On Friday, May 4 PS 154 will celebrate Earth Day with our annual Earth Day Parade.  Many classes will make things for the parade that morning during First Friday (check with your teacher).  All classes will meet in the school yard at 2:40PM to march around the block in celebration, returning to the school yard for 3:00PM dismissal.  Parents and families are welcome to join us for the parade!

Clarification: EMPTY Water Bottles

The garden committee will be working with the kids on project to help the trees in the yard.  As part of this, they need 16 oz  (or there abouts) EMPTY plastic water bottles.  If you have some at home, please drop them off with Diana.

Thanks!

Dear 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th Grade Parents,

Since we are in the mist of testing, we would like to remind you that the test schools are typically available on the ARIS system over the summer.  If you do not know the login and password for your child on ARIS, please contact  Diana Plunkett via email (click name) or 718 768 0057 x2 or stop by her office.

First, the plea – so far only 43% of our parents have completed the school survey.  TODAY IS THE LAST DAY! Please take a moment to fill in the survey, here.

You will need your survey access code,  located on the bottom right-hand corner of the paper survey in a green envelope. If you cannot find your paper survey, please call the Survey Hotline at 1-800-690-8603.  They are fast and efficient and can get you the code quickly!

And now, the good news – Our school was one of the projects that won the vote in Brad Lander’s participatory budgeting process.  We will get $50,000 to purchase new laptops for our classrooms.  Thanks to all who voted and encouraged friends and neighbors to do so!

More good news – In the month of March, our school used 23.75% LESS electricity as part of the Green Cup Challenge.  Stay tuned later this month to see where that puts us in the final results.  Thanks to the Green Team, Parent Volunteers and Custodial Staff for supporting this effort, and to everyone in the school for turning off and unplugging!

Thanks, and enjoy the break!

Vote for our schools!

(see voting locations below)

Thursday March 29 – Coffee Break in the MMR – 8- 8:30AM.

Please join the PTA in the MMR for coffee and bagels.  Learn what a huge difference the PTA makes for our school, and how easy it is to get involved and volunteer.  Nominations for the PTA board will be in April.  MANY positions are still available and without volunteers our PTA run programs will no longer exist.  Look forward to seeing you there, and helping you figure out where best to get involved!

Chess Tournament – Volunteer Needed!

We hope to have our 4^th annual chess tournament here at PS 154 in early May.  Diana Plunkett has been organizing this for the last 3 years, and need someone else to take over this year.  It is really easy, Diana everything documented about what needs to happen, and will be happy to assist someone new taking over the reins of this great event for our chess loving children!  If you can help, please contact Diana Plunkett, or phone 718 768 0057 x2.

Music Concert Schedule

All of our children will be performing in a music concert that is the culmination of the Music Program.

• Monday, April 2nd, in-class concerts for Pre-K and K (teachers will notify parents of time)
• Tuesday, April 3rd, 9:00 AM in the MMR: 2nd grade
• Tuesday, April 3rd, 6:30 PM in the MMR: 4th and 5th grades; students to arrive in the lunchroom at 6:00pm, dressed for the concert
• Wednesday, April 4th, 9:00 AM in the MMR: 1st grade
• Wednesday, April 4th, 6:30 PM in the MMR: 3rd grade; students to arrive in the lunchroom at 6:00pm, dressed for the concert

Please note that all 1st – 5th grade children should dress in white tops and dark pants or skirts. 

School Survey – Parent Response so far =6%

Everyone who promised at Parent Teacher Conferences they would do it online, or bring it back in, please do so!  If you have a child at another school, we still need you to answer for PS154.

The survey is here.

You will need your survey access code to take the School Survey online. Your 8 digit survey access code is located on the bottom right-hand corner of the paper survey that has been provided to you by your child’s school in a green envelope. If you cannot find your paper survey, please call the Survey Hotline at 1-800-690-8603.

This is an important opportunity to let the school and the DOE know what you think. Please take a moment to fill out this survey – online, or on paper, whatever works for you!

Computer’s Wish List – GOAL: $2,035 – Still Need $273.95

Ms. Pattison needs help to pay for the subscriptions to resources she uses in her computer classes with the kids (World Book Package and Brain Pop School Use Version).  Please keep the contributions coming so we can meet our goal!  Make checks payable to PS 154, and give to Diana Plunkett. 

Children are welcome in the garden – but no digging!

Our seedlings will be moved to the garden next week.  The garden committee of parent volunteers will be putting all the dirt back in to those beds that have been completely dug up, but we need to make sure that digging stops.  If your child wants to visit the garden while in the yard after school, please supervise.  Help us make our garden grow.

School Survey: The NYC School Survey for Parents is the only input parents have in school ratings.  This is an important opportunity to let the school and the DOE know what you think. Less than half of PS154 parents filled this out last year.  We can do better than this.  Surveys were given out at Parent Teacher Conferences (and in the backpacks for anyone who did not get it then).  Please take a moment NOW to fill out this survey – online, or on paper, whatever works for you!

Computer’s Wish List – GOAL: $2, 035

Ms. Pattison needs help to pay for the subscriptions to resources she uses in her computer classes with the kids (World Book Package and Brain Pop School Use Version).  At Parent Teacher Conferences, we started collecting for this.  Thanks to the generous contributions, we received $761.05 – 37% in one day!  Please keep the contributions coming so we can meet our goal!  Make checks payable to PS 154, and give to Diana Plunkett. 

Park Slope St. Patrick’s Day Parade: Our After School is marching in the parade, and everyone is invited to march with them.  If you and your child would like to march, please meet at 11^th Street and Prospect Park West at 12:00noon.

Correction: The calendar in the March Newsletter listed the incorrect date for the next 2^nd – 5^th Armory Visit. The next visit is April 3.

City Councilman Brad Lander’s office has implemented a participatory budgeting program for the spending of one million dollars.  We have applied for technology for use in our 1st, 3rd, and 4th grades.  Our proposal will be on display at the Participatory Budgeting Expo on March 14 at the Park Slope Armory and voting will take place on March 31 and April 1 at the Windsor Terrace Library.  Note it is a joint proposal with PS 130.  See Details in the flyer (has both Spanish & English).

March First Friday – Seed Starting

The Garden Committee is organizing a seed starting event for March First Friday (March 2).  Join in with your child to plant seeds for our garden!  (Check with your teacher to confirm if other plans were made for your class.)

The Garden Committee welcomes parents to help work with teachers in getting students to the garden. To be part of the Garden Committee contact marianmarinovich@yahoo.com, sharonmatz83@gmail.com or evabrooklyn@aol.com…no gardening experience needed!

PS 154 has joined the GreenCup Challenge!

Winning school gets $25,000! Schools who take the Challenge will work to reduce their electricity consumption over a period of four weeks (March 2 – March 30).  Learn more about the Challenge here.

As we focus on energy reduction, we will also take the opportunity to learn about electricity.  In the first week of March, every class will have a lesson on electricity – using UFO balls, squishy dough circuits and Kill-a-Watt meters.  We’ll set up a demo of these lessons, with information on how to conserve energy at home, during Parent Teacher conferences (March 13 15).  Be sure to stop by and see what we are doing!

Working together to make every school year great for every child.

Donate. Volunteer. Participate.

Come to the PTA General Meeting on Wednesday, February 15th at 6pm to hear about how the PTA works to make a difference in every PS 154 child’s life.

Click to download the PTA In Our Words presentation.

We look forward to seeing you there!