SCHOOL IS CLOSED MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012 AND TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2012

SCHOOL IS CLOSED MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012 AND TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2012. Due to a power outage, PS/IS 178Q will remain closed to students on Monday, November 5, 2012. The school will remain closed to students on Election Day on Tuesday, November 6, 2012. If the school has power on Wednesday, we expect to re-open on Wednesday, November 7, 2012. However, please stay tuned to the School Blog: http://holliswoodschool.blogspot.com and the NYCDOE website: www.nyc.gov/schools for the latest updates. Please also listen to School Messenger updates, your local news, or call 311. Thank you for your cooperation.

Update on PS/IS 178's Condition - Post "Sandy"

Dear Holliswood School Community: First and foremost, I hope that all of you and your families are safe and well. I have heard from some of you about the down trees and down wires in your neighborhoods, the lack of heat and power for days, and I truly sympathize with everything you have had to deal with. It was a tragic event where lives were lost. I have been at 178 since Tuesday every day checking in on the status of the school and yesterday, we had a key meeting with school staff to identify contingency plans to greet students on Monday. As of now, the school only has partial power. The city is aware of our long list of concerns, and ConEd is currently working on our school to have us ready before Monday. I received an email last night from the Chancellor stating, "All principals should expect their schools will have power on Monday. Principals and parents will be notified Sunday afternoon if their schools do not have power. Schools that do not have power will remain closed to students until Wednesday, November 7. Staff may be asked to return to their schools for Election Day PD on Tuesday, November 6 if power is restored." I will give you an update as soon as I find out whether we have full power at the school - prior to Sunday evening. If we do have to close due to lack of power, we will communicate via School Messenger, School Blog, class parents, local news, postings on the door and through 311. However, we are optimistic since internet was restored at our building yesterday. I will be in touch. Thank you and best regards.

Post "Hurricane Sandy"

Due to the Hurricane, I was unable to access the internet to update the School Blog on Wednesday, and as you are already aware, NYC public schools will remain closed to students Friday, 11/2/2012. While the Mayor has announced that schools will reopen on Monday, please stay tuned to the School's Blog in the event that there is a different announcement that is made. Please also stay tuned to your local news channels and call 311 to find out additional information. Thank you.

School closed on Tuesday, 10/30/12

School will be closed Tuesday, 10/30/12, due to the Hurricane. Please be safe. See details in the message below for further updates. The PTA Jubilee will be re-scheduled.

No School Monday, 10/29/2012

In anticipation of Hurricane Sandy, the Mayor has announced that all NYC Public Schools will be closed on Monday, 10/29/2012. Please stay tuned to your latest local news channels, visit www.nyc.gov/schools or call 311. In addition, you may also sign up for NOTIFY NYC by going online to www.nyc.gov/notifynyc. Once you sign up, you will receive all announcements regarding weather, traffic, school closures. We hope that everyone is safe. Thank you.

WELCOME BACK AND CONGRATULATIONS!

Dear Families, Welcome to the 2012-2013 school year! This school year marks my fifth 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. Great News: We are delighted that the construction in our playground has been completed. We have a completely renovated school yard, which the students will enjoy during recess, P.E. and during after school programs. We are also pleased to announce that our school has been recognized as a New York State Education Department Reward School. The Department identified 250 schools in 164 districts as Reward Schools. Only 55 NYC Public Schools received this reward, including 178. Reward Schools are either schools that have made the most progress or schools that have the highest achievement in the state and do not have significant gaps in student achievement that are not being closed. Schools will be awarded up to a maximum of $150,000 each year for two years and up to $300,000 for the entire grant period. Additionally, we received a new technology grant for $50,000 from Council Member Weprin, which we will use to purchase Smart Boards, laptops and iPads. We are so thrilled to have received these grants and awards, which are attributed to the focused work of our school community. Reminders: We would like to remind you of some informative websites for parents/guardians in order to view ongoing important information and to enhance communication: www.nyc.gov/schools [The NYCDOE website provides excellent resources for families, such as the Common Core Learning Standards, and information about state and city initiatives taking place in our school]. http://holliswoodschool.blogspot.com/ [This website is used as a forum to post important dates and upcoming school-wide events]. 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. I would like to remind you about our upcoming Meet the Teacher Night on Wednesday, September 12th from 5:30-7:00 PM. On that evening, a PTA meeting will immediately follow at 7:00 PM in our auditorium. I look forward to seeing you at this important event.

PS/IS 178Q will be closed during the summer. Staff members will not be here. Our first day of school will be Thursday, September 6, 2012. Please continue to check our school blog: http://holliswoodschool.blogspot.com and the NYCDOE website (www.nyc.gov/schools) for any updates about school. Our summer school information is PS 46Q (Elementary Site) and MS 172Q (Middle School Site). If you wish to find out about our partner community-based organizations, their contact information is as follows: Samuel Field Y in Little Neck, NY 718-225-6750 For direct/specific questions regarding the Y @ 178, the program will be held at the Queens High School of Teaching this summer. Program Director Dominick Menno can be reached at 646-772-3879 or via e-mail: DMenno@sfy.org. The Queens High School of Teaching is located at 74-20 Commonwealth Boulevard, Bellerose, NY 11426. Kuei Luck Educational Center 195-05 69th Ave, Fresh Meadows, NY 11365 Tel 718-679-9908 x810 fax 718-736-8588 www.kueiluck.com Program Director of 178's program: Lily Kwok