admissions Guide and a video series to walk you through various stages of the application process. The guide is available in 10 languages at schools, early childhood programs, libraries, and other sites, and can also be downloaded from our website.
• Read the NYC Guide to the SHSAT for 2024 Admissions, which provides an overview of how to prepare for the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT) and includes practice tests. The guide is available in 10 languages and can be viewed at schools.nyc.gov/SHS under “Documents.”
• Explore schools and programs on MySchools.nyc, and attend open houses and information sessions to become familiar with your child’s options. You can find in-person and virtual events listed in the MySchools events calendar at MySchools.nyc/calendar.
• Sign up to receive the latest updates and reminders by email at schools.nyc.gov/SignUp.

Admissions dates in 2023:

• Tuesday, October 3, 2023: High School Application & SHSAT Registration Opens
• Wednesday, October 11, 2023: Middle School Application Opens
• Friday, October 27, 2023: SHSAT Registration Closes
• Friday, November 10, 2023: Deadline to register to test for Mark Twain I.S. 239 (21K239) and District 21 Talent Tests for Middle School
• Friday, December 1, 2023: High School Application Closes
• Friday, December 8, 2023: Middle School Application Closes

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Parent-teacher conferences (PTCs) are a great opportunity to speak directly with teachers about your child’s academic and social-emotional development and how you can support their growth outside the classroom. PTCs will be conducted remotely throughout the 2023–24 school year, though they can occur in-person upon request. Translation and interpretation services are also available—please let your child’s school know if you need services.

Upcoming PTCs:

• Thursday, November 2: Afternoon and Evening conferences for elementary schools.
• Thursday, November 9: Afternoon and evening conferences for middle schools and D-75 schools.
• Thursday, November 16: Evening PTCs for high school students, K–12, and 6–12 schools.
• Friday, November 17: Afternoon PTCs for high schools, K–12, and 6–12 schools.

To prepare for your PTC, ask your child some questions about their school experiences so that you can have a more informed discussion with their teachers. Here are some suggestions:

• How do you feel about school now? Do you have any questions or concerns that you’d like to talk to your teachers about?
• What are your favorite subjects in school right now? What’s your least favorite?
• What do you think about your teacher? Do you feel supported and welcome in your classroom?

For more PTC guidance, please visit schools.nyc.gov/ptc.

Stay Connected

We have an exciting school year ahead of us, and you won’t want to miss any information about what’s happening in NYC Public Schools. To make sure that we can reach you, be sure to update your contact information in your NYC Schools Account (NYCSA) online at schoolsaccount.nyc, or complete the emergency contact form provided by your school. Learn how to sign up for NYCSA at schools.nyc.gov/nycsa.

This year families and students can access information they need more conveniently than ever, thanks to our new NYCSA and mobile TeachHub applications! 

NYCSA Mobile Application: Parents/guardians who have an active NYCSA account can access their child’s grades, assignments, and attendance using the NYCSA mobile application, which can be downloaded on iOS and Android devices. Learn more at schools.nyc.gov/nycsamobile. 

TeachHub Mobile Application: Students can now use the TeachHub mobile application for iOS and Android devices to easily track their grades, assignments, schedule, and attendance information. Learn more about the app at schools.nyc.gov/teachhubmobile. Students must sign into the application with their NYCStudents.net username and password—to learn more about student accounts, visit schools.nyc.gov/studentaccounts.

To stay up to date with all NYC Public Schools news, bookmark schools.nyc.gov, and follow us @nycschools and @doechancellor on Twitter/X. You can also find us on Facebook and Instagram at our official @nycschools accounts.

October 23, 2023: A Message on Respiratory Viruses

This letter is also available in Simplified Chinese.

September 11, 2023: A Welcome Back Message for Families from Chancellor David C. Banks

September is just the beginning of what I know will be a truly exceptional school year. Thank you for your partnership. Thank you for entrusting your children’s education to us. I’m so excited about all the great things we’ll accomplish together this year!

August 28, 2023: Update for Families on Yellow Bus Service

Dear Families:

We are writing to inform you of a possible disruption in yellow bus service this fall. This may impact your child’s transportation to school if your child uses yellow bus service to get to school. In the event of a strike, our top priority remains ensuring that every student, especially our most vulnerable, can continue attending their schools without interruption.

This possible strike is due to a labor dispute between bus companies that provide yellow bus service to our schools and a union that represents bus drivers and attendants, and could impact as many as half of our bus routes. NYC Public Schools and the Mayor's Office are monitoring the situation closely and working with our partners across the city to support a resolution, with the goal of avoiding the substantial impact a strike would have on our students and families. However, since such a strike is a possibility, we want you to be aware and informed. Please review the information below and continue to visit our website — schools.nyc.gov/transportation — to ensure that you are aware of the latest developments and resources available.

• NYC Public Schools Online Resources: Bus service interruption resources for families will be available on our website at schools.nyc.gov/transportation. Here you will find information on emergency MetroCards, transportation alternatives for students and families, attendance procedures for your child, and other assistance available until yellow bus service fully resumes. Please visit this page frequently as we will be updating it with the latest information.
• Updates on Social Media: We will also be sharing updates through our social media accounts (@NYCSchools on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram).
• Additional information: You can also call our transportation call center at 718-392-8855, email us at transportation@schools.nyc.gov, or call 311 at any time for information and the latest updates on yellow bus service.
• Notifications in the Event of a Strike: If a strike does occur and your child will be impacted, you will receive an automated call, email, and text message from us, as well as a second set of notifications on the first morning of interrupted bus service. Notifications will go to the contact information provided to us by your school, so it is important to ensure your contact information is up-to-date with your school and on your NYC Schools Account (learn more at sschools.nyc.gov/NYCSA). Once bus service resumes, you will receive automated notifications again to inform you of this update.
• Alternative Transportation in the Event of a Strike: NYC Public Schools is actively working to arrange alternative transportation for impacted families. All families impacted by the strike will have the option of an emergency MetroCard for both the student and a caregiver. In addition, NYC Public Schools will provide pre-paid rideshare and offer reimbursement to Students with Disabilities who have transportation recommended on an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 Accommodation Plan (504); Students in Temporary Housing or Foster Care who receive yellow bus service; and Students with an approved transportation exception, as defined on our as defined on our exceptions to transportation eligibility web page. We will provide additional information in the coming days. In the event of a strike, your school’s transportation coordinator will work with you to evaluate the needs of your child so that your family can make the best possible arrangements for transportation to and from school during this service interruption.

June 26, 2023: A Message to Families on Mindfulness Breathing from Chancellor David C. Banks

American Sign Language (video)

The end of the school year is full of excitement and enthusiasm, but for some it might be stressful and include nervous energy. I know that day-to-day pressures and difficulties can be challenging and overwhelming, especially for young people. As part of our continuing effort to focus on the wellness of our students, I want the NYC Public Schools to do even more to help students build social-emotional skills. I want to ensure that our students have access to the tools and resources they need to develop habits for good mental health and overall wellness throughout their lives. 

As such, Mayor Adams and I are directing that each school set aside time every day for your children to engage in 2–5 minutes of Mindful Breathing activities. Schools can offer these activities in any class or school program. For example, your children may experience mindful breathing in their physical education classes, advisory classes, homeroom, or even during school announcements.

To support schools, we have developed a simple set of mindful breathing exercises that schools may use. We believe these simple techniques can help students focus on being fully present and reduce anxiety. Over the past few months, several hundred school-based staff members were trained in these Mindful Breath Practices. These simple exercises take only about 2–5 minutes a day to perform and do not require significant training.

Over 70% of our schools are already practicing mindfulness on a regular basis, but our expectation has been that every student practice 2–5 minutes of mindful breathing daily starting this school year and continue in September. As we enter the summer, these resources, training, and support will continue. We will also collaborate with schools to offer mindful breathing during summer school as I want our children to have these tools whether school is in session or not.

As you know, the mental health and wellbeing of our students is a key priority for the city and school administration, and this is one more effort to create the strong mind/body connection that is so important for our students. Thank you.

An End of Year Message to Families from Chancellor David C. Banks

American Sign Language (video)

Thank you for being a part of the New York City Public Schools. I hope you had a wonderful school year.

This week marks the end of my first full school year as your New York City Schools Chancellor. As I reflect on the past year, I am grateful for the feedback you have shared with me to help make our schools the best they can be, and I’m energized by all that we’ve accomplished together since last September.

We are committed to reimagining the school experience and giving our students Bright Starts and Bold Futures.

That starts with ensuring that our students have the strong foundations they need to be able to thrive. That is why this year, we launched NYC Reads. It will transform the way that we teach kids to read in our schools, and we’ve already begun the Professional Learning sessions for tens of thousands of our teachers. For far too long, we have been operating from the wrong playbook when it comes to literacy. This was not the fault of our students or educators; it was the result of not providing strong enough guidance and support. NYC Reads is rooted in the “science of reading” and a phonics-based curriculum—the proven methods for teaching children to be confident readers.

In order to connect our students to Bold Futures, we’ve created Pathways programs like FutureReadyNYC. These programs open up a world of possibilities for our students and help make school more relevant. Throughout the year, we have been building powerful partnerships with major local employers like Northwell Health and JPMorgan Chase and connecting thousands of high school students with paid internships.

Across all of our schools, we have been working hard to create welcoming and inclusive learning environments for all our students. We are building on what works and leaning into the innovative, homegrown approaches that families believe in by expanding programs that support kids with dyslexia, emotional and sensory needs, and autism. To our students with disabilities and their families: we see you, and we are moving to make our schools places where you can be served. This includes our early childhood education programs. When 3-K and Pre-K launched, there were not enough seats for students with disabilities. We have finally righted this wrong, adding 700 seats to meet the needs of our families, and of our youngest learners.

When we meet our students’ needs, school becomes a place that they are excited to go to every day. For this reason, we have transformed 80 cafeterias in our schools into new, modern places that emphasize choice. These cafeteria enhancements will increase student participation in school meals and encourage healthier eating, so that our students have a place to nourish not just their minds, but their bodies, too.

In addition to our students’ health, their safety has been top of mind for me this year. Project Pivot brought together 144 partner organizations and schools in support of our most at-risk students. I am happy to report that since the program launched last fall, we have received positive feedback from our schools and have seen improvements in a number of safety measures.

Our city has also led the way as our schools have opened their doors to 18,000 students in temporary housing since last July. Through Project Open Arms, we provided over $110 million dollars to schools to ensure that they had the support they needed to welcome our newest New Yorkers. When faced with difficult challenges, our school communities stepped up and were exemplars to other districts across the country as they quickly made critical adjustments to support and welcome new students. I’m tremendously grateful to all the staff and families who showed such inspiring generosity in opening their arms wide for these families. You showed just what makes New York City such a special place.

As we look towards the 2023-24 school year, I know that the best is yet to come. I hope that you and your children have a great summer and are able to take advantage of the many amazing things that our city has to offer. Thank you for choosing New York City Public Schools, and for being true partners in your child’s education. I look forward to seeing you all in September.

Week of June 26, 2023: Update for Families on the School Year 2023-24 Calendar

American Sign Language (video)

The 2023-24 school year will begin for students on September 7, 2023. You can view and download printable files of the calendar for the full 2023-24 school year in multiple languages at schools.nyc.gov/calendar. Here’s some important information for the coming school year:

• On days when school buildings are closed due to severe weather or other emergency conditions, all students and families should plan to participate in remote learning.

• Under New York State law, public holidays (also referred to as legal or federal holidays) that fall on a Saturday are not observed on a weekday; where such holidays fall on a Sunday, they will be observed on the following Monday. Per New York City Public Schools’ policy, when non-public holidays fall on a weekend, schools remain open on the weekdays immediately preceding or following that holiday.

The following are non-public holidays observed by New York City Public Schools: Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Election Day, Diwali, the day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve, Lunar New Year, Good Friday, Eid al-Fitr, Passover (first two days), and Eid al-Adha. 

This year, schools will remain open on the weekdays immediately preceding or following the holidays noted below, which fall on weekends during the 2023-24 school year:

• Rosh Hashanah (Saturday–Sunday, September 16–17)
• Veteran’s Day (Saturday, November 11)
• Diwali (Sunday, November 12)
• Lunar New Year (Saturday, February 10)

Please reach out to your school with any questions about the school calendar.

To help our families and school communities with future planning, we’re pleased to be sharing the approved calendars for an additional two school years: the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years.

Week of June 12, 2023: Update for Families on Summer Rising 2023 and Summer Meals

American Sign Language (video)

Summer Rising Enrollment

We are happy to say that approximately 94,000 students have been matched with a Summer Rising seat so far, with the remainder set aside for students required to attend summer academic instruction. A select number of seats may become available over the coming weeks. Enrollment for these open seats will be broken into two stages.

Stage 1 (existing applicants):

An initial list of Summer Rising sites with available seats along with the corresponding Community Based Organization (CBO) contact information will be available at nyc.gov/SummerRising beginning Friday, June 16. Placement priority for these seats are as follows:

• Priority 1: Siblings that were placed in a different program or did not get a seat
• Priority 2: Students connected to the CBO and school
• Priority 3: All other students

Families for whom a seat becomes available will be contacted directly about stage 1 by CBOs via the email they provided during the initial enrollment period beginning June 16.

Stage 2:

Any available seats following stage 1 will be posted on nyc.gov/SummerRising on Friday, June 23.

• For families who did not apply to Summer Rising in April NYCPS will reopen the enrollment portal (available through nyc.gov/SummerRising) for sites with availability on Friday, June 23.
• Families will be able to apply for the remaining seats.
• CBOs will inform families of their acceptance to a CBO/Summer Rising program and the necessary forms for enrollment.

If you have any questions, please reach out to your student's school, Summer Rising CBO, or email summer@schools.nyc.gov for assistance.

Summer Meals Begins June 28

Summer Meals service begins Wednesday, June 28! NYC Public Schools’ Summer Meals program provides free, nutritious breakfast and lunch meals to anyone ages 18 years and under throughout New York City. Meals will be available at designated public schools, community pool centers, parks, and food trucks. No registration, documentation, or ID is necessary.

Important Dates

• The Summer Meals program runs June 28 through September 1, 2023
• Select locations will be open Wednesday, June 28 (Eid al-Adha). All citywide locations are open for service Thursday, June 29, 2023.
• There will be no Summer Meals service on Tuesday, July 4, 2023 (Fourth of July)

Please visit schools.nyc.gov/summermeals to learn more and for all the latest information.

June 9, 2023: Remote School Day

We hope you are staying safe and appreciate your ongoing flexibility as we respond to the air-quality issues.

For schools serving 3K, Pre-K, K-5, 6-8, K-12, and D75:

As previously planned, tomorrow is a Clerical Day and a regularly scheduled non-attendance day for students in these schools.

For schools serving grades 9-12 and 6-12 in Districts 1-32 and 79:

Students in these schools were scheduled to attend school in-person on June 9; we are instead shifting to remote instruction.

Students have been assigned devices by their schools to use for remote instruction. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your child’s teacher or principal.

Families with children in NYCPS affiliated early childhood programs will be receiving guidance from the Division of Early Childhood Education and individual providers.

While the Air Quality Health Advisory remains in effect, all New Yorkers should limit outdoor activities and stay inside when possible. Information on air quality is available here: https://www.dec.ny.gov/cfmx/extapps/aqi/aqi_forecast.cfm

We continue to collaborate with the city’s emergency response and health agencies on the air-quality situation and will provide updates as necessary.

Week of April 3, 2023: Update for Families on Summer Rising 2023

Summer Rising 2023: Kindergarten Through Grade 8

Summer Rising Overview

A partnership between the New York City Department of Education (DOE) and the Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD), Summer Rising will connect elementary and middle school students to fun, culturally relevant, and hands-on experiences that strengthen their academic, social, and emotional skills. Programming will include academics led by DOE staff and enrichment activities led by DYCD Community Based Organizations (CBOs).

Summer Rising is free and open to any NYC student currently in kindergarten through grade 8. Families can apply at nyc.gov/SummerRising between April 17 and May 1. This year’s enrollment process will prioritize students mandated for summer school for academic reasons, Students in Temporary Housing and Students in Foster Care, students in 12-month Individualized Education Program (IEP) settings, and students with a local connection to the school-year CBO program or school community.

The program will begin July 5, and will run Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. during the months of July and August. Students will be provided with free breakfast, lunch, and snack. Summer Rising will run for six weeks for all students, with a seventh week of enrichment for students in grades K–5. Learn more at nyc.gov/SummerRising.

How to Apply

Beginning on April 17, you can submit a Summer Rising application to enroll your child at nyc.gov/SummerRising. The application will ask for your student’s nine-digit ID number, which you can get from your school if you do not know it.

Families can list up to 12 program options in their application, and should rank as many programs as possible to increase the likelihood of being placed in a program of their choice. They can choose any program or summer location option presented in the application portal.

Unlike last year, this process is not first-come, first-served. Families can apply at any point within the application window (April 17–May 1). Approximately one week after the final application deadline, families will receive an email confirming their placement in a Summer Rising program, pending seat availability.

If you have questions or need support with the application, please contact your school’s parent coordinator or email summer@schools.nyc.gov.

Students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and 504 Plans

12-month / Extended School Year (ESY) programs: Students attending 12-month / Extended School Year (ESY) special class or ASD Nest or Horizon programs will receive the program and services recommended on their IEP at an Extended School Year (ESY), District 75, or ASD Summer Program site. Families who wish to participate in IEP programming and extended-day CBO-led enrichment through Summer Rising (which runs until 6 p.m.), should use the application portal. These families will have priority for seats in Summer Rising and will choose from the CBO program(s) operating in connection with their IEP program.

If a family does not want extended day enrichment for their child, and their child will only be participating in ASD programming (until 12 p.m.) or D75/ESY programming (until 2:30 p.m.), the family should contact their child's school instead of using the application portal.

Accommodations: Students who require supports, such as a paraprofessional or nurse, to participate in Summer Rising will receive them based on their individual needs.

NYC School Survey Deadline Extended

If you have not already completed your NYC School Survey, you now have until April 20 to do so! Just go to NYCSchoolSurvey.org or log onto your NYC Schools Account (NYCSA) at schoolsaccount.nyc to submit your feedback and help school leaders make your child’s school a better place to learn.

February 8, 2023: A Message to Families about the COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate

Per the Mayor’s announcement on Monday, the New York City Board of Health is expected to make changes to the City’s current vaccination requirements this week. Specifically, as of February 10, 2023, NYC Department of Education (DOE) staff and other individuals in DOE schools and buildings – including visitors and family members – would no longer be required to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19. This means that COVID-19 vaccination would be optional for DOE staff and others who work in DOE buildings, as well as for volunteers at school-led functions such as field trips and others participating in activities in school buildings.

Schools will continue to provide masks and have COVID-19 tests available for distribution for students and staff. These tests can be used by students, staff, and family members for testing due to symptoms, in case of known exposure, or for testing after participation in high-risk activity (such as travel and large gatherings).

As a reminder, staying up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccinations is still the best tool we have to fight COVID-19 and to keep our schools safe for all our students. Children aged 6 months and older are eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Updated bivalent COVID-19 vaccine boosters are now available for people aged 6 months and older. We encourage all those eligible to receive these boosters. If your child is eligible but not yet vaccinated or boosted against COVID-19, please take the opportunity to make an appointment at cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/stay-up-to-date.html for more information on COVID-19 vaccination schedules. To stay up to date with our current covid information please visit here: schools.nyc.gov/school-life/health-and-wellness/covid-information

To protect against COVID-19 and other viruses, and in alignment with the recent health department advisory, we strongly recommend that everyone wear a mask at all times when in a crowded, public indoor space, including at school; practice frequent handwashing; and cover their mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing.

Additional information about this change is included below.

Thank you for your continued partnership.

Will parent-teacher conferences be in-person?

Parent-teacher conferences will continue to be conducted remotely, though Parents and caregivers may always request in-person conferences at a mutually agreeable date and time.

Does this mean non-vaccinated parents can enter schools again? Attend PSAL games?

Yes, this means non-vaccinated parents and community members can enter schools and attend Public School Athletic League (PSAL) games and other activities that take place in school buildings.

How does this affect PSAL and other sports activities at schools?

As announced in September 2022, students are no longer required to be fully vaccinated to participate in high-risk sports or extracurricular activities.

Week of January 9, 2023: A Message to Families about Education Council Elections from Chancellor David C. Banks