PTA Newsletter No. 5
Dear BNS Families,
There are so many ways to get involved this month, from bake sales to chorus to mindfulness! Also, please note that our next PTA general meeting is Tuesday, November 22nd at 8:20 a.m. in the Art Room (105B). We hope to see you there!
Sincerely,
Your BNS PTA
Diane and Malika's Letter from Leadership
Contribute to Clothing Drives at BNS
From Monday, November 14th until Thursday, November 17th, we will be collecting clothes for two clothing drives combined into one. The first drive is the UFT clothing drive for public school students who are living in temporary housing. The second is for families who are newly arrived in the country and living in Sunset Park. We will collect the clothes together and sort them afterwards.
For both drives, we need New and Gently Used winter clothing such as coats, sweaters, pants, hats, gloves, mittens, and scarves. We can use all sizes of children's/teenagers' clothing as well as adults' sizes and baby girls' clothes 3-6 months, 4T clothes for boys and 3T-5T clothes for girls.
Please only send in new and clean, very gently used clothing. Any items that are dirty or that have holes or stains will be discarded. Clothing can be sent in with your child and brought to room 310 or to the boxes in the cafeteria.
BNS Band Adult Chorus
We are pleased to share that the BNS adult chorus is happening, and it’s not too late to join! We meet on Wednesdays from 4:30-5:15 in the school auditorium, and we welcome anyone who wants to sing to join us. No music or vocal background required - and kids are welcome to accompany their grown-up. The chorus is learning how to harmonize (sing different parts together), and to follow a conductor. Singing is joyful and we need more joy!
Feel free to drop in to check it out, or if you want to go ahead and register, you can do so at this link. If you have questions, email Sarah at sarahferholt@bns146.org. (Note: chorus is not happening the day before Thanksgiving, but is happening this week on 11/16.).
Mindfulness for Families
Fundraising
Serve on the Panel for Educational Policy (PEP)
The Panel for Educational Policy replaced the former Board of Education in 2002 and is part of the governance structure responsible for the city’s public schools.
The PEP is responsible for approving standards, policies, and objectives directly related to educational achievement and instruction, as well as the Chancellor’s Regulations, significant changes in school utilization, budgetary items, and department contracts.
The PEP's membership will expand to 23 members in 2023: 13 mayoral appointees, 5 Borough President appointees, and 5 parents (one per borough). These 5 parents will be elected by the CEC presidents by December 20 and serve a term that begins on January 15 and ends on June 30, 2023.
Completed applications must be emailed to PEPParentApplications@schools.nyc.gov by November 15, 2022. Candidates must have at least one child currently attending a public, non-charter school in NYC; in addition, they must reside in the borough they seek to represent.
The Great BNS Thanksgiving Pie Sale Extravaganza
How it works:
1. Sign up today!
2. Receive a pie tin and pie box sent home with your child
3. Make a delicious pie and bring it to school TUESDAY, NOV 22
Volunteer to bake a pie! Sign up here.
BUY A PIE
Don't miss this chance to get a delicious one-of-a-kind pie, available at pick up on Tuesday Nov 22 - just in time for Thanksgiving! This year have a new option if you are an adventurous eater - try a new surprise flavor! We are also asking local bakeries for donated pies - whether homemade or professional, you are guaranteed a special pie no matter which you choose!
Order a pie and pay whatever you can afford and the entire amount will go to the PTA to benefit your child's education! Order a pie here.
Lost and Found Volunteers Needed
We are looking for volunteers to take 5-10 minutes on Wednesdays and Fridays either am or pm to spruce up the content of the Lost and Found shed. You can volunteer directly on the Lost&Found Social group on Konstella for a single week or multiple weeks.
Help out with our Next Bake Sale
Our last bake sale raised over $1,100! But, we were woefully understaffed.
Please lend a hand at our next bake sale on November 17th at the end of the school day. We'll start setting up at 1:45 pm, conduct the sale from 2:15 till 3:00, then clean up till about 3:30 pm. You can sign up on Konstella.
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
LOOKING AHEAD
Bookmark the 2022–2023 DOE school calendar here. BNS events and important dates are also on the Konstella calendar.
November 17: PTA Bake Sale
November 22: PTA Meeting, 8:20 a.m., Room 105B
November 22: PTA Pie Sale
November 24-25: Thanksgiving, Schools Closed
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)
Contact the 2022–2023 BNS PTA at pta2022@bns146.org
