January Family Newsletter

HAPPY NEW YEAR! WELCOME TO JANUARY 2024!!!

Happy January! I am going to start the 2024 year off with THANKS! Thank you to our wonderful parents that made the holiday season a special one for Busy Bees! They were all buzzing with excitement before the break! A special and huge THANK YOU to our PTA Treasurer, Ms. Q, for organizing holiday treats and pictures with Santa for our Bees! She had three different backdrops that students can take pictures with. She alongside with our PTA parents and board help a Holiday Pop Up Shop! Thank you to all that supported our PTA Events! 

On December 15th, you should have received a progress report for your child(ren) in Grades K to 5. Later this month and early in February, promotion in doubt letters will be going out. These letters will be based on a holistic review of the student's progress in English Language Arts and Math using multiple measures. Below you will find the reading chart indicates where your child should be. Please know that with the NYC Reads initiative, the city will be moving towards Lexile Levels. We will update the chart below to reflect the changes and send home to you so that you can track your child's progress. 

For those that came to Real Talk on December 15th, you learned of the strides that we are making with our students in reading. In December of 2022, only 39% of our K to 5 students were reading on or above reading level. This December 2023, we have 47% of our students reading on or above grade level. We have a goal of 65% of our K to 5 students to be reading on or above reading level by the end of the school year. 

New York State Test Preparation. We have been preparing our students for the NYS ELA and Math exams taking place in April and May. Starting this month and until the state exams, we will be continuing that support through in school and afterschool test prep. Teachers in grades 3 to 5 will be hosting TWO test prep seminars for families. One will be before the Mid-Winter Recess and the other will be in March.

IREADY: K to 5 students will be sharpening their skills through iReady testing this month for their middle of year performance. Once the scores are out, we will share with families as well as hold a parent seminar on what it all means to focus in on next steps. The workshop will also focus on what you can do with your child at home to support their next steps. 

Our Data Story is as follows: 

• On the New York State ELA exam, we went from 19% proficiency in the 21/22 school year to 33% proficiency in the 22/23 school year. 
• On the New York State Math exam, we went from 15% proficiency in the 21/22 school year to 34% proficiency in the 22/23 school year
• We are continuing to make strides on the southside. 

STEAM After School Program.  We have the opportunity to partner with the Allen Youth STEAM Program to run an afterschool program for our students in Grades 1 to 5. Seating is limited! There is a cap of 15 students for each grade level. There is a first come, first served policy and preference will be given to students who ARE NOT in SQPA. Students are to be picked up promptly at 4:30 pm on the days of the program. Please see the letter for more information about the program. To sign up, see post on ClassDojo. 

Banana Splits SEL Program. We will be starting a a program that addresses the students in our school that are in single parent households. We recognize that social emotional health and mental health get in the way of academics, and we want to support our students with this. Be on the lookout for a flyer and a consent form for your child to participate. 

GAMA. Starting in January, we will be using GAMA to push certain notifications out to you in addition to ClassDojo and the school website. Our staff will be contacting you to verify/confirm your email addresses. You can update your email addresses on your own by going to your MySchools account. 

Uniforms. We are a uniform school. Please ensure that your child wears uniforms Mondays through Thursdays. Beginning in January, there will be a major focus on students wearing their uniform. Please reach out to Ms. Tomblin, our Parent Coordinator, to get uniforms if you are in need. Please know that failure to wear uniform is a violation in the NYC Discipline Code Book. More information is found below. 

Attendance. It is very important that your child attends school on a daily. Attendance is connected to promotion as not being present causes learning loss. If your child has a doctor's appointment in the morning, they may still come to school after the appointment. They will be marked late, but they will not lose out on the whole day's instruction and be considered present. In December, we hosted our first ever AttenDANCE Party. This party recognizes and celebrates our students who have perfect attendance. Families are welcomed to come with their children. Its a fun time filled with food, drinks, music, and more.

Please be sure to know that the building opens at 7:30 am each weekday morning, and so whether they want breakfast or not, it is greatly advisable that students come inside rather than waiting in the schoolyard in frigid and/or inclement. 

Birthday Celebrations. Please ensure that you are using the Birthday Celebrations Form so that teachers have notice of your child's birthday. Please contact our Parent Coordinator, Ms. Tomblin, for more information as well as visit our Birthday Policies on our website. 

Communication. At this time, you should be signed up for ClassDojo. It is how we communicate schoolwide information.