Principal's Weekly Letters 3/28/25
Principal's weekly letter 3/28/25
Dear Families,
The 2025 NYC School Survey is officially open. Every year Students, Parents and Teachers fill out the survey. Currently we only have 8% of families who have filled out the survey. The survey provides valuable information on what we are doing well at IS230 and what we can do to improve. You can fill out a paper version of the survey or you can do it online. Last year we had 44% of parents complete the 2023-24 survey. Our hope is to improve that number this year. If you need help filling out the survey please contact Mr. Salazar our parent coordinatorFor more information please see the letter that was sent home and emailed to all families on March 3rd. The deadline for filling out the survey is April 4, 2025.
March is Women’s History Month! This month serves as a time to honor the achievements and contributions made by women throughout the history of the United States and in our communities. On March 27th (Main Building) and 28th (Annex), we celebrated the women who have dedicated their lives to education as teachers, mentors, caregivers, and leaders in their community. Students were given the opportunity to write cards expressing their appreciation for the women staff at I.S. 230 who have positively impacted their lives!
On April 1st we will be recognizing and celebrating International Transgender Visibility Day. I.S. 230 will be hosting an event to celebrate our transgender community within the school and to bring awareness to preferred pronouns and why they matter. Informational tables will be set up outside the student cafeteria in both buildings to provide students with knowledge regarding gender identity terminology as well as stickers to wear as allies or with preferred pronouns. We are very excited to continue this new tradition at our school! This event is voluntary to attend.
From April 1st until April 11th we will be conducting our Spring Food and Supplies Drive in conjunction with the River Fund. You can donate canned food, socks for men, women, and children, baby wipes, and toiletries near the entrance of the cafeteria or at the Main Office . You will receive a maximum of one hour of community service for donating any combination of three items. We will be accepting donations from April 1st-11th from 7:30-7:50a.m. Did you know that every student at IS 230Q needs an average of 5 community service hours every marking period? Do you need community service hours? Would you like to help others throughout NYC to end this school year? Are you willing to help others in need? If so, then you are strongly encouraged to donate to the drive.
We are in our 4th week of our March Madness Attendance Initiative. Research shows that students who attend school regularly have been shown to achieve at higher levels than students who do not have regular attendance. Every day that a student arrives at school on time will receive a raffle ticket to be eligible to win a prize each week. The weekly prizes range from Dunkin Donut Gift Cards to Family Four Pack of Movie Tickets. The grand prize on each grade level is a $100 Amazon gift card. To be eligible for the grand prize students must be on time 100% and have zero absences for the Month of March.
The application for NYC Public Schools Spring Break STEM Camp/Program K- 8 is now open. Please share with as many students/families as possible. It's free and there are some really unique places that the kids have an opportunity to learn from.
https://spep.libguides.com/STEMprograms/homesprng
Grades 6–8: • The program will run from July 2 to August 8, 2025, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Students will be provided with free breakfast and lunch. Programming will include academics led by NYCPS staL and enrichment activities held by DYCD Community Based Organizations (CBOs).
Summer Rising MySchools Application The application will open on March 4, and close March 28, 2025. As in 2024, families can apply for Summer Rising online using MySchools, our online directory and application system. To apply, log in to MySchools.nyc (if you already have a MySchools account you do not need to create a new one). Your MySchools account, used for admissions, is diLerent from the NYC Schools Account (NYCSA) that you may use to access your child’s health forms and update emergency contact information.
A PTA donation letter was sent home with the students. We are currently asking for your help in donating time and/or money. There is no monetary amount and parents are free to donate whatever they are able to do so. You can bring your donations to the main office located in the main/annex building and place them in the PTA donation box or you can make a deposit.
You can donate in 2 ways:
- Hand deliver a donation to the main office of both buildings, with the envelope addressed to the PTA.
- Or you can mail in a donation to the school @ IS 230Q, Attn: PTA, 73-10 34th Ave, Jackson Heights, NY 11372
If submitting a check donation, please make it payable to: Magnet School for Civics in the Community. Thank you for your time, dedication and investment to I.S. 230Q.
Emergency Preparedness
No drills were completed this week.
Teen Mental Health
NYC Teenspace, an innovative online therapy platform tailored to provide accessible and confidential mental health support for NYC teenagers aged 13-17. This program is funded by the NYC Health Department, powered by Talkspace. NYC Teenspace offers a safe space for teens to connect with licensed therapists through convenient digital channels such as messaging, video sessions, and live chats. The platform aims to empower adolescents, providing them with a platform to discuss their concerns, navigate challenges, and strengthen their mental wellness. To learn more about the program please read the parent we sent home on November 6, 2024, our website and or www.talkspace.com/nyc
April CRSE Corner
Autism Acceptance Month is a time dedicated to coming together in unity by fostering community support and sharing stories to create a world where all people with autism are fully seen. We focus on building our understanding, providing support, and celebrating accomplishments of people with Autism. Events will be held in the Main and Annex buildings during lunch periods throughout the month.
https://www.autismspeaks.org/world-autism-month
Restorative Practices
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 MorningSide Cultural Affirming Wheel as our framework. To learn more about Restorative Practices and Morningside, please visit the link below.
htpps://www.morningsidecenter.org/
Important Upcoming Dates
March 31, 2025- School Closed- Eid al-Fitr
April 1, 2025- Start of our Spring Food and Supply Drive
April 1, 2025- International Transgender Day of Celebration
April 4, 2025- SLT meeting @ 7:20 a.m
We look forward to improving communication and relationships here at IS230.
Please visit our website www.is230.org and our Social Media Handles to get more information and sign up for E-Chalk Notification.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Mr. Ajith Satyanarayana
