Week of 9-9-24

Dear 236 Families,

We've wrapped up our first full week of school, which was filled with memorable events.

"Back to School Night" last evening was a delightful occasion, allowing us to interact face-to-face rather than through a screen. It must have been a pleasure to visit the classroom and see where your child engages in learning. Should you need a private conversation with a teacher, don't hesitate to schedule an appointment.

This morning, we celebrated our annual Pre-K and Kindergarten Clap-In. Observing the warm reception given by families and older students to our newest school members was heartwarming. I trust it's an experience they will cherish forever.

A few reminders:

Early pickups conclude at 1:45 pm. After this time, you'll need to wait until the regular dismissal. For minimal disruption, please collect your child either 15 minutes before or after their lunchtime, and inform the teacher beforehand to ensure readiness and optimal timing. This practice guarantees continuous supervision.

For any academic inquiries or concerns, please consult your child's teacher initially, as they are most familiar with your child's educational experience.

With the current weather, please dress your child appropriately for the weather; coats are unnecessary, but sneakers are advisable to prevent injuries.

Also, remember to label your child's belongings to avoid mix-ups, as our lost and found is already accumulating items.

Wishing everyone a fantastic weekend. The Jets are set to face the Titans in Tennessee, and I am  optimistic about a victory. Go Jets! Meanwhile, The Mets have a crucial series against the Phillies, and we're hopeful for some wins. Let's go Mets!

Sincerely,

 Mr. Paingankar

Important Information Regarding the Middle School Application

October 9: Middle School Applications Open in MySchools

Explore middle school options in MySchools directory. 

Save programs of interest by clicking the stars next to their school names. 

Visit the Middle School Information page (opens in a new window) to learn more about virtual information sessions, how students get offers, your application choices, seats and demand, priority groups, etc. 

School Open Houses

We encourage all 4th and 5th Grade students  to visit our middle schools and check out all your middle school options.

Print out a copy and save the dates:

D22 Middle School Open Houses Checklist: 2024-2025 (opens in a new window)

October 9 PS/IS 206 Middle School Open House, 5:30 - 7:00 PM

2200 Gravesend Neck Rd. , 718-743-5598, parent coordinator JHom42@schools.nyc.gov 

Cafeteria Offerings Survey

We want to hear from you!

Students and families are asked to provide their feedback regarding cafeteria offerings via this survey (opens in a new window) It is available in all 9 DOE languages.

Note that the survey takes approximately five minutes to complete and will be open until December 13.

Learn more about our menus. (opens in a new window)

We follow the Breakfast Express menu for our grab-n-go and the PreK-8 lunch

Introducing the NYC Bus App the city's new way to track your child's bus rides to and from school (opens in a new window)

PEBT Card replenishment/Important information

P-EBT cards from 2020 have been replenished again.

If you still have your card, check it out.  

To get your P-EBT card number you can call the P-EBT center at 844 673-7328 Monday - Friday 8 am - 5 pm.  

Remember you had to have a child registered in Kindergarten and up during the 2020 school year. 

Health Guidance and Resources for Families — Tips for Staying Healthy (opens in a new window)

1. Stay up to date on all vaccines 

2. Stay Home When Sick 

3. Cover Your Cough 

4. Wash Hands Often 

5. See a Health Care Provider Regularly 

6. Health Insurance 

P.S. 236 has a FREE after-school program housed in the school

The Community Based Organization (CBO) that runs the program is Millennium Development.

The Director of the program is Ms. Stacey Dunn, PS236 Compass Director

The program hours are:

2:20pm - 5:30pm

Monday - Friday

Proper footwear for recess

All students go outside during the school day either for recess or gym.

It is important to make sure your child has proper footwear on everyday.

Please do not send your child in flipflops, sandals without back straps, crocs without back straps,

shoes with heels or boots.   The best footwear is rubber bottom shoes or sneakers.

We want all students to enjoy their time outside safely.

This is the way for you to stay connected to your student’s education and more in the new NYC Schools Account (NYCSA) Portal. 

One sign-in will allow you to:

• See your students grades, test scores and more in My Student

• Take classes in Parent University

• Report bullying

• Access forms for your child

• Reset your child's DOE account password

• If you already have an account, simply click "Forgot My Password" to reset

I understand that many of you have given your child a cellphone or a Smart Watch, especially in grades 4 and 5. I understand that many children go to afterschool programs, take public transportation, or walk home and need to have one for safety and communication. 

After consulting with the School Leadership Team, we have come up with the following cellphone/smart watch policy: 

• Students may wear a Smart watch but may not use it to take pictures or call, text or communicate with anyone including parents during the school day. If your child needs to call you they will go to the main office and we will make the call. 

• Students that have a cellphone must keep their phone in their backpacks for the whole day. They may not bring the cellphone to lunch, walk around hallways or the bathrooms. 

• Students are not allowed to take pictures, videos, post on social media sites, make calls, play games and text during the school day. 

• Students are not allowed to pick up the phone during the school day, even from a parent. If you need to tell your child something please call the school or Parent Square the teacher. 

If a student violates the cellphone policy we will follow are consequences according the NYCDOE Discipline code and implement the following depending on the violation. 

• The teacher will take the phone away and return to the student at the end of the day. The teacher will also notify the parent/guardian. • The teacher will take the phone away and a parent/guardian must pick up the phone. 

• The student will have to give their phone to the main office everyday and pick it up at the end of the day. • The student will be banned from bringing in their device for a period of time depending of the violation. 

Please monitor your child’s phone. Check their browsing history and monitor group chats. Please note that we take all threats/bullying on a device very seriously and will call the police. Together we can ensure the safety of your child. Thank you for your cooperation. If you have any questions please contact Ms. LaBella. alabella@schools.nyc.gov 

Sincerely, 

Mr. Paingankar