Dear Earth School Families,

Yesterday was a day our country took pause to honor the work and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Over the course of MLK weekend, countless media outlets and internet sites posted Dr. King’s speeches, writings, and interviews, and as much as some of them chose to focus on Dr. King as a figure of history, it is difficult to escape the relevance of his work to the experiences of our current times. One reads his explanation of why he has traveled to Birmingham, in his Letter from A Birmingham Jail: 

“...I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial “outside agitator” idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds.”   

It can be disheartening to consider all the ways in which contemporary events in our world speak to the blindness powerful people can have to the “inescapable network of mutuality.” 

But I am grateful to be part of the Earth School community, where students, families and staff recognize the interrelatedness of humanity and see the ongoing need to bring justice to bear when biases and bigotry would relegate so many to “outsider” status. I see it in everything from our littlest Earthlings' using their voices to make sure a new student is included in recess play, to the work of our Kids 4 LGBT Rights group, and in the discussions and work of our parent groups. It is heartening, too, to see so many--children and adults alike--commit themselves to advancing justice and equity despite knowing that the road is long and the path is a difficult one, for it is only through such commitment that we will see progress and change towards a more just world.     

Best, 

Claudia

Dear Earth School Families,

Heading into our second full week back from winter break, and I’m hoping you all had a relaxing weekend. Many thanks to our PA for hosting Movie Night on Friday!  It was wonderful to see so many families come out and enjoy some food and film together.  

This Tuesday, the PA is having a morning and evening PA Meeting to accommodate a wider range of parent schedules. See “This Week,” below, for more details on times/locations. The evening meeting will be in collaboration with the Representation Team, which will be having a coordinating meeting.  

The PA’s Annual Appeal will be winding down this month, and we are so appreciative to everyone who has been able to contribute by donating or passing along the information to others. If you’d still like to contribute by giving to the Appeal or sharing the information with others who might be interested in giving, the information is available on our school website. 

A safety note about morning drop-off: as I noted in last week’s Buzz, double-parking limits visibility for pedestrians (especially our littlest pedestrians). Additionally, the precinct police reached out to me on Friday to advise families that police have taken note that some vehicles park for extended periods of time on 6th Street, and they are going to start issuing tickets. Please park elsewhere if you plan to be in the building for more than a few minutes. 

Many parents inquired about the police presence at the southeast entrance Tompkins Square Park last Thursday, and we thought it would be helpful to share with you all the information we learned from the police. Police were present at different points around the perimeter of the park to manage re-routing of traffic due to an incident that occurred in the middle of the night at a business on the west side of the park (the police maintained a heavier presence on the southwest corner of the park, closer to where the incident occurred).  We reached out to the police precinct Thursday morning, and they reassured us that the park and its play areas were open and accessible to all, as the incident did not directly involve the park in any way. 

Pre-K Families: A reminder that all Pre-K families must complete an application by January 21st for Kindergarten, per the DOE requirement for Kindergarten admissions. (See last week’s Buzz for some tips.) 

Parent Corps continues tomorrow (8:30-10:00, Room 106)! All are welcome to come and talk with other parents about parenting challenges and strategies, and enjoy coffee and some breakfast goodies. Hosted by our Guidance Counselor, Shirley. 

Have a lovely week! 

Best, 

Claudia

Dear Earth School Families,

Happy New Year to you all!  We hope you had an enjoyable, relaxing, and healthy winter recess. Thanks to everyone who contributed to our Food Drive and Coat Drive in December, and to those of you contributed to the Parent Association’s Annual Appeal by donating or passing along the information to others. If you’d still like to contribute by giving to the Annual Appeal or sharing the information with others who might be interested in giving, the information is still available on our school website. 

The PA is also hosting its first Movie Night, this Friday, Jan. 10th, in the Auditorium. From the PA’s latest email: 

Please come to see “My Neighbor Totoro” January 10th (doors open at 5 , showtime is at 6PM). Food & drinks will be available for sale so come hungry!!

Check out the trailer here: https://youtu.be/BLt_Ou34v94

Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for kids (3 and under are free). Please, don't let a lack of funds stand in your way- no one will be turned away!!

We will gladly accept donations of homemade or restaurant donated food. Please label with ingredients and remember -- say no to peanuts :-)

All of the proceeds directly support our amazing children's programming. Come have fun and watch a movie that will have you smiling for days.

Pre-K Families: A reminder that all Pre-K families must complete an application by January 21st for Kindergarten, per the DOE requirement for Kindergarten admissions. Here are a few tips that Jocelyn shared in an email to Pre-K families: link to get you all set up:

• If you want your child to return to Earth School for Kindergarten make sure you put Earth School as your 1st choice.
• If your child has a sibling in our 1st -5th grade make sure you include that siblings student ID (email Jocelyn@theearthschool.org for info)
• Submit your application for K before the January 21st deadline to avoid internet “traffic” to the site on the day of the deadline. 
• If you do not plan on joining us again for K please let Jocelyn know.
• Contact Jocelyn if you'd like assistance in completing the online application: https://www.myschools.nyc/en/ 

Parent Corps continues tomorrow (8:30-10:00, Room 106)! All are welcome to come and talk with other parents about parenting challenges and strategies, and enjoy coffee and some breakfast goodies. Hosted by our Guidance Counselor, Shirley. 

January is a busy month for our teachers! After months of observations and assessments, it is time for them to write narrative report cards about each child. Though the workload is intense, the burden is outweighed by the value of the close, individual attention paid to each child. At The Earth School, we believe that knowing children well is the key to teaching them well. Though many families are not used to “narrative report cards," we hope that reading them provides a window into the work that teachers do to get "inside" the thinking of young learners. The narrative reports will be sent home the first week of February. Please understand that teachers may be less available than usual for parent meetings and communications during this time. 

A friendly reminder that double-parking during morning arrival limits visibility for pedestrians and other drivers (this is particularly true on 6th street, where busses also need to unload). Please help keep morning arrival as safe as possible by parking elsewhere if you plan to be in the building for an extended period of time during morning arrival.  

Best, 

Claudia