• Abbe's Letter


  • .
    THE BUZZ...

    Dear Families,

     

    My heart goes out to those affected by the extreme weather conditions and the earthquake! I hope you and yours are safe and sound. Please keep us informed if your child has experienced a traumatic event or loss so we can arrange some additional support.

     

    We got off to a great start last week with just a few tearful goodbyes and many, many smiling faces. Overall, I think it was a very smooth opening for children and families!

     

    This is the time when the entire school is focused on establishing clear structures and routines for being together as a community. From where to keep one’s things to “good listening” or cleaning up after oneself, rules and routines are what make school run smoothly. Once internalized, these structures are hard to notice and look "easy." When routines are not carefully established, classrooms appear chaotic and children feel off-balance. I invite you to consider some of the routines you have at home-- for bedtime or bath, or nightly reading-- to see if you have designed predictable structures for your child to work within. As children grow, their routines and responsibilities must be adjusted. Please come to Monday’s “Have a Great Day!: Smooth Transitions and Relaxed Routines” for much more on this!

     

    Important: BLUE FOLDER Back-to-School Paperwork

    Each student receives a blue folder of IMPORTANT Back-To-School forms that need to be returned by September 15. These forms must be completed each year. Sending your forms back on time is GREATLY appreciated by teachers and office staff. We will be sending home a paper School Day Calendar with school closures and early dismissals to post in your home. Please return completed forms to your classroom teacher in the blue folders.

     

    One of these forms is the Lunch Application. Even though school lunch this year is FREE for all students, all families MUST complete a Lunch Form application. The income data on these forms is used to calculate school funding (so don’t exaggerate;). Families will receive a hard copy, but it easy to complete online here instead (https://www.myschoolapps.com). You will need your child’s birth date. Child’s ID# is not required. If you receive SNAP benefits, you do not need to complete the lunch form.

     

    I am pleased to announce a fantastic opportunity for learning and thinking together. Join me for an open exploration into issues of diversity and difference. Explore the importance of diversity for the education of children. Consider the challenges and rewards of being a parent in a diverse community. The Diversity & Difference Study Group is an opportunity for dialogue with other parents and Abbe on this important topic. We are pleased to welcome Cecelia Traugh, Dean of Bank Street College, as facilitator. We will meet 9/29, 10/27, 12/1 from 8:45 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. RSVP

     

    All for now! 

    Love, Abbe

    Posted Sep 11, 2017, 3:02 AM by Abbe Futterman
  • .

    THE BUZZ.....

    September 4, 2017

    Dear Families,

    It’s already Back to School!! The staff and I are looking forward to seeing everyone wearing their “first-day faces” bright and early on Thursday morning. This September marks The Earth School’s 25th year of welcoming children and families to the first day of school!! We will be celebrating The Earth School’s big birthday with special events scheduled throughout the year.

    We expect that during the first few weeks, some of our youngest students will be sad and fearful about separating from their families. Extra staff will be on hand to help calm nerves and ease the separation. Shirley, our Guidance Counselor, is also available to help support children as they get used to their classrooms and school. We have found that young children benefit from a more gradual transition to the school year. Thursday will a half day for Kindergarten students. Dismissal is at 11:55 a.m. Pre-Kindergartners are on a visiting schedule (see attached). Friday is a full day for Kindergarten through Grade 5. Pre-Ks will have a half day dismissal at 11:55 a.m. Next week, everyone is on a full day schedule.

    There are lots of activities to help the year get off to a great start. Pre-K, K, and all new families are encouraged to join us in the 2nd floor library on Friday, 9/8, at 8:40 a.m. for an Orientation to the Earth School followed by tours of the Fifth Street Farm, our incredible rooftop garden. On Monday, Shirley will lead an interactive workshop, "Have a Great Day: Tips for Smooth Transitions and Relaxed Routines," also in the library. We hope you can attend.

    A great resource for getting to know us is the Parent Handbook, available on our website. This document contains lots of important information about how The Earth School works.

    Important: BLUE FOLDER Back-to-School Paperwork

    Each student will receive a blue folder of IMPORTANT Back-To-School forms that need to be returned by September 15. These forms must be completed each year. Sending your forms back on time is GREATLY appreciated by teachers and office staff. We will be sending home a paper School Day Calendar with school closures and early dismissals to post in your home. Please return completed forms to your classroom teacher in the blue folders.

    One of these forms is the Lunch Application. Whether or not your child eats school lunch, all families MUST complete a Lunch Form application. The income data on these forms is used to calculate school funding (so don’t exaggerate;). All families will receive a hard copy, but you can complete it online instead at https://www.myschoolapps.com. You will need your child’s birth date, but it is NOT required to enter the school ID number. Only one form needs to be completed per family. The DOE sends us weekly updates showing who has completed theirs. If you receive SNAP benefits, you do not need to complete the lunch form.

    All for now!

    Love, Abbe

    Posted Sep 3, 2017, 1:01 PM by Stevie Remsberg
  • .

    Summer BUZZ ...

    July 2017

    Dear Earth School Students and Families,

    I begin by sending out a warm welcome to our new students and families! I know everyone is excited to hear about the class placements. The teachers and I worked long and hard to create the class groupings for the 2017 - 2018 school year. We aimed to place each child in a class with some old and some new friends and to make groups that will best support children’s social and academic development. Whether you are just starting your Earth School journey or you have been around for a while, the teachers, staff, and I are here to help you to get settled and to begin finding friendships in your new classes.

    Most Earth School teachers will be back in the fall, but we do have a few changes:

    As many of you have already heard, we have made the decision to separate our Pre-K and K classes due to budgetary and regulatory constraints. We are pleased with our creative solution to “loop” teachers with their students from Pre-K to K. This means that, after next year, Pre-K children will “move up” to K with their same teachers and classmates. After K, teachers will return to Pre-K to begin the cycle again.

    I am happy to announce that we will now have a full-time physical education program that we call “Creative Movement.” We are working to hire Coach Vince as our certified coach and hope that Coach Frankie will continue as a guest coach.

    This year, Tim will be teaching Kindergarten with Jennifer Townsend. Did you know that Tim taught Pre-K and K for many years before starting the cooking program??!! Shonelle Cooper-Caplan is returning and is expecting a new baby! Shonelle will get our Cooking program up and running later in the year.

    Rebecca and Suzanne are co-teaching Grade 1/2 in Room 138. Kimberly and Vanessa will be co-teaching Grade 1/2 in Room 141. Thuan continues in Room 136; Gikeno in Room 137. I am happy to welcome Shannon Gershow back from her maternity leave. Shannon and Emily will be co-teaching Grade 3 in Room 143. Donna and Linda will co-teach Grade 3 in Room 142.

    We are pleased to welcome Shavanne Williams-Robinson as our new speech therapist as we say farewell Kaaren Elliot who is joining the staff at another District 1 school. We are saying a sad goodbye to Daniel Fields, a paraprofessional who worked in Kimberly’s class. We wish him well in his new position.

    There is plenty more to be excited about, but I will let you get back to your summer vacation. Be safe. Have fun. See you soon.

    Love,

    Abbe

     

    Posted Sep 1, 2017, 1:25 PM by Stevie Remsberg
Showing posts 1 - 3 of 11. View more »



This Week

Mon, Sept 11. Full day for all: 8:30 a.m. – 2:50 p.m.

Mon, Sept 11, 8:40 - 9:30 a.m. Have a Great Day: Smooth Transitions and Relaxed Routines. Library, 2nd Floor. Guidance Counselor Shirley Suares will lead this collaborative workshop for parents. All grades welcome!!

Thurs, Sept 14, 3:30 – 5:30 p.m. School Leadership Team (“SLT”) Meeting, Room 114

Agenda: Updates; PA Report; By Laws Review; SLT Roles; Diversity Initiative. All welcome!

Fri, Sept 15. Blue Folder Back-to-School Forms DUE!!!

Looking Ahead

Sept 19, 8:30 – 9:30 a.m. First Parents Association Meeting of the year, Library

Sept 21 - 22. School closed for Rosh Hashanah

Sept 28, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. Classroom Kick-Off for parents (Open School/Curriculum Night)

Sept 29. Half Day for Professional Development. Dismissal 11:55 a.m.

Oct 6, 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Fall Potluck Picnic, East River Park. Families welcome!!

Opportunities

Join the Sixth Street Community Center’s Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)! Eat more organic fruits and veggies while supporting local farming. Sixth Street offers a “fall only” share for Earth School families. For more info, stop by Sixth Street Community Center or see attached.

 

Girls on the Run is a 10-week running program that promotes self-awareness, healthy relationships, and inner strengths for girls in Grades 3 - 5. See attached flyer attached.

Back to School Basics

Arrival School opens at 7:45 a.m. We do not have supervision before that. The Earth School entrance on 5th Street and Ave B opens just before 8:00 a.m. Students entering earlier must use the 6th Street entrance and proceed to the cafeteria where an Earth School staff member (Carmen Nieves) will supervise them. For safety, caregivers should escort young children who arrive before 8:00 a.m. down to Carmen in the cafeteria. Families are always welcome to stay.

 

Morning Gym and Library The Gym (Grades 1 - 5) and Library (Pre-K - Gr 5) are available for children and families beginning at 8:00 a.m. Children in the cafeteria will be released to go to the library or gym beginning at 8:00 a.m. Children are escorted to their classrooms at 8:25 a.m. Children may not wait outside of classrooms before 8:25 a.m. without their caregiver.

 

ID Cards All visitors are required to show a picture ID and to sign-in to enter the building. Parents, caregivers, and those who regularly pick-up should request an Earth School ID Card for quicker entry. To request an ID, email a selfie, your name, and your child's name to Stevie@winkink.com .

 

Earth School Entrance Caregivers should enter and exit through the 5th Street Entrance and pick up at the classroom door. In order to maintain our "classroom door" drop-off and pick-up access, we ask that you use the 5th Street Entrance which is open for us at arrival and dismissal times. 

 

Class starts at 8:30 a.m. Any child who enters class after 8:35 a.m. is required to get a late pass from the office. The attendance is scanned first thing in the morning so children who do not get late passes are marked absent for the day and their lunches are not be ordered. 

Dismissal is at 2:50 p.m. Children who are not picked up will be taken to late pick-up in the cafeteria. If you must be late, please call the office. The office staff is very busy after school so we appreciate that you do your best to be on time.

 

Door Alarms There are door alarms and video cameras at all building exits. Everyone must enter and exit through doors with a posted Safety Agents: 6th Street Entrance at all times; 5th Street "Earth School" entrance at arrival and dismissal ONLY. People who exit through unguarded doors will set off loud alarms that require a staff to turn it off. 


https://sites.google.com/a/theearthschool.org/theearthschool/fall-fair-2013
Make Your Family Contribution!
Click the button below. Thank you!
welcome-new-families
Class Pages

Promoting Diversity & Social Justice
Sixth Street Community Center’s Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

Statement on Accessibility: We are working to make this website easier to access for people with disabilities, and will follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0. If you need assistance with a particular page or document on our current site, please contact Abbe Futterman to request assistance.