Happy Holidays and Important Dates Ahead

Dear Families:

The Winter Concert was a huge success. The chorus performed so well despite only four rehearsals prior to the concert. Similarly, it was the first full concert for our new band conductor/instructor, Michael Castillo, who joined us on Election Day. The new Middle School Band was in excellent form! The event drew numerous family members, staff, and visitors. The auditorium was packed. The 8th grade students also raised funds for their end-of-year events by selling refreshments during the intermission. Thank you for supporting us and thank you Dr. Rispoli for coordinating. We will display pictures from the event shortly.

We will circulate January's events calendar shortly.

Important dates in January are as follows:

-January 5, 2009 - students return from holiday break
-The administration schedule for the New York State ELA Exam for grades 3-5 remains January 13-14 for grades 3 and 5 and January 13-15 for grade 4.
-January 19, 2009 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day (no school)
-January 20, 2009 - Presidential Inauguration Day (school-wide event)
-The ELA exam is now scheduled for January 21-22 for grades 7 and 8, and January 21-23 for grade 6.

We would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a warm and safe holiday break. Please remember to read with your children daily, always asking questions about the text. We appreciate all of your efforts during the first four months of school and look forward to seeing you in the new year. Thank you for everything you do.

Community-Building Events & Fundraisers

To the Holliswood School Community:

As you are aware, last Monday, December 1st, several staff members, parents and students gathered at the Fresh Meadows Barnes and Noble Bookstore for a special Holliswood School event. Guest readers included myself, Assistant Principal Klocek, Mrs. Paulson Bromberg, Ms. Ehrentreu and parents, Mr. Cavounis and Mrs. Miller.

Assistant Principal Klocek coordinated the entire event and is awaiting the confirmation on the funds raised. Thank you Mr. Klocek for organizing this wonderful community-building event and thank you to all of you who read and came out to support the Holliswood School. As you know, improving our learning environment and strengthening the home-school connection is one of our school-wide goals this school year. This event generated a terrific turnout, especially since it was the day after a long holiday weekend. The funds raised from this event will be utilized to purchase read aloud books for classrooms, professional books for teachers, and materials to improve teaching and learning.

Similarly, the funds from the Big Apple Fundraiser are being tabulated. Preliminary results demonstrate that we raised over $5,000. Thank you to all of the students, parents, family and staff members who supported this fundraiser. As mentioned previously, we will allocate funds towards purchasing guided reading books and towards materials to enhance differentiation and enrichment.

This week, Parent Coordinator Corley and I facilitated a workshop to familiarize parents with Acuity Assessments. As you know, Acuity assessments replaced Princeton Review interim assessments to inform instruction. Teachers utilize Acuity student data to create small groups and to target teaching specific skills. Mrs. Corley also organized a community-building event, a cupcake decorating workshop, that gathered numerous parents and staff members.

Finally, please do not forget that, on this Wednesday, December 10th, our 2008 Winter Concert will take place. The concert begins at 6:00 PM. We will begin seating at 5:45. Performers should arrive between 5-5:30. There is also a PTA meeting this Tuesday at 7 PM.

Thank you for being our partners in education.

Chancellor's Discipline Code

We will be revisiting and reviewing the Chancellor's Discipline Code with the middle school students next week during recess. We will review the various levels of infractions and disciplinary responses. The Chancellor's Discipline Code is distributed annually at the beginning of the school year. In September, every student is required to sign a contract upon reviewing the Discipline Code with their teachers, as well as a parent.

If you have misplaced a copy, you can view the Discipline Code online at:
http://schools.nyc.gov/RulesPolicies/DisciplineCode/default.htm

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at the school. As always, you can contact our Parent Coordinator, Phyllis Corley, or Assistant Principal, Patrick Klocek.

Have a terrific holiday!

Important Announcements

Attention: 8th Grade Families

High school applications are due back to guidance counselors, Ms. Peters or Mr. Feigelson, by Tuesday, December 2. Please return completed and signed applications by this date, since the counselors will need time to review the applications and enter data from the applications into the system.

Attention: Grades 3-8 Families

Acuity Results from the Fall Predictive Exam will be printed and distributed early next week. Mrs. Corley will have a parent workshop during the first week of December explaining the benefits of utilizing the Acuity online system and how you can use this tool to work with your children.

Attention: Holliswood Family

Please visit the Times Ledger of Fresh Meadows. There is an article about our school:
http://www.yournabe.com/articles/2008/11/17/fresh_meadows_times/news/fresh_meadows_times_newsecclrqz11142008.txtHave a terrific parent-teacher conference!

OPEN SCHOOL WEEK, Report Cards & Other Reminders

• Open School week will take place between 11/17 - 11/21
• Due to the ITA exams in ELA and Math on 11/17 and 11/18, we ask that you do not visit grades 3-8 classes on Monday and Tuesday. Our recommended schedule for open school week is as follows:

Grades PK & K - 11/17 between 10-11 AM; Grades 1 & 2 - 11/18 between 10-11 AM

Grades 3-5 - 11/19 between 10-11 AM; Grades 6-8 - 11/21 between 10-11 AM

• November 20th is a half day. Therefore, we do not recommend a visit on this day. If the above-mentioned times are not convenient for you, please arrange a class visit with the teacher at an alternate time. As a reminder, open school week is not an opportunity for an individual conference. Individual conferences take place at Parent-Teacher conferences. Students will be dismissed at 11:30 AM. All After-School Programs will be cancelled. Parent-Teacher Conferences are scheduled 1-3 PM and 5:30-8 PM. Elementary parents should have received an appointment notice from the classroom teacher.
• The PTA has sponsored a book fair, which will be open all week, including during parent-teacher conferences.
• The Big Apple Fundraiser Company will deliver all purchased goods to the school on November 20th. Ms. Stoll will contact the students to arrange for pick up.
• Our Student Council nominations have launched and currently, middle school students are campaigning for various seats. Students will vote beginning November 20th.

REPORT CARDS

• Report cards were distributed today to all students in grades 1-8.
• In the middle school, there was an important change regarding the physical education grade. A parent letter has been issued and will be distributed tomorrow regarding this topic.
• For class 702, the Spanish grade appeared twice on the report card. This was an error in the system. We are aware of the error and will issue revised report cards as soon as it can be resolved. Thank you for your patience on this matter.
• In middle school, student averages will be rounded to the nearest whole in order to be considered for academic or principal's honor roll.
• Principal's Honor Roll, Academic Honor Roll & Attendance Honor Roll will be announced shortly

OTHER EXCITING NEWS

• Last week, Young People's Chorus began. Students in grades 3-8 may still audition during any given Friday when the conductor is at 178. Students must audition with a signed permission slip. Permission slips are available in the office. Band members are also eligible to participate in chorus [they meet on different days].
• Our Ballroom Dance Residency with Dancing Classrooms of American Ballroom Theatre begins on Wednesday, November 26th. We are very excited to launch this program for our fifth grade.
• Our ThinkQuest After School Technology Program begins next week (selected participants).

ENJOY THE WEEKEND!

Winter Concert - SAVE THE DATE!

SAVE THE DATE

Winter Concert

Wednesday, December 10, 2008 at 6:00 PM

Featuring:

The Holliswood Middle School Band, led by Band Instructor, Michael Castillo

Holliswood School students from the Young People's Chorus (YPC):
Grades 3-5 Chorus & Grades 6-8 Chorus, led by YPC Conductor, Amy Kotsonis

Details will follow

Blue Ribbon Award Celebration

[Above: The Blue Ribbon plaque awarded by Secretary of Education Spellings]

To the Holliswood School Community:

On Friday, November 7th, we celebrated as a community on winning the Blue Ribbon Award from the United States Department of Education. Superintendent Anita Saunders was our guest speaker, who stated, "Schools succeed because of the effective use of data." Superintendent Saunders thanked the entire school community for being present to celebrate the award. Of the other distinguished guests, CEO of the Integrated Curriculum and Instruction Learning Support Organization (ICILSO) and former Region 3 Superintendent, Judith Chin, was also in attendance. Ms. Chin was grateful for being invited to celebrate with the community and was very proud of the school's efforts. Parent Coordinator Corley coordinated the entire event, which included performances by Ms. Passarella's class, third, fifth and eighth graders, as well as a remarkable performance by the new Holliswood 8th Grade Band, led by our new band instructor, Michael Castillo. Students were touched by the greeting made by former Principal Diane Hobbs, who was unable to join us, as she is currently in China. Assistant Principal Patrick Klocek was our Master of Ceremonies, who remarked on our mission to educate the "whole child."

We would like to once again congratulate all the students, parents, teachers, staff members and community members who contribute to moving our school forward.

Principal for a Day

[From left: Jessica Kemper from Pencil, Principal Ambert, Parent Coordinator Corley and Director Bill Martin of Verizon]

On October 23rd, Director of Community and External Affairs of Verizon, Mr. Bill Martin, was designated 'Principal for a Day.' Mr. Martin visited a variety of classes, read stories, answered questions and spoke at an assembly for Middle School students regarding focusing on school work and achieving one's aspirations. Thank you for visiting us, Mr. Martin, and thank you to Verizon for all of their efforts.

Blue Ribbon Award and Upcoming Events

Dear Families:

As you may know, I attended the Blue Ribbon Award Ceremony in Washington DC on Monday and Tuesday to receive the school's award from the US Department of Education for the school's outstanding progress and performance. Former Principal Diane Hobbs was also in attendance, along with our SETSS Teacher, Ms. Abramowitz-Imperatore. During my visit, I met principals from all over the country, who received their awards as well. Only 20 schools from New York won the prestigious award. There were 350 schools that won and 750 principals and administrators from the United States present at the ceremony. In honor of this event, we would like to celebrate on November 7, 2008 with the entire community (details will follow). We will display our Blue Ribbon Flag proudly, as you enter through Radnor Road in the coming days. Thank you for all your support for our students and teachers.

The Acuity ELA predictive exam was administered this week to students in grades 3-8. This exam (a practice test) measures the students' reading comprehension and mirrors the NYS ELA exam. You will receive your child's results within the next two-three weeks. These results are analyzed by myself, Mr. Klocek, as well as your child's teacher, to inform what next steps are needed in order to prepare your child for the actual New York State ELA, which takes place in January. The data also informs what school-wide goals and initiatives are needed to move all students forward.

The CHAMPS Afterschool Program began on Monday, October 20th. We are pleased to have flag football, badminton and soccer available to our MS students.

Our Principal for a Day, Mr. Bill Martin, Director of Community Affairs for Verizon, will be in our building tomorrow morning. Thank you to Verizon for their efforts in supporting our school.

Tomorrow night is Family vs. Faculty Volleyball Night. The game starts at 6 PM. We hope to see you there.

Specialized High School Admission Tests are this weekend - Good luck to all the 8th grade students taking the exam! You will perform magnificently!

A parent letter was distributed last week regarding our upcoming auditions for Young People's Chorus. This audition is open to students in grades 3-8. Thus far, 55 students have submitted permission slips. Auditions will take place on Monday, 10/27 at 9:30 AM. Students will be accompanied by a teacher in the auditorium and do not have to prepare a special song to sing. Three representatives from the Young People's Chorus will assess the students' ability. We will accept permission slips until Friday morning (10/24). If your child does not have a permission slip, he/she cannot audition for the chorus. If you need another slip, please request one from the office or through your child's teacher.

Next week, the PTA will be sponsoring the Halloween Masquerade on October 30th. Please contact co-Presidents Ms. Ellerby or Ms. Kelly regarding this event.

October 31st is Halloween, please do not send the students to school in costumes and take all precautions when assisting your child during any trick-or-treat activities.

As you know, school will be closed on Election Day (November 4th). However, we will have professional development for our staff. On November 11th, school will be closed in observance of Veteran's Day.

Information regarding the November Parent-Teacher Conferences will be distributed shortly. This year, both the afternoon and evening conferences will be scheduled on November 20th.

Thank you for your continued support as our partners in education.

Jennifer Ambert

School Fundraiser & Upcoming Picture Day

Dear Families,

The deadline for our school fundraiser (BIG APPLE) is October 14th. Please submit your order forms on that day. The funds raised will be used to purchase guided reading books and materials to support teaching and learning at our school.

Thank you for all your support!

*******************October 14th is also Picture Day********************

Message from Mrs. Guglietta regarding an online Art Exhibition & Contest

Don't forget to submit your child's artwork in the Crayola Annual Juried Children's Art Exhibition.

Have your child (grades K-6) use the theme "Green--Earth's Favorite Color" and turn it into creative artwork inspired by an eco-friendly learning experience.

Deadline for submission is November 1, 2008.

Register today at
https://mail.nycboe.net/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://pull.xmr3.com/p/7125-718C/41608761/http-www.crayola.com-artexpo.html

Please email MGuglietta@schools.nyc.gov if you have questions regarding the submission process or any concerns.

High School Application Process - Attn: 8th Grade Parents

On Friday, October 10th, your 8th grade child will receive his/her High School Application.

Please keep the following key points in mind:

The applications are due back to Guidance Counselors, Ms. Peters or Mr. Feigelson in the Guidance Office by November 21st, 2008. Please fill them out in ink. They must be signed and dated by a parent and the student.

You may list up to 12 program choices on the application, but are not required to do so. In fact, most students will not have that many choices listed.

Only list schools that you would be comfortable having your child attend. Remember that your child may be assigned to any school listed in the 12 choices!

Be sure to check the travel time to each of the schools you list. You may go to www.hopstop.com to see how long the commute would be during different times of the day.

If you want your child to attend his/her zoned school, it must be listed on the application. If you are zoned to an undesirable school, do not list it on the application, or your child may get assigned to it, if not given any other offer.

If your child is taking the test for the Specialized High Schools, he/she should indicate the order of preference for the Specialized high schools on the ADMISSION TICKET ONLY. No Specialized High Schools should be listed on any of the 12 choices on the H.S. Application. There is a spot to indicate that he/she will be applying to the Specialized High Schools. Careful consideration should be given to the order of preference since it will affect the outcome of the offer given. Offers to a Specialized H.S. will depend on the score of the exam, the order of preference indicated, and seat availability.

A student is guaranteed a seat in the zoned program at the school in which he/she is zoned only if he/she lists it on the application. The computer will automatically match your child to his/her zoned school if he/she is not offered a seat in any other school which he/she listed higher on the order of preference. Any school listed after the zoned program of your zoned school will not be considered.

If your child is auditioning for any school, he/she must familiarize himself/herself with the audition requirements for that school (listed in the H.S. Directory) and obtain an audition ticket from Ms. Peters or Mr. Feigelson.

Tickets for the Specialized HS exam will be distributed on or about Oct. 17th.

When you receive your child's High School Application, you may notice that some/all report card grades do not appear. The Office of Student Enrollment is working with us to ensure that your child's grades are updated. Where updates are made, a new application will be generated for your child.

If after referring to the H.S. Directory you need further assistance, please call the Guidance Counselors at (718) 464-5763, extension 2531, and we would be more than happy to help you.

Cristina Peters and Jerry Feigelson, Guidance Counselors

Upcoming Events

• On October 7th, Parent Coordinator Corley and our Math Coach, Janet Marmo, will host an Everyday Math Workshop for fourth and fifth grade parents. As you know, the Everyday Math program is now implemented in grades four and five at the Holliswood School.
• Please join us for our upcoming PTA Meeting on October 14th at 7:00 PM. We will have representatives from the School Construction Authority discuss the construction project at our school.
• On October 23, 2008, we will have a family volleyball game from 6:00 to 7:00 PM. We would like to invite parents and staff members to join us for some volleyball fun!

School Closings

Reminder to Families:

School will be closed on September 30th and October 1st due to Rosh Hashanah. School will resume on October 2nd.

School will be closed on October 9th in observance of Yom Kippur and October 13th for Columbus Day.

To view the official NYC Dept. of Education 2008-2009 School Calendar, visit http://schools.nyc.gov/Calendar/2008_2009.htm

Make Up Date for Field Day June '08 - Cancellation

To the Holliswood School Community,

The make up date for June 2008's field day was scheduled for September 26, 2008. However, due to the increased possibility of precipitation, we have decided to cancel this event.

In the Spring, we will schedule the 2008-2009 field day.

Review of Last Week's Events

Thank you for a terrific turnout during Meet the Teacher Night for Middle School families on September 10th, as well as Elementary families on September 18th. We appreciate your efforts in helping us to move the school forward.

The first PTA General Meeting was also held on September 18th. Thank you for attending. In case you did not attend, please consult with Mrs. Kelly or Mrs. Ellerby, our PTA Co-Presidents, regarding the agenda. Mrs. Corley, our parent coordinator, can also keep you abreast of important updates.

One of the subjects I talked about was the recent progress report. The progress report grade of B reflects the 2007-2008 school year. A letter was sent last week to congratulate the Holliswood School Community on achieving this grade. If you would like to view the progress report, please visit http://schools.nyc.gov/OA/SchoolReports/2007-08/ProgressReport_EMS_Q178.pdf We discussed this year's schoolwide goals and what we will do to make progress towards next year's grade.

A special congratulations to the entire Holliswood School community on achieving an outstanding feat, which was to receive the 2008 Blue Ribbon Award from the United States Department of Education!

We also expressed our gratitude for receiving grants for the upcoming school year from Councilman Mr. David Weprin, Councilman Mr. James Gennaro, and Assemblyman Mr. Mark Weprin.

We are enthusiastic about starting exciting new programs this year!

Morning Arrivals

To the Holliswood School Community,

A letter to families was issued today to clarify to parents/guardians our morning arrival procedures. We have listened to your feedback regarding making the morning arrival procedures more effective and smooth. Thank you for your concerns. We apologize for any inconvenience that has been caused.

Please inform your child's teacher if you did not receive that communication.

As a reminder, please be advised that early drop off is available beginning at 7:30 AM. Breakfast is available daily to all students at 7:30 AM as well.

We appreciate all your efforts during the school year.

Thank you.

Meet the Teacher Night & Important Dates in September

Meet the Teacher Night

• Meet the Teacher Night for Middle School Families will take place on Wednesday, September 10th, 2008, from 7:00 - 8:00 PM.
• Meet the Teacher Night for Elementary School Families will take place on Thursday, September 18th, 2008, from 7:00 - 8:00 PM.
• Class 5/6-220 and 7-224 will hold their Meet the Teacher Night on September 10th, from 7:00 - 8:00 PM.
• Meet the Teacher Night is an opportunity for parents and/or guardians to meet their child's teacher. It is not an opportunity for an individual conference with the teacher. All one-to-one conferences with teachers must be made through an appointment.

Other Important Dates

• On September 10, 2008, at 6:00 PM, we will host a meeting regarding the High School Admission process for our 8th grade parents. This meeting will take place in the auditorium and will be facilitated by Mr. Feigelson, our Guidance Counselor, and Parent Coordinator Corley.
• On September 18, 2008, at 8:00 PM, the PTA will hold its first general meeting.
• On September 22, 2008, at 9:00 AM and 1:00 PM, we will hold our Pinwheels for Peace Assembly, coordinated by Ms. Guglietta.
• Students will begin receiving catalogs for school fundraising from Big Apple at the end of September.

Upcoming School Closings

• School will be closed on Tuesday, September 30th and Wednesday, October 1st, in observance of Rosh Hashanah.

Visit your Teacher's Blog

This week, some of our teachers created their own blog pages to communicate with students.

Mr. Sanchez: http://physed178.blogspot.com/
Mr. Masi: http://digitalhallway.blogspot.com/
Ms. Guglietta: http://bloggingwithg.blogspot.com/
Ms. Abramowitz Imperatore: http://bloggingwithmsi.blogspot.com/
Ms. Freitas: http://6thgradecore.blogspot.com/
Mr. Levitt: http://holliswoodband.blogspot.com/

First Week of School

Welcome to the Holliswood School Blog! Beginning this school year, we will use this forum to communicate with our entire school community.

It has been a magnificent summer. However, the 2008-2009 school year is here.

Our first day of school is Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008.

School hours are:
8:00 AM - 2:20 PM Monday through Friday for all General Ed students
8:00 AM - 2:57 PM Monday through Thursday for students attending the extended session.
8:00 AM - 2:50 PM Monday through Friday for Special Education students.
Breakfast will be available daily at 7:30 AM.

Important Changes
-All middle school students will convene in the auditorium every morning before period 1 begins.
-All middle school students will dismiss from Radnor Road