Principal's Weekly letter 10/31/24
Dear Families,
Today we celebrated Halloween here at IS230. It was great to see so many IS230 Community members dress up and showcase their Halloween Spirit. Please visit our Social Media pages for pictures over the next few days. Tonight, members of our IS230 Band will be participating in the Jackson Heights Halloween Parade, so please come out and show your support.
Congratulations to all the students who sat for the SHSAT on Wednesday, October 30th. We are super proud of you for challenging yourself and we look forward to seeing where you go for the next step of your educational journey.
Reminding 8th grade families, the High School Application process opened up on October 1st. The high school application process is an exciting and daunting time. The High School application process is completed online via your NYC My school's Account by our 8th grade student’s parents/guardians. It is very important that you take the time to navigate the website and application process. We will be here to support you during this process via Parent workshops and setting up individual appointments with your 8th grade Guidance Counselor Mr. Gellard, but ultimately it is the responsibility of the families to complete the application process.
The month of October is Drug Prevention Awareness Month. Throughout the month, students have been volunteering their time to prepare for this year’s National Red Ribbon Week Campaign, taking place on October 23-31. The Red Ribbon symbolizes a commitment to a healthy, drug-free lifestyle. During this time, a pledge to a drug-free life will be recited during the announcements to promote a safe, healthy, and supportive school environment. Students will also be learning about the importance of Red Ribbon Week/Drug Abuse Prevention in their homerooms. This year, October 24th is designated as a nationwide “Wear Red Day.” Red Ribbon Events will be held on October 24th in the Annex and October 29th in the Main building. During these events, students will have the opportunity to make the Red Ribbon Pledge to show their commitment against drug use by making a written statement. Students are encouraged to decorate their statements and ribbons and add them to a banner which will be displayed in the school throughout the year. I.S. 230 hopes to give students a strong foundation to build a fulfilled life and discourage them from ever second-guessing their decision on drugs, alcohol, gangs, and other roadblocks when confronted with them at any point in their life.
Please see the link below to watch a short video and learn more about Red Ribbon Week and why it is so important.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_39-3VcYcE
The first week of November is jam packed with exciting events at IS230:
On November 5th our school is closed for Election Day.
On November 6th our school will hold elections for our 2024-2025 Student Government Association.
On November 7, 2024, New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) is dedicated to ensuring that every student can learn uninterrupted, including during disruptions caused by building closures. To accomplish this goal, we want to make sure that our students and staff are prepared for successful remote learning. NYCPS has developed a practice plan to support and improve schools' readiness in the event a transition to remote learning is necessary. District 30 has been selected to participate in this technology readiness activity on November 7, 2024.
What does that mean for your child?
- Your child will still come to school.
- The teachers will assign a remote homework task for students to complete at home. Please ensure your child completes the digital activity at home on the above date.
- If your child does not have access to either a personal internet-enabled device or a NYCPS-issued device at home, be sure to reach out to your school to request a device.
On Friday, November 8th in the Annex we will hold our Junior Achievement Day or J.A Day. Junior Achievement has over 100 local JA Areas across the nation, and together they are the nation's largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their futures, and make smart academic and economic choices. In the New York area, they delivered economic education and empowerment programs to NYC, Long Island, and Lower Hudson Valley students.
JA New York volunteers will spend the day in your classroom with your children, teaching a grade-appropriate economic education program. Students will work with volunteers on hands-on activities about financial literacy, career readiness, and entrepreneurship. All JA programs correlate with New York State and Common Core Standards for math, social studies, and language arts.
Emergency Preparedness
We held one fire drill this week and met our Fall fire drill requirements. We are planning on holding more fire drills in the Spring.
Restorative Practices / CRSE Corner
I am excited to announce a new project that we hope that all of our families will participate in. In preparation for our November CRSE celebration we are creating an I.S. 230 Recipe Book with students and families. The purpose of the recipe book is to celebrate our diversity here at IS230 and what a better way than through food. We hope to sell the recipe book to our school community and hopefully donate any profits to a cause within our Jackson Heights community (TBD). To submit a recipe please see the links below:
English Recipe Submission Form: https://forms.gle/ZT6Yond89e6Q2FLe7
Spanish Recipe Submission Form: https://forms.gle/hLJ9XYRYvboRWJUX9
One of our newest and biggest initiatives this year is rolling out Homeroom. Homeroom will take place from 8:00 to 8:20 a.m. every morning. Homeroom is mandatory and part of your child’s school day. The purpose of Homeroom is to provide a space for our staff and students to take attendance, conduct announcements and most importantly an opportunity to connect with their peers in a meaningful way before starting the day. We are utilizing the Morning Side Cultural Affirming Wheel as our framework. To learn more about Restorative Practices and Morningside, please visit the link below.
https://www.morningsidecenter.org/
Important Upcoming Dates
November 1, 2024- School Closed in Celebration of Diwali
November 5, 2024- School Closed for Election Day
November 6, 2024- Student Government Elections during Homeroom
November 7, 2024- Pivot to Remote Homework Assignment
November 8, 2024- SLT meeting @ 7:20 am in the Main Library
November 8, 2024- J.A Day Annex
We look forward to improving communication and relationships here at IS230.
Please visit our website www.is230.org to get more information and sign up for E-Chalk Notification.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Mr. Ajith Satyanarayana
