P.S. 242- The Young Diplomats Magnet Academy

COFFEE/TEA BREAK WITH MRS. D & MRS. ELLMAN: 

  

 Middle School Admissions.pdf  

DATE: JANUARY 20, 2022

TIME: 9:30AM 

TOWN HALL WITH MRS. D: 

  

Topic: A discussion with our Principal and Assistant Principal regarding school updates.

 Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82786995794?pwd=UlZ5RFRiZnBlcUhkYVcwOHpsWU1vQT09

Meeting ID: 827 8699 5794

Passcode: 544120

SPIRIT DAY: PAJAMA DAY! 

DATE: JANUARY 28, 2022 

 

 

The health and safety of our students, educators, and staff is our top priority as the city continues to combat the COVID-19 pandemic while safely ensuring schools stay open. 

Our in-school surveillance testing program is ramping up to include both unvaccinated students and vaccinated students, as well as staff. The test is easy, quick, and safe. We encourage all families, regardless of whether their young person is vaccinated, to consent to in-school testing at schoolsaccount.nyc or return a signed consent form to their school.

People of all ages can get COVID-19. Getting children vaccinated protects them, and also helps protect others, such as grandparents and relatives who have a medical condition that increases their risk for severe COVID-19. It even helps people in your community, since being vaccinated helps stop the spread of the virus. Vaccination is our most effective tool against the virus and our best opportunity to end the pandemic.

Find a vaccine site near you at nyc.gov/vaccinefinder or by calling 877-VAX4-NYC.

NYCDOE UPDATE: Fire Safety for Families

This week our city suffered one of the worst fire disasters in recent history, when an apartment building on East 181st Street was engulfed in a 5-alarm fire early Sunday afternoon. This utterly heartbreaking tragedy took away the lives of friends, family members, and neighbors—many of them young people with their entire futures ahead of them. Now is the time for compassion and community, and as an agency, we stand ready to assist. We extend our compassion and support to the students and staff members who lost someone they loved.

The DOE will have counselors and social workers on hand at every school impacted by this tragedy. For any students who relocate, the DOE will assist with reassignments and new bus routes. Our schools are ready to help families during this challenging time. The FDNY has fire safety resources for families available at www.FDNYSmart.org. Please share this resource with your school community, along with this short public service announcement reminding them to Close the Door when evacuating from a fire (also available in multiple languages).

ReqUest a Fire Safety Education Presentation for Your School

The Fire Department of New York (FDNY) Fire Safety Education Program aims to continually educate youth and families with critical life saving strategies that focus on fire prevention. Classroom presentations can be coordinated  and consists of: 

• Age appropriate curriculum that educate youth on general residential fire safety topics through videos/activities which stress the importance of calling 911, Importance of having an testing working Smoke/CO Alarms, Planning/Practicing an escape plan, Stop/Drop/Roll/Cool/Call and much more;
• Giveaways for students i.e. plastic fire helmets and coloring books;
• Class Presentations range from 30-45 mins

To request a Fire Safety Educator for your school please complete the registration form by visiting https://www.fdnysmart.org/safety/

NYCDOE UPDATE: Health and Safety Policy Updates as of January 3, 2022

The following updates were made in partnership with our City and State public health colleagues and are based on federal and scientific guidance.

Home Test Kits

• Beginning January 3, schools will distribute free, take-home COVID-19 rapid test kits to any student or staff who exhibit COVID-like symptoms or have been in a classroom where a positive case has been identified.
• If your child was exposed to COVID-19 at school, please help your child take the first test on the day they receive the home test and help your child take the second test five days after exposure or at the first indication of symptoms.
  • Your child may continue to attend school as long as your child receives negative test results and does not experience any symptoms of COVID-19.
  • If your child has COVID-like symptoms or feels ill before the fifth day, please have your child isolate and take the second home test immediately.
  • If your child tests positive on either home test, your child must isolate for 10 days following the first positive result. Please contact your child’s school immediately to inform them and for further guidance.
• If your child had symptoms of COVID-19 at school, please help your child take the first test immediately and help your child take the second test 24 hours later.
  • Your child may not attend school until they receive negative results on both of these home tests taken within 24 hours of each other and have been fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication OR if your child receives a negative test result from a PCR COVID test.
  • If your child tests positive on either home test, your child must isolate for 10 days following the first positive result. Please contact your child’s school immediately and report the test results.
• Any student who tests positive on a take-home test should immediately report it to the school and begin isolating. Students who test positive must isolate for 10 days and can return to school on Day 11. No negative test is required to return to school.
• As a reminder, all students, staff and visitors must pass the DOE health screener in order to enter school buildings. Additional questions will be added to the health screeners for those students and staff who receive at-home rapid test kits to share their negative result. No other proof of a negative result is required in order for these students to enter the school building.

New Quarantine Policy

Our goal is to ensure that students safely remain in school as much as possible, and we have updated our policies to ensure we meet this goal. This means that if there is a positive case in a classroom:

• For students in kindergarten through grade 12, unvaccinated or not yet fully-vaccinated students who were in close proximity to a positive case will no longer have to quarantine and will continue attending school if they do not have symptoms and do not have a positive test result from a COVID test. Instead, all students and adults in that classroom will receive a take-home rapid test kit and take two tests over the course of five days.
• For students in 3-K and Pre-K, the quarantine policy will remain the same, meaning that any 3-K or pre-K student who was in close proximity to a positive case will still have to quarantine for 10 days.

Increased In-School Surveillance Testing

To further ensure the safety of our students, families, and staff, the in-school surveillance testing program is expanding to double the number of individuals tested in each school, including both vaccinated and unvaccinated students, in grades 1 and up. The random in-school surveillance program continues to provide public health experts with an accurate look at the prevalence of COVID-19 in schools. We encourage all families who have not yet submitted consent, regardless of whether their child is vaccinated, to consent to in-school testing through their NYC Schools Account (schoolsaccount.nyc) or return a signed paper form to the school. Additional information on testing for students and the printable version of the consent form in multiple languages can be found on the New York City Department of Education (DOE) website: schools.nyc.gov/covidtesting

Testing is a critical part of keeping schools open and communities safe. Thank you to those families who have already consented to testing, and for your cooperation by participating in our in-school testing program!

COVID-19 Testing Sites

• The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) continues to open new testing sites throughout the five boroughs. We strongly encourage that all students get tested for COVID-19, through a PCR, lab-based rapid test, or a home test kit on a continuous basis, regardless of vaccination status. For a list of testing sites, including sites with at-home rapid tests, call 212-COVID19, visit nyc.gov/covidtest, text "COVID TEST" to 855-48, or call 311 to find a nearby testing site.
• Additionally, many pharmacies and doctors’ offices are offering COVID-19 testing. Please check with your pediatrician’s office or local pharmacy to see if you can schedule a test.

We know that nothing is more important to you than keeping your children in school, learning in healthy and safe environments. The changes we are announcing today aim to keep students in our classrooms with the least amount of disruption as possible, while putting their safety front and center.

We will continue to update you as the situation changes and hear your feedback on these updated policies and procedures. We thank you in advance for partnering with us to keep our children and staff safe in school.

Family Letter January 3 2022 -- English

Family Letter January 3 2022 -- Spanish 

Family Letter January 3 2022 -- Chinese 

Family Letter January 3 2022 -- Bangla

Family Letter January 3 2022 -- Russian

Family Letter January 3 2022 -- Urdu

Family Letter January 3 2022 -- Arabic

Family Letter January 3 2022 -- Haitian 

Family Letter January 3 2022 -- Korean

Family Letter January 3 2022 -- French

American Sign Language (video)

NYCDOE UPDATE: Family Guidance for Remote Learning

When New York City Department of Education schools transition to short-term remote learning, families, and caregivers play an even more critical role in supporting their student's learning and social-emotional wellness. The Family Guidance for Remote Learning resource contains tips for how you can best support your child's engagement, minimize stress and anxiety about remote learning, as well as additional resources to help you plan ahead to meet your child’s educational and social-emotional needs in the event your child is engaging in short term remote learning. 

NYCDOE UPDATE: INCLUDE NYC Virtual Fair

Saturday, January 29, 2022

9:00 AM - 1:00 PM

The INCLUDEnyc Fair is New York City’s largest annual fair for young people with disabilities, where families can meet with summer camps, year-round, afterschool, weekend, arts, sports, and recreational programs. Register here and check out the flyer in English and Spanish.

The 2022 INCLUDEnyc Fair will be presented virtually on January 29th from 9am to 1pm EST!

INCLUDEnyc will be hosting the event on Airmeet’s virtual platform, which will allow families to connect via chat (text, video and/or audio) with services and programs that support young people with disabilities, all from the convenience of their own homes.

After registering, you'll be able to explore the available information and opportunities, and participate in group and 1-on-1 text-based, audio, or video chats with representatives from participating organizations.  Get your questions answered and cultivate new opportunities for your child or student. You can also network with other attendees! 

NYCDOE UPDATE: Parent Association (PA)/Parent Teacher Association (PTA) Interim Financial Report 

 In accordance with Chancellor's Regulation A-660 an Interim PA/PTA Financial Report must be prepared by the PA/PTA and submitted to the principal by January 31 of each school year. 

Have you begun to collect your PA/PTA Financial information to complete the Interim Report?

Interim and Annual PA/PTA Financial Report templates are available at https://www.schools.nyc.gov/get-involved/families/parent-associations

PA/PTAs are responsible for distributing copies of the Interim and Annual PA/PTA Financial Reports to all members. For questions, contact your family leadership coordinator.

UPDATE: US Surgeon General Advisory on Youth Mental Health

A Surgeon General’s Advisory is a public statement that calls the American people’s attention to an urgent public health issue and provides recommendations for how it should be addressed. Advisories are reserved for significant public health challenges that need tHe nation’s immediate awareness and action.

This Advisory offers recommendations for supporting the mental health of children, adolescents, and young adults. While many of these recommendations apply to most individuals, the reality is that people have varying degrees of control over their circumstances. As a result, not all recommendations will be feasible for everyone.

That’s why systemic change is essential. The Advisory includes essential recommendations for the institutions that surround young people and shape their day-to-day lives—schools, community organizations, health care systems, technology companies, media, funders and foundations, employers, and government. They all have an important role to play in supporting the mental health of children and youth.

For additional background and to read other Surgeon General’s Advisories, visit SurgeonGeneral.gov.

UPDATE: Get EXTRA Time Off to Take your Kids to Get the Vaccine

If you are a working parent or legal guardian of kids aged 5-18 or older, you get NYC Dedicated Sick Leave for Child Vaccination!

 NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) recently expanded its NYC Paid Safe and Sick Leave Law to provide workers with ADDITIONAL leave to use to get their kids vaccinated against COVID-19. Workers get 4 additional hours of sick leave for:

• EACH child; AND
• EACH vaccine injection.

 Dedicated sick leave for child vaccinations is in addition to accrued leave under State or City Paid Sick Leave laws.

 Effective dates of dedicated sick leave for child vaccination are 11/2/2021 through 12/31/2022. Workers can ask their employers to credit their sick leave balance if they took their child to get the vaccine before the new law went into effect on 12/24/2021.

 To learn more about sick leave, including special leave for the COVID-19 vaccine, or to file a workplace complaint, visit nyc.gov/workers.

 Reminder: Employer retaliation is illegal and DCWP treats all information received as confidential. Employers CANNOT retaliate against workers for requesting or using safe and sick leave. To learn more about the Law or to file a complaint, visit nyc.gov/workers. You can remain anonymous. You have rights regardless of immigration status.  

NYCDOE UPDATE: Middle School Admissions Updates

The DOE will continue to pause screening (using students’ academic records in admissions) for students entering middle school in fall 2022. If middle school programs have more applicants than seats, offers will continue to be made using admissions priorities and random selection––learn more about how admissions works.

NEW! Auditions 

This year, arts-based middle school programs will resume holding auditions and make offers based on these auditions. Learn more, including the required components for specific programs, on the Middle School Auditions page.

NEW! Sibling Priority

We are excited to announce that, starting with Fall 2022 admissions, the DOE will phase in a sibling priority for middle school applicants citywide. This means:

• This year, students entering middle school in fall 2022 who have a sibling in sixth grade during the 2021-2022 school year have a priority to attend the same school as that sibling if they apply to it.
• Next year, students entering middle school in fall 2023 who have a sibling in sixth or seventh grade during the 2022-2023 school year will have a priority to attend the same school as that sibling if they apply to it.

This priority includes any full-siblings, half-siblings, step-siblings, and/or foster siblings who live in the same household as the applicant.

• Applicants will keep the same priority to attend their sixth-grade sibling’s school whether you list it first or last on their application. When submitting your child's middle school application, you will be asked if the applicant has a sibling in sixth grade at a DOE middle school. If the answer is yes, you will be prompted to provide the sibling’s name and school. This information will then be verified with the middle school. 
• Select programs that are admitting students through the audition or language: criteria admissions methods would not have a sibling priority, as those programs have distinct criteria for admission.
• Remember to list programs on your child's application in your true order of preference. For instance, if you list your child's sibling’s school second and the applicant does not get into their first-choice school, they will still have a priority to attend their sibling’s school. 

NEW! Multiples Priority

If you have more than one child the same age applying to middle school (ie., twins), you may choose to submit identical applications for both children so they receive an offer to the same program:

• If you have more than one middle school applicant connected to your MySchools account and want them to attend the same program, you only need to add choices to one application. Before submitting that application, you will be asked by MySchools if you'd like to add the same application choices to the other child’s (or children’s) application(s). 
• If you include an audition or language: criteria program on your children's identical applications, and only one child is accepted to that program, then the children may receive separate offers.

NYCDOE UPDATE: High School Admissions Updates

The high school application will open the week of January 24, 2022, and close during the week of February 28. 

• In response to feedback from community leaders, families, and schools, borough- and zone-based admissions priorities will remain in place this year. This means that some high school programs will continue to prioritize zoned applicants and/or applicants who live or currently attend middle school in a specific borough. District-based admissions priorities were eliminated last year and will continue to not be used in high school admissions.
• For high school programs that screen applicants, multiple measures will be used to evaluate students this year. These measures will include submissions of work samples from last year, such as essays or reports, and first-semester grades from this school year.
• Right now, families of current eighth grade students (and interested ninth grade students) can get ready by creating a MySchools.nyc account, exploring program options, and saving favorite programs.
• Learn more at schools.nyc.gov/High.

NYCDOE UPDATE: The Kindergarten Application is Open!

From now through January 18, 2022, all NYC families with children born in 2017 can apply to kindergarten by submitting an application. We encourage all families with children of this age to apply: NYC DOE kindergarten programs welcome and serve all children, including students with disabilities, English Language Learners, and students with accessibility needs. Even families of current pre-K students need to apply to participate in kindergarten admissions. 

There is no advantage to applying early: all applications received by the deadline will be treated the same, and all families who apply by January 18 will receive a kindergarten offer this spring. 

Apply to kindergarten one of the following ways:

• Online with MySchools.nyc –– Recommended! Create a MySchools account to explore school options, save favorite programs, apply, and later get your child's offer. Watch the following tutorials to learn:
  • How to create a MySchools account
  • How to apply using MySchools
• By phone at 718-935-2009
• In-person at a Family Welcome Center (schools.nyc.gov/FWC)

Learn morE about how to apply and how students get offers at schools.nyc.gov/Kindergarten, which features a video playlist on elementary admissions. We also welcome families to attend a virtual event about kindergarten, pre-K, and 3-K admissions this winter––find dates, times, and information on how to join at schools.nyc.gov/ESEvents

NYCDOE UPDATE: Mindfulness on Parent University - New Time!

Mindfulness is emerging in public education based on 60 years of teachers, parents, and families discovering and utilizing these strategies of stress management, attentional focus, awareness, acceptance, and self-regulation to: 

• Stay with & realize solutions to personal and public challenges and changes 
• Increase one's capacity to notice and appreciate life in ways that support resilience 
• Support joyful learning and growth 
• Develop critical thinking skills

New time! Join us each Tuesday and Thursday at 8pm as we build community and harness the power of self-care and self-healing through the discovery of the conscious breath, meditation, and movement.

Click here to enroll on Parent University (or search the course catalog under the “Health & Wellness” category)

NYCDOE UPDATE: Reinforcing Social Emotional Learning Skills at Home

Free Webinar on Social Emotional Learning: Reinforcing Social Emotional Skills in the Home Presented by the Child Mind Institute

This Beyond Access Session will be held on Tuesday, January 18th, from 7:30pm to 8:30pm.

Learn easy-to-use tips and strategies for how to create a positive home environment where your children are validated in their emotional experiences and given the tools to cope effectively through times of anxiety or stress. Learn simple ways to incorporate social-emotional learning into daily activities such as reading, playing with siblings and friends, and even during homework time. Also, learn more about how attending to your mental health needs makes it possible to attend to those of your children in a more meaningful and effective way. 

This event will be in English with Spanish and Mandarin interpretations available. 

• To Join Spanish Line, Call: +1 347-966-4114 
• Phone Conference ID=510423105 
• To Join Mandarin Line, Call: +1 347-966-4114 
• Phone Conference ID=636969746 

Use this link to Register and this link to Join the event!

NYCDOE UPDATE: “The Impact of Identity, Story and Community” WEBINAR

FACE, in partnership with Perception Strategies, invites CCECs to a webinar on implicit bias. In Part 1 of the series we will discuss the impact of identity, story, and community. CCECs are diverse entities, bringing together people from different backgrounds, identities, and lived experiences. This diversity of perspective and experience will allow you to think more deeply about the work you do and bring more ideas to the table to create something greater.

Date: January 24, 2022

Time: 6pm

Click here to enroll on Parent University (or search the course catalog under the “Parent Leadership” category) 

NYCDOE UPDATE: “21st Century Skills in a Digital World” WEBINAR

The Manhattan Transition and College Access Center (TCAC) welcomes families of students with disabilities to a training on the importance of mastering 21st century skills in a digital world. In this webinar families will learn about communication, problem solving and digital citizenship.

Date: January 27, 2022

Time: 5:30pm

Click here to enroll on Parent University (or search the course catalog under the “Special Education” category) 

UPDATE: In Praise of Learning Differences: Focusing on Strengths and Abilities

Free Talk with Dr. Ned Hallowell, Founder of The Hallowell ADHD Centers

Tue, Jan 18, 2022, 5:00 PM EST

Changing our mindset about learning differences opens up a world of possibilities for our kids. Just ask New York Times-bestselling author Dr. Edward Hallowell, who transformed the way we see ADHD, recharacterizing the trait from being a challenge to a superpower.

At this free Speaker Series talk Dr. Hallowell will share how parents can help kids with ADHD, dyslexia and other syndromes harness their strengths; identify and celebrate their kid’s talents; tap the transformative power of a creative outlet for their child; and understand the latest brain science behind ADHD/ADD.

Learn more and register here!

UPDATE: NY Psychotherapy and Counseling Center Parent Cafe

Suicide Prevention

Wednesday, February 16, at 5:00 PM

Join on Zoom

Meeting ID: 929 9171 8653

Passcode: 916260

NYPCC's Outreach team has a long history of working directly with the communities that we serve. As many in-person events and workshops have moved to a virtual setting NYPCC developed our Cafe series. These bi-monthly Cafes are a virtual discussion group where industry leaders present topics that are relevant to the community's mental health, share tips to manage mental health, and share resources. 

The 2022 Cafe's will focus exclusively on topics that are relevant to parents, guardians, and families within our community. To learn more about the upcoming Cafe's please visit www.nypcc.org/events. If you would like to watch previous Cafes you can find video links at nypcc.org/caring-for-the-community/community-outreach

UPDATE: Supporting Your Community Through Effective Partnership and Volunteer Engagement

NYC Service is proud to announce the toolkit, “Supporting Your Community Through Effective Partnerships & Volunteer Engagement” is now available! This toolkit is designed for non-profits, community-based organizations, mutual aid networks, and other entities managing volunteers that are interested in maximizing their impact utilizing partnerships and volunteers to address the city’s greatest needs. It will guide your organization to be more inclusive and more effectively engage target audiences, whether those are new potential partners or volunteer groups.

Whether you use the toolkit in its entirety or focus only on the sections that will benefit your organization the most, we invite you to join our 3-part training series where we will dive more deeply into specific sections! We will be reviewing content, sharing best practices, and also allow attendees to network with other organizational leaders to share their experiences. 

RESOURCE: City’s First Readers presents “Storytime Around the World”

Looking for free and fun kids reading activities in Spanish, Russian, Bengali, Tibetan, French,

Hindi, Urdu and more? Enjoy these stories in a variety of languages with the City's First Readers Storytime Around the World Playlist. Start reading with your child today!

Check out the Storytime playlist and preview here!

RESOURCE: VACCINES FOR EVERYONE AGES 5 AND UP

Vaccine Details for Children Ages 5 -11

People of all ages can get COVID-19. While COVID-19 is more dangerous for adults, children are still vulnerable. With more contagious variants of the virus, more young people are getting COVID-19 and being hospitalized. Some people also have long-lasting health problems after having COVID-19, such as difficulty breathing, muscle and joint pain, headaches and tiredness.

 Getting children vaccinated also helps protect others, such as grandparents and relatives who have a medical condition that increases their risk for severe COVID-19. It even helps people in your community, since being vaccinated helps stop the spread of the virus. 

The Pfizer vaccine is now approved and available for children 5-11 years old in NYC

• Children aged 5-17 must get Pfizer. It is the only FDA/CDC vaccine approved for children.  
• The Pfizer vaccine is 2 doses, given 21 days apart, to be fully vaccinated 
• The vaccine went through rigorous research, trials, and evaluation and is safe, free, and easily accessible in NYC.  
• Everyone aged 5+ should get vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as possible 
• Even if a child (or their parent) had COVID-19, they should still get the vaccine because it helps protect them against infection, severe illness, or death from COVID-19.  
• For more information about vaccines and children, families can go to nyc.gov/covidvaccine and see this FAQ.
• Parents or guardians can call 212-COVID19 (212-268-4319) with questions about the vaccine  

• People should also talk to their health care provider with concerns or questions specific to their own medical situation.  

 Vaccine Access:  

• Find a vaccine site near you at nyc.gov/vaccinefinder or by calling 877-VAX4-NYC 
  • You can search “Pfizer 5-11” under vaccine type for a site that administers to this age group 
• City-run vaccine sites offer vaccines for children aged 5+ 
  • For City-run sites, including H+H hospitals, appointments and walk-ins will be honored. 
• The City is working to ensure that health care providers, including pediatricians and pharmacies, across the City have access to vaccine supply for children. Check with your doctor, local pharmacy or nyc.gov/vaccinefinder.

Consent: 

• Children must have a parent or guardian's consent to get the vaccine. Children 5-15 y/o must be accompanied by an adult when they receive the vaccine, and if the child is accompanied by an adult who is not the parent or guardian, written consent or verbal consent by phone from the parent or guardian must be obtained at the time of vaccination.
  • For specific questions about school vaccinations, please discuss with your child's school

Incentives: 

• The $100 individual incentive is available to children who get vaccinated. Children may use a parent's email address to redeem their visa gift card.
• Organizations participating in the $100 Vaccine Referral Bonus program (including PAs/PTAs) are also able to get the $100 incentive per child they refer to get vaccinated. See more information at nyc.gov/vaccineincentive 

Resources:

• YouTube: Videos from NYC Health in ten languages
• Parent University: Live and pre-recorded classes on Covid-19 Vaccines. The courses are taught by experts from the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), and include updates about COVID-19 vaccines, as well as live question-and-answer sessions. 
• NYCDOE website: Health and Safety in Our Schools