PTA Newsletter No. 6 - 12/3/23
Dear BNS Families
We made it to the final month of 2023. Kudos to you all! Thank you to everyone who volunteered their baking skills for the pie fundraiser and the bake sale.
Sincerely,
Your BNS PTA
🌟PTA Meeting Recap & Updates!🌟
Big thanks to everyone who joined us at the latest PTA meeting - hope you loved the treats and coffee as much as we did! Here's the rundown:
Welcome Aboard! 🎉 Let's give a warm welcome to Melissa Wu, Aion's mom, who's joining forces with Merve as our new Social Media Co-Chair. Expect some awesome updates online!
Passing the Torch 🔦 Ani Weinstein, our amazing grant writer/manager, will be moving on as her child graduates. This vital role is up for grabs! Minimal time, maximum impact, and Ani will guide you through it. Interested in making a big difference at BNS? Let us know!
Don't Miss Out! 💌 Our annual appeal has been sent via Konstella and backpack mail. This is our principal source of funding for our kids' programs, so if you haven't seen it yet, please check it out!
Mark Your Calendars The last meeting of 2023 is happening at BNS, in the Health Studio (Room 124) on December 19th at 8:20 AM. Can't wait to see you there!
Our first Movie Night was a great success!
We had around 150 very happy kids and their families, who got to meet each other and see our lovely auditorium and cafeteria :) We ate 30 pizzas and seemingly infinite popcorn kernels! There were even very special Elemental face paint designs! Everyone paid what they wished and we raised around $2000 to help pay for special educational programs at BNS like dance and bikes!
But it was a lot of work! We couldn't have done it without our volunteers, big and small :)
Mark your calendars for our next one (and currently the last one scheduled for this school year, though we may add more) - Friday, January 26! (Please get your tickets EARLY so we can make the proper plans to accommodate you - and pop enough popcorn!!!)
Community Arts Workshop
Learn How to Crochet
Join us on Thursdays Dec 7th, 14th and 21st in Room 102 from 8:20-9:30am to learn how to hand crochet a scarf with local material artist and BNS parent Taryn Urushido. All materials will be provided.
Can’t make it in person? A pre-recorded video will be shared so you and your family can learn at home with simple step-by-step instructions.
Absolutely NO art experience is necessary, just a desire to create and collaborate. Everyone is welcome!
About the BNS Arts Committee:
If you're interested in creating or participating in arts-related programming, please join other passionate families who want to bring more arts enrichment to the school through the PTA.
Created by celebrated crochet artist Taryn (Organ) Urushido (parent of Azusa, 1st grade), and co-led by Mahshad Vakili Hall (parent of Ruby, 2nd grade), the Arts Committee hopes to create events and opportunities for parents and families to participate in the enriching and inspiring art of handmade craft, and bring these life skills back into the home to build meaningful memories and mementos with our children.
The Beloved BNS Calendar is Back!
Back by popular demand: 2024 BNS Calendars featuring student artwork! Makes a great gift!
These calendars are ONLY available here via Konstella for a LIMITED time. Once sales close, we will print a limited run and deliver them home to you via backpack mail before the holiday break. There will be no other sales after this sales page closes, so don't delay! Get yours today!
Last year the PTA paid for each family to receive one for free, and this year we are selling them to raise money for our school programming! You can buy 1 (or more!) for yourself and also purchase additional calendars for our classrooms - they have become a big hit with the teachers and staff! All DOE school closures are listed so no more confusion about school being open or closed! Thank you for supporting our children's education with your purchase!
Link to order for parents and staff members in the school community
Link to order for people not in the school community, e.g. grandparents and neighbors
If you have any questions or would like to volunteer to help send them home before break - please email Elena at elenatatelmt@gmail.com
Picture Day is coming Dec 13 & 14
Please note new dates: Dec 13 & 14
For more information: https://iloveschoolpictures.com/BNS
We need volunteers! To volunteer, email Amelia at amelia@bns146.org
Box Tops for Education
Scan your grocery & shopping receipts to earn money for BNS!
BoxTops for Education donates to BNS when you buy eligible products, which includes Annie's products, Airborne, Cheerios, Háagen-Dazs, Lysol, and Yoplait. Grandparents, aunts & uncles, friends, etc. are also welcome to scan their receipts for BNS!
To participate:
- Download the app
- Search for Brooklyn New School (It's under the name "Public School 146 Brooklyn New Sc")
- Scan your physical receipts or upload digital ones within 2 weeks of purchase
Contact Amy Osekowsky Davis (aosekowsky@) if you have any questions.
BNS Merch Online Shop is Now Open
Open Library After School
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On Tuesdays our library is open for BNS students to visit with their adult 2:30-3:30pm.
Donate to the Annual Appeal
We hope that your school year has been off to a great start, and that from the back-to-school picnic to curriculum nights, Unity Fest, and the monthly farm stands, you’ve found some opportunities to come together with the vibrant community that makes BNS so very special.
We extend a warm welcome to our entire community, inviting you to be a part of something that supports the very essence of BNS, our unique space where our children learn and grow.
As a public school, BNS is funded based on a standard set by the Department of Education. However, that funding is limited, so for years the families of BNS have been coming together to raise the shortfall needed to ensure our teachers’ classrooms are stocked with everything they need, and to fund beloved programs like the Brooklyn Arts Exchange (BAX), Shore School, Earth Skills, 2nd Grade Swim and more - programs that touch our students during their years here at BNS.
The budget to achieve this for the 2023-2024 school year is $225,000. You can see a breakdown of the budget on the following page. This works out to be around $450 of spending per student.
We are asking for every family to consider making a contribution that is comfortable for your family.
It is important to name the value of all donations: if 100 families could find $5 a month to contribute, the money raised by the end of the school year would cover our library support budget for the entire year! Every dollar really does make a difference.
If it is within your family’s means to make a contribution above the $450 spending per student, that is a great help to all as well.
No matter the figure, 100% of your donation goes directly to supporting BNS and our kids.
Make your donation by dropping off a check or cash in the main office (this saves us the processing fees!), or set up a one time or recurring donation by clicking on the Donate button at www.bns146.org/supporting-bns.
And if you have some time + talent to lend to the goal of fully funding our budget for the year, we’d LOVE for you to join a fundraising committee zoom meeting the first Monday of every month at 7:30pm. More details are on Konstella.
There is something very special about a community coming together to ensure every child can enjoy an excellent, forward looking educational experience. We are so grateful to be a part of this one with you!
LOOKING AHEAD
Bookmark the 2023–2024 DOE school calendar here. BNS events and important dates are also on the Konstella calendar.
December 4: Fundraising Meeting (zoom, 7:30pm)
December 5: BNS Open Library (Library, 2:30-3:30pm)
School Leadership Meeting (Library, 3:30pm)
December 6: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Meeting (zoom, 7:30-8:30pm)
December 6, 13: BNS Adult & Family Chorus (Auditorium, 4:30am)
December 7, 14, 21: Arts Committee: Learn How to Crochet (room 102, 8:20-9:30am)
December 13 & 14: Farm Stand (Rapelleye and Henry, 2-4pm)
December 13 & 14: Picture Day
December 18: Book for the Bus Giveaway
December 19: PTA General Meeting (Health Studio Room 126, 8:30am)
BNS Music Assembly
December 25-January 1: Winter Recess: No School
Please see the full December BNS Calendar here.
BNS PTA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, 2023–2024
CHRISTIAN LEUE, Co-President, dad to Max (1st grade)
ELENA TATE, Co-President, mom to Hans (2nd grade)
KRYSTINA ATHAS, Co-Treasurer, mom to Alexander & Liam (5th & 3nd grade)
HANNAH LANE, Recording Secretary, mom to Leo (pre-K)
MERVE KAYAN, Social Media Co-Chair, mom to Leyla (2nd grade)
HANNAH NUDELL, Communications Chair, mom to Eliza & Gideon (5th grade & 1st Grade)
AMY OSENKOWSKY DAVIS, Communications Co-Chair & Fundraising Co-Chair, mom to Emily (Pre-K)
SARA KRAVIG GABLE, Fundraising Co-Chair, mom to Captain (2nd grade)
NIKA WHITEHEAD-CLARKE, Fundraising Co-Chair, mom to Nicquel (2nd grade)
ABBY COOVER, Newsletter Chair, mom to Valen, Varro & Vesper (toddler, 5th grade & BNS Grad)
LAURA WOOD, Class Parent Coordinator, mom to Phoebe & Sally (5th grade & 2nd grade)
NILI OHAYON, Farm Stand Coordinator, mom to Livia (2nd grade)
CORISSA TRANI, Web Master, mom to Logan (Kindergarten)
PATTY LIN, Web Master, mom to Deren (Kindergarten)
CLARA PLANEL, Web Master, mom to Olivia (Kindergarten)
NICK THUESEN, Web Master, father to Charlie (Kindergarten)
TRACEY TOOLE, Merchandise Co-Chair, mom to Harper (5th Grade)
TARYN ORGAN, Community Engagement Artist, mom to Azusa
CATHERINE HELLEUX, Sustainability Initiatives Co-Coordinator, mom to Bretton
LISA WALSH, Sustainability Initiatives Co-Coordinator, mom to Max
DIANDRA VERWAYNE, Member-at-Large, mom to Ethan (2nd Grade)
MAHSHAD VAKILI HALL, Member-at-Large, mom to Ruby (1st Grade)
ANDREA GRANDE-CAPONE, Face Painting Chairperson
EMILY DEL VALLE, Co-Chair, Events Committee
Contact the 2022–2023 BNS PTA at pta2022@bns146.org
