No. 3 September 28, 2020
Dear BNS Families,
We are heartened by the joy our kids are finding in the simple things that are still part of the beginning of school—new art supplies, sports in the park, academics, friendship, falling in love with a new teacher—even in the midst of another difficult news cycle. We are strengthened by this joy and propelled to keep nourishing it in all the ways we can.
We know a number of school messages have been sent recently. This week’s newsletter attempts to summarize all of this new information in one place. Please read carefully for the latest on the week ahead.
Love,
Your BNS PTA
☑️ IMPORTANT TO-DO’S
* If you need a remote learning device, submit your request at Remote Learning Devices – COVID19.
* Please download and fill out your emergency contact information (blue card) and email it to Janine at janine@bns146.org.
* Please fill out the media consent form (English and Spanish) and return it to Mona at mona@bns146org.
* Fill out all permission forms requested in your summer packet (including small trips and library).
In-Person School Begins!
Tuesday, September 29 @ 8:40am
Last week, our pre-Kers had the building all to themselves and our 1st graders had the chance to explore the BNS farm. This week, kindergartners through 5th graders will return for blended learning. Tuesday and Wednesday will see Cohorts A and C, and Thursday and Friday will see Cohorts B and C. The A/B calendar is posted here. Our cohort schedule has also been added to the Konstella calendar in case parents need to see it moving ahead.
DROP-OFF
This year, the school day begins at 8:40am. Crews will gather in their designated spots (see the map on the attached PDF) to allow for social distancing. Some crews are dropped off in the Big Yard and some older grades will gather on the sidewalk.
Late students (after 9:00am) should enter through the new Main Entrance on Henry Street at 4th Place.
BREAKFAST & LUNCH
Breakfast doors open at 8:10am. Students and families should enter through the Big Yard (entrance on Rapelye Street) to get breakfast, following the marked “in” and “out” lanes on the ground, then eat breakfast in the Big Yard or at their crew meeting spot.
Grab-and-go bagged school lunch can be picked up at arrival time. Children will take it with them to their classroom. Then everyone will bring their lunches outside for lunchtime. Weather permitting, kids will eat lunch with their crew outdoors and have some playtime.
PICK-UP
School ends at 2:10pm. Crews will be in their designated spots for pick-up outside of BNS (see map on the attached PDF). Children must be signed out by a grown-up before they leave.
Families must complete the daily health screening before school each day to assess children’s health and readiness to attend school that day. Adults will need to fill out this form if you intend to enter the building with your child. You can add the online health screen tool to your phone here: https://healthscreening.schools.nyc/.
Daily Temperature Checks
All children will have their temperatures checked at school entry points. Take-home thermometers will be distributed as well. Please do not send your child to school if they are feeling sick.
A Look Inside Our School
This school year looks like no other. Teachers have been working hard to prepare our classrooms, making them as safe as possible for our in-person students. And our common areas have new signs (and new rules) to help everyone adhere to social distancing. Here’s what kids will see when they come back this week.
Thanks to BNS parent Radhika Chalasani for taking the photos!
🚌 Busing Information
Your child’s bus stop and pick-up/drop-off times are now posted on your NYC Schools Account (NYCSA). The routes are similar to last year.
All families are advised not to send children on the bus on the first day of school, or even the first week, if possible. Drivers are learning their routes, children are adjusting to big changes, and times and schedules may shift in the early days of in-person school. If taking the bus this week, get to the bus stop earlier than last year, be patient, and be sure your child has a bus tag with their new class/crew and current phone numbers.
Please add yourself to the Konstella social group for your child’s bus route to connect with other families on the bus. This can be very useful if the bus is running late! (And you may remove yourself from last year’s group if your child isn’t riding the bus this year.)
To create your NYCSA, you need your child’s creation code and OSIS number. These will most likely be sent out tomorrow. If you need access immediately, email Amy at amysumner@bns146.org with the child’s name and use the subject line “NYCSA.”
In-Person Volunteers Needed
This year, we have two new in-person opportunities for family members to help our school. For both, there will be two shifts a day: 8:00am–11:00am and 11:00am–2:10pm. These will be ongoing needs and a wonderful way to help our children stay safe while at school.
BARRICADE HELPERS
Rapelye Street will be closed to traffic so that in-person students have more space to learn outdoors. In order for children to be in the street, we need a grown-up to be stationed at each end of the block to make sure cars respect the barricades and to let the occasional car get through if they live on Rapelye. Please sign up here.
BATHROOM HELPERS
Also we need help to keep our youngest children safe as they learn a new bathroom routine: one child at a time in the bathroom. You’ll spend most of your time in the second floor hallway, encouraging children to be patient as they wait their turn. Please sign up here.
Register Now for After-School Workshops
Registration is open for our exciting line-up of remote after-school workshops! Workshops begin Monday, October 5, and run through January 29. All programs are led by community organizations and BNS parents. Our schedule, registration, payment, and scholarship information may be found here.
WHAT WILL MY CHILD DO?
SCHOLARSHIPS
There are a limited number of scholarships available. If your family qualifies as low income on the DOE income verification forms (formerly known as school lunch forms), you may be considered for a scholarship. Your income verification form for 2020–2021 must be completed before you can be considered for a scholarship. Complete the income verification form online here. Families requesting scholarships should contact Shalisha at shalisha@bns146.org. Requests will be reviewed with the administration.
📚 Weekly Library Read-Alouds
Overheard during our Library Read-Aloud with Abby, Jennifer, Sandy, Elissa, and Bill’s crews last Friday:
After reading the picture book Saturday by Oge Mora, which is about a girl and her mother who experience things not going as they had planned for their special Saturday, Sabine Thomason said, “You know sometimes things don’t go the way we want them to and we just have to make the best of it.”
Listen to Saturday and other great picture books each week coming to you from our BNS/BCS Library on our Weekly Read-Alouds.
REMINDER TO PICK UP LAST YEAR’S SCHOOLWORK
Please stop by the BNS gym via the Coles Street entrance (to the left of the new Main Entrance) between 9:00am and 3:00pm to pick up your child’s belongings and work left behind in March. Doing so will help the staff make space for new supply distribution. Please call Amy Sumner if no one is at the entrance: (718) 923-4750, ext. 2071.
Thank You, Crew Parents!
A big thank-you to Margie and Beth and Radhika for all the work they’ve done to recruit and motivate crew parents and to get the crews set up on Konstella. Now every crew has a crew parent!
If you haven’t yet joined your child’s crew on Konstella, please add your children so that crews are complete and to make sure everyone is in the right spot.
Upcoming Meetings
NEXT GENERAL PTA MEETING
Wednesday, October 7 @ 7:00pm on Zoom
Save the date for the next general PTA meeting. We’ll be discussing our new Diversity, Equity & Inclusion committee as well as looking for new members to join the Executive Committee. Look for the agenda and Zoom link details coming next week.
DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION COMMITTEE MEETING
Tuesday, October 13 @ 8:00pm on Zoom
BNS is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Join this committee on Konstella and come to the first meeting to be a part of the conversation. The Zoom link will be sent out closer to the meeting.
Giveback of P-EBT Funds
Families for Families, a BNS PTA initiative, is asking families who are financially able to consider giving back some or all of the $420 food benefit they will receive to those families in greater need. The goal is to provide every BNS family in need with an extra $100 per child in the form of a Target e-gift card. We have already pooled about $6,000 to help BNS children in need!
If you are able to contribute, please purchase e-gift cards at Target in amounts of $100 or smaller, as we want to ensure each family in need gets $100 per child. Email your e-gift card(s) to FamiliesForFamilies@bns146.org.
If your family qualifies for FRPL, you will automatically get a gift card. If you aren’t sure if your family qualifies or if you need this support ASAP, please email Diane at diane@bns146.org.
GRAB-AND-GO MEALS FOR ALL
The kitchen at 610 Henry Street will be open every school day from 3:00pm to 5:00pm to distribute grab-and-go meals for the community.
Every year the PTA raises funds to pay for the many things that aren’t covered by the DOE: our beloved science and performing arts teachers; professional development for our teachers and educational assistants; classroom books; art, science, and office supplies; and this year, we will make sure that every student has the supplies they need at home and in school to do their best under these current challenging circumstances.
This is why we are asking families to set up a monthly contribution to BNS. If your family can afford it, please give $100 a month for each of your children at BNS, or any amount you can. Your contribution will allow us to continue to support BNS during this uncertain time. Use this link to set up a recurring contribution through Konstella, and every month, your gift will be used toward directly helping fund the education of all BNS students.
Learning Bridges Childcare Program
The Learning Bridges program will provide free childcare options for parents of students in grades 3-K through 8th, on days when they are scheduled for remote learning. The Learning Bridges childcare is only available to students who are registered for blended learning, and will only be available on the days that students are scheduled for remote learning.
If you are interested in the Learning Bridges program, please complete this application. For questions about Learning Bridges, email LearningBridges@schools.nyc.gov.
BNS Learning/Social Groups
The BNS Learning/Social Group team sent out a survey asking BNS families to weigh in on their needs and desires for getting kids together outside of school in a responsible way. Please bookmark this letter and the documents found within it to help find other families, work together, and get some much needed support during this strange year.
Use this spreadsheet to list resources you have to share: classes (for which you can offer low-cost or free spots), skills you can provide, goods you can give away, time, tech assistance, etc. You’ve got it and want to share it or give it away? List it! You need it? Use the contact info!
If you have questions, contact your Grade Point Person here.
Get Tested Before School Starts
In order for us to come together in person as safely as possible, our principal Anna has asked that all staff and children get tested for Covid-19 prior to the first day of in-person school. Students in 3-K through 12th grade can get free priority testing at 22 Health + Hospitals testing sites throughout the school year. To find a location near you, visit schools.nyc.gov/covidtesting.
Beginning in early October, schools will begin testing a random sampling of students and staff. This is essential to keeping your family and school community healthy and safe. Look for more information and a link to a parent/guardian consent form coming soon.
Safe Return to School Meeting
Tuesday, September 29 @ 6:30pm on Zoom
A group of educators, parents, and community advocates are hosting a panel discussion to address the many concerns related to school reopening in NYC. In an effort to offer transparency and honesty, our panelists will represent multiple perspectives and experiences. There will be time for parents to ask questions following the panel.
Please register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUsc-GqqTkpHtzbkSr5YbPsR2S-iZDasMVF
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Simple Ways to Support BNS
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If you or your kiddo is having a birthday soon, consider setting up a Facebook birthday fundraiser to help support your favorite school—BNS! |
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Do your online shopping on AmazonSmile and select “Friends of the Bklyn New School- Bklyn School for Collab Studies” as your charity. Amazon gives back to BNS for every purchase made, and it really adds up! |
BNS PTA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, 2020
Contact the 2020 BNS PTA at pta2019@bns146.org.
