It's not too late to complete the 20th Annual NYC School Survey: submit your responses by the deadline this Friday, April 17!
When you share confidential feedback about your child’s experience in our schools with us, you can:
Influence important decisions at your child’s school.
School leaders use survey responses to guide improvements in safety, academics, school climate, communication, and student support for next school year. Your honest feedback highlights what’s working, identifies areas for growth, and has a direct impact on decisions that will affect your child’s experiences at school every day.
Help your school earn Citywide recognition.
We include survey feedback and response rates in our annual School Quality Report Snapshots, which summarize student achievement and the learning environment at your school. Higher response rates help paint a fuller picture of your school community and can even earn your school Citywide recognition: schools with an overall response rate of 85% will earn the NYC School Survey Response Rate Award on their Snapshot and NYC School Survey Report!
Strengthen your school community.
An engaged community is an empowered community! When more families complete the survey, your collective voice becomes stronger and can help drive real, beneficial change. Your responses help schools understand what families and students need and what to prioritize for next year. And because the survey only takes a few minutes, it’s one of the easiest ways to make a meaningful investment in your child’s education.
During Arab American Heritage Month, we're highlighting the stories of individuals who have often been left out of traditional historical records, like Kahlil Gibran, a writer, artist, and philosopher whose words have crossed borders, languages, and generations.
Learn more about Gibran and his most famous work, The Prophet
April marks the 30th anniversary of National Poetry Month! As we celebrate the art of poetry and the many voices that shape it, these reading recommendations for students of all ages highlight poetry collections, novels‑in‑verse, and poetry‑themed picture books that represent a wide range of perspectives. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
Early Readers (3-K–Grade 2)
- C Is for City, by Nikki Grimes; illustrated by Pat Cummings
- Emma’s Poem, by Linda Glaser; illustrated by Claire A. Nivola
- For a Girl Becoming, by Joy Harjo; illustrated by Adriana M. Garcia
- I Talk Like a River, by Jordan Scott
- Kiyoshi's Walk, by Mark Karlins; illustrated by Nicole Wong
- Runny Babbit: A Billy Sook, by Shel Silverstein
Elementary (Grades 3–5)
- In Praise of Mystery, by Ada Limon; illustrated by Peter Sis
- Explosion at the Poem Factory, by Kyle Lukoff; illustrated by Mark Hoffmann
- Exquisite: The Poetry and Life of Gwendolyn Brooks, by Suzanne Slade; illustrated By Cozbi A. Cabrera
- The Gift of the Broken Teacup, by Allan Wolf; illustrated by Jade Orlando
- I Am Kavi, by Thushanti Ponweera
- Land of the Cranes, by Aida Salazar
Middle School (Grades 6–8)
- Alias Anna, by Susan Hood with Greg Dawson
- Beanball, by Gene Fehler
- Brown Girl Dreaming, by Jacqueline Woodson
- Dear Mothman, by Robin Gow
- Please Pay Attention, by Jamie Sumner
- When Clouds Touch Us, by Thanhhà Lại
Upper Grades (Grades 9–12)
- An Appetite for Miracles, by Laekan Zea Kemp
- The Black Flamingo, by Dean Atta
- The Boy Lost in the Maze, by Joseph Coelho; illustrated by Kate Miliner
- King of the Neuro Verse, by Idris Goodwin
- The Poet X, by Elizabeth Acevedo
- Voices in the Air: Poems for Listeners, by Naomi Shihab Nye
You can find these books and many more great reads on Sora, our Citywide Digital Library, which provides free access to thousands of digital e-books and audiobooks for our students. You can also find even more recommendations in the Poetry, Spoken Word, and Novels in Verse Collection on Sora for even more great recommendations.
Missed our previous book recommendations?
Check them out in the "What We're Reading" Archive!
SPOTLIGHT ON OUR SCHOOLS
Last month, NYC Public Schools and Mikva Challenge partnered up to host SoapboxNYC, our annual celebration of youth voice and public speaking for students in grades K–12. Held at the iconic Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan, the event featured outstanding student finalists who courageously stepped on stage to answer the question, "What is the biggest issue facing your community, and what should be done about it?"
Judging from these photos, it's clear that this year's SoapboxNYC will be remembered for years to come! We thank Mikva Challenge for their partnership and ongoing support for our Civics for All initiative!
