Monday, September 26, 2011

PROGRESS REPORT RESULTS (2010-2011)

Dear Families,

We are thrilled to announce that we have received an A on our 2010-2011 Progress Report.

Attached to this letter, you will see page 1 of our Progress Report, which highlights our performance on every category. The report also explains our progress over the last three years:
• In 2009, we ranked in the 56th percentile.
• In 2010, we ranked in the 72nd percentile.
• In 2011, we are now ranked in the 80th percentile, meaning our school scored greater than or equal to that of 80 percent of K-8 schools.

We believe our A is attributed to the following:
• The hard work and dedication of our staff.
• The professional development that has been delivered to ensure that our teachers are raising the standards in their classrooms.
• Effective teaching and learning.
• The tremendous parent and family support that our students have received.

If you look closely at our complete Progress Report online at www.nyc.gov/schools, on page 7, you will see that our list of peer group schools are among the best schools in New York City, such as NEST and Anderson.

We would like to continue to make progress in the 2011-2012 school year by ensuring that we continue to raise the level of academic language as reflected in our students’ writing and mathematical reasoning when solving problems.

We congratulate you on our school’s A and we hope to see you at the school’s dance, celebrating our 60th Anniversary tomorrow night, September 27th at 6:00 PM.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Meet The Teacher Night

September 14, 2011

Dear Families,

Welcome back! We are pleased to announce that our Meet the Teacher Night will be held on Tuesday, September 20, 2011. The event will begin at 6:15 p.m. and conclude at 7:50 p.m. For elementary school families, Meet the Teacher Night will be organized into three twenty minute sessions to accommodate families with more than one student in our school. Elementary families can proceed directly to their child’s classroom.
• Session A: 6:20-6:40 p.m.
• Session B: 6:50-7:10 p.m.
• Session C: 7:20-7:40 p.m.

A listing of all service providers, such as speech teachers, School Assessment Team, ESL, SETSS and out of classroom teachers will be provided in the lobby. Please enter through our Radnor Road entrance.

For middle school families, we are organizing the event on September 20, 2011 into four twenty minute sessions between 6:15-7:50 p.m. During this time, parents will travel to different classrooms to visit their child’s teachers. The schedule for middle school families will be distributed tomorrow.

A PTA meeting will immediately follow at 8:00 p.m. in the auditorium. We thank you for your assistance in making the opening weeks of school such a success and we look forward to seeing you at this important event.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Ambert
Principal

Thursday, September 8, 2011

WATER MAIN WORK & STREET CLOSURE

WATER MAIN WORK & STREET CLOSURE


September 8, 2011

Dear Parents/Guardians:

I have been informed by the Community Construction Liaison that construction work will begin along 188th Street throughout next week between the hours of 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM due to the installation of new water main lines. A letter will be distributed to students tomorrow.

Due to this ongoing construction, please allow extra travel time, so that students are not late for school.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me, Mr. Chin or Mrs. Corley.

Many thanks.

Sincerely,


Jennifer Ambert
Principal

Welcome to the 2011-2012 School Year

September 8, 2011

Dear Families,

Welcome to the 2011-2012 school year! This school year marks my fourth year as your principal.

I am honored to be part of a community where parents, families, students, teachers and staff members are invested in the success and growth of the school. At the Holliswood School, students are enthusiastic about their learning and make strides to become critical thinkers and good citizens.

The Holliswood School offers your child an excellent education. We work arduously to ensure that education is engaging and stimulating. Every student here has the opportunity to reach his/her full potential. The Holliswood School promotes an environment that encourages open communication among all constituents where every member is a proactive participant in moving the school forward. You are encouraged to take an active part in your child’s education.

We would like to remind you of two informative websites for parents/guardians in order to view ongoing important information and to enhance communication:

http://holliswoodschool.blogspot.com/
[This website is used as a forum to post important dates and upcoming school-wide events].

http://guest.portaportal.com/ps.is178q
[This website includes important online resources to help you become more familiar with the curriculum].

We would also like to take this opportunity to introduce three new staff members:

Speech Teacher, Jennifer Newman: Ms. Newman is a speech pathologist who received her Master’s Degree in Speech Language Pathology from LIU CW Post and a BA in Communications Sciences and Disorders from SUNY Cortland. She grew up on Long Island and has had the opportunity to provide therapy for children ages 4-15. Ms. Newman is excited to work collaboratively with the PS/IS 178 community.

Math Teacher, James Trani: Mr. Trani is the newest math teacher at PS/IS 178. He graduated from Hofstra University, earning a Master’s Degree in Secondary Education, as well as a Middle School Advanced Studies Certificate. Before becoming a teacher, he earned a BS in Accounting from Providence College in Rhode Island and worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and HBO in Midtown Manhattan as a Financial Analyst/CPA.

English Teacher, Vanessa Walker: Ms. Walker is a proud mother of two beautiful children. With a Bachelor's Degree in Media Arts from LIU, Ms. Walker's first career was with the Associated Press (AP). At the AP, she worked in marketing and corporate communications. Ms. Walker then made her transition into education. At New York University, Ms. Walker earned her Master of Arts Degree in Education. She comes to PS/IS 178 from District 19, where she taught English Language Arts for 7 years.

I welcome you to a brand new school year, envisioned with hope and in anticipation of endless possibilities.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher or the school.

You will be receiving information about our upcoming Meet the Teacher Night on Tuesday, September 20th shortly.

Sincerely,


Jennifer C. Ambert
Principal

About Parent Coordinator Phyllis Corley

My name is Phyllis Louise Lattimer-Corley. I am married and have one son.

I was the educational director of a day care center in Nassau County for sixteen years prior to the birth of my son. I planned to be a stay-at- home mom for five years until my son went to kindergarten. Well, that didn’t happen! I got involved in his elementary school, PS 178, first as a class parent, then in the library, and later became PTA president for three years.

When my son moved on to middle school at MS 74, I again took on the role of PTA president for two years. Gee, I guess I wasn’t really staying at home. My son, James is now a freshman at Binghamton University. I am fortunate to be writing this blog, as I enter my sixth year as parent coordinator of my son’s wonderful alma mater.

Welcome to our school family. I am looking forward to an exciting school year. There are so many fantastic activities that have been planned for both you and your child. I encourage all parents to be partners in your child’s school.
Ø Attend Parent Teacher Conferences
Ø Go to PTA Meetings
Ø Participate in Parent Workshops
Ø Volunteer to help at school events.

I am here to assist you in any way that I can. Please feel free to contact me with any concerns or just stop by for a cup of coffee.

Phyllis Corley,
Parent Coordinator

Corley's Corner

Corley's Corner
Parents and Staff turn out for Corley's Ladies' Night at Strike Long Island (November 2008)

Mrs. Corley gets ready to read at the Barnes and Noble Fundraiser Event

Parents and Staff participate in Corley's Cupcake Creations Parent Workshop


Our Student Council Gives Back!

Our Student Council Gives Back!
2009 Student Council President Chrysalis Terrado and her cabinet pose in front of dozens of toys donated by Holliswood families for our annual toy drive (December 2008)

Upcoming School Closings and Half Days


To view the official NYC Dept. of Education 2013-2014 School Calendar, visit


http://schools.nyc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/D45BBFC5-BB4E-4C6B-ACE7-F7E15D8AA1BE/0/20132014SchoolYearCalendar.pdf

It is also anticipated that we will add half days for professional development for our faculty during the 2013-2014 school year (subject to UFT and PTA approval). An announcement will be made.



In the event of an emergency closing or delayed opening due to weather, please call 311 or watch your local news channels. When NYC public schools are closed, our school will be closed.















Monthly Events

Every month, you will receive a calendar of our monthly events.