PTA Newsletter No. 3

PTA Newsletters
Written By Website Volunteers BNS

Dear BNS Families,

 

The third week of October is bringing us gorgeous weather and another PTA meeting. Plus, BNS just had its first Community Sing of the year in the auditorium!

Read on to learn more about what our BNS community has been up to and what we have to look forward to in the week and month to come.

 

Sincerely,
Your BNS PTA

 

Diane and Malika's Letter from Leadership

This Week's General PTA Meeting 10/18

 

The next general PTA meeting is this Tuesday, October 18th at 8:20 a.m.  in the Art Studio (Room 105B) Please join to hear more about and approve this year's PTA budget!

 Middle School Admissions and D15's Diversity in Admissions Plan: Town Hall 10/19

 

Join us on Zoom for a Town Hall with Superintendent Alvarez on Oct 19 at 6:30 p.m. to discuss Middle School Admissions and D15's Diversity in Admissions Plan. The Enrollment Office will present briefly and Superintendent will share updates on the diversity plan and hear from the community. Please hold the date and plan to attend and share your thoughts with our new superintendent. 

Register for the Oct 19 session.

BNS PTA Bake Sales Are Returning Thursday 10/20!

 

The first PTA Bake Sale of the year will be Thursday, October 20 on Rapelye St. from 2:30pm until we sell out!

* Cash and Venmo - send money in with your child 
(We will try to have some treats  available for kids going on the bus)
 
We need your donated Baked Goods - Treats and more Treats please !
Help us make this a success 
 
• Please email justinfield@gmail.com if you can contribute goods and or time. 
• Drop off donations day-of in staff lounge, room 102, labeled please.

 A Second Bake Sale to Promote Breast Cancer Awareness on 10/27

Your generosity and support of our first BNS-BCS UFT Making Strides Against Breast Cancer bake sale was incredible.  Thank you so much for baking yummy treats, making contributions, and offering your help.  We are well on our way to raising $2000 as a BNS-BCS Building Community and will be sponsoring another bake sale scheduled for October 27th from 2:30 - 4:00 PM.  Please volunteer to bake yummy treats or help out at the tables on the 27th.
 
With much gratitude,
Ms. Margaret

I Is for Immigrants

Purchase picture books to support our author visit with Selina Alko and our local bookstore Books Are Magic

Our BNS/BCS library will be hosting our first author visit of the school year!  On October 18, Grade 1 will meet picture book author Selina Alko with the support of Books Are Magic.  We will be highlighting her picture book I is For Immigrants.  We hope BNS families will consider purchasing it on our Books Are Magic/BNS link. Our authors do not receive an honorarium for their visits; instead we rely on book sales to support an author's work and make their visit possible.  Books can be picked up at Books Are Magic.  More author visits to come!
Drop off and Dismissal Routines - No Dogs Please

We know you love your dogs, but they must not enter the school yard or Rapelye Street, which is effectively our school yard too.  Not even for 5 minutes.  We've had close calls already this year at drop off.  

Thank you for thinking of the whole community!

Join Konstella for School Communications

Konstella is a private app for the BNS community, which includes families, teachers, staff, and administrators. Konstella is a closed system—no one can login or create an account without administrator approval. This is the primary way you’ll receive school information. You can use Konstella from your computer or download the app to your phone. If you don’t register for Konstella, you will still receive school messages to your regular email address, but using Konstella will let you control how and when you receive notifications.

ON THE WEB: To get started with Konstella, go to the website at www.KONSTELLA.com and select ‘Find Your School’ in the upper right hand corner. Complete the form!

MOBILE APP: To register for the mobile app – download the iOS or Android App Konstella, tap on “join” in your confirmation email.

ALREADY ON KONSTELLA? Make sure to update your child(ren)’s classroom(s) in your Konstella settings so you can receive classroom and grade level communications.

 

Carpenter Needed for Art Room Project

Can you help BNS build some shelves for the Art Room?  Contact Amy Sumner if you have a power saw or table saw.

 

Join the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee

BNS is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The Diversity, Equity & Inclusion committee supports the needs of students, parents, educators, teachers, and administrators to foster a school community where diversity is uniquely acknowledged and celebrated each and every day—in how our students learn and interact with one another and how our teachers engage with parents and teachers who are black/brown and marginalized.

All families are encouraged to join the Konstella committee here to get involved.

 

Volunteer to Be a Class Parent

Thanks to all of you who have volunteered to serve as Class Parents for our heroic teachers!  Some classes do not yet have Class Parents.  This is a great opportunity for you to partner with your children's teachers and assist them throughout the year with communications and other needs.  Please reach out to:  Maggie Ross Newville (PTA Class Parent Coordinator), Shelley Bissessar (BNS Community Coordinator), and Amy Sumner (BNS Parent Coordinator) to volunteer to be a Class Parent!  Thank you!

 

Social Media

BNS is on Social Media! Follow us and stay informed on all BNS happenings. Find us on Instagram (@thebrooklynnewschool) and Facebook (TheBrooklynNewSchool). We are always looking to source and post great photos of your kids involved with BNS activities, so feel free to email them anytime to the Social Media Team: Photos@bns146.org.

 

Donate to the Annual Appeal

What Your Donation to the BNS PTA Pays For:
 
Classroom, Office, and Art Supplies
Technology
Science Teachers (not salaried through the DOE)
Bike and Swim Programs
Forest and Shore School
Brooklyn Arts Exchange (providing performing arts classes from K-5th grade)
Sustainability Program
Science Field Trips
Professional Development
4th Grade Musical
Watermelon Day (our year-end celebration in the yard)
Garden and Farm Curriculum
Math Workshops
Art Field Trips
Faculty Appreciation
Library Books and Technology Updates
Spanish Education
3rd Grade Africa Studies
PTA Operations (Konstella, Paypal, Stripe, Web Server Fees, and other things like that)
Camping Trips
Lice Checks
5th Grade Graduation Ceremony
 
Click on this link if you want to make a financial contribution. Whatever your family is able to contribute, know that you are appreciated at BNS.
DOE's School COVID Policy
 
If your child tests positive for COVID, please email dandm@bns146.org as soon as possible.  Anyone who tests positive needs to stay home for at least 5 days after the positive test or start of symptoms.  Anyone who tests positive must have improved symptoms and must continue to wear a mask through day 10. 
 
BNS will notify all families in a class impacted by a case, whether a student or a staff member tests positive.  We will also send home 2 home test kits with each member of the classroom.  Current DOE/DOH policy prompts families to test children on day 4 and day 5 after exposure.  Children do not need to stay home after exposure as long as they are symptom-free.  It is strongly recommended that anyone exposed to COVID wear a mask for 10 days after exposure. 
 
You can check the DOE's COVID Safety website for updates about these policies: 
 

DOE’s School Visitor Policy

All visitors must show proof of at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccination to enter a DOE building. Visitors do not include students attending school in a DOE building.

Acceptable proof of vaccination is one of the following:

An acceptable COVID-19 vaccination includes one dose of any COVID-19 vaccine fully authorized or authorized for emergency use by the FDA or WHO. For more on school health and safety, go here.

LOOKING AHEAD

Bookmark the 2022–2023 DOE school calendar here. BNS events and important dates are also on the Konstella calendar.

 

October 18: PTA Meeting (in-person, 8:20 a.m.) 

November 3: No Afterschool Workshops

NYC DOE SCHOOL LUNCH MENU 

BNS PTA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, 2022–2023

  • MAHSHAD HALL, Co-President, Mom to Ruby (1st grade)
  • CHRISTIAN LEUE, Co-President, Dad to Max (Kindergarten)
  • KRYSTINA ATHAS, Co-Treasurer, mom to Alexander & Liam (4th & 2nd grade)
  • HANNAH LANE, Recording Secretary, mom to Leo (pre-K)
  • JESSICA SMITH, Correspondence Secretary, mom to Henry (1st grade)
  • ELYSE NEIMAN SEITER, Social Media Co-Chair, mom to Aidan (5th grade) & Lola (BNS grad)
  • MERVE KAYAN, Social Media Co-Chair, mom to Leyla (2nd grade)
  • HANNAH NUDELL, Communications Chair, mom to Eliza & Gideon (4th grade & Kindergarten)
  • MAGGIE ROSS NEWVILLE, Class Parent Coordinator, mom to Axel & Magnus  (3rd grade & BNS grad)
  • SARA KRAVIG GABLE, Fundraising Co-Chair, mom to Captain (1st grade)
  • ELENA TATE, Fundraising Co-Chair, mom to Hans (1st grade)
  • CATHERINE HELLEUX, mom to Bretton (1st grade)
  • TANICA GORDON, mom to Josiah (1st grade)
Website Volunteers BNS
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