Respect For All Week

Dear Parents/Guardians: The NYC Department of Education has designated February 11-15 as Respect For All Week in all NYC public schools. During this week, schools will have opportunities to highlight and build upon ongoing diversity programs and curriculum-based instruction. Schools will also have opportunities to embark upon new initiatives that promote respect for diversity and engage students in meaningful lessons and/or other activities that focus on preventing bias-based harassment, intimidation and/or bullying. For the week of February 11th, we have coordinated the following activities: • 2/11 – School Safety Committee – Mid-year Meeting/Reflection; • 2/12 @ 5:30 PM – The Middle School Dance; • 2/13 – Parent Workshop on the Instructional Uses of IPADs for Pre-K to 2 Parents, facilitated by Parent Coordinator Corley and Ms. Cristi; • 2/15 – “Respect For All” Parent Workshop, facilitated by Parent Coordinator Corley and Ms. Paisley, SAPIS Counselor; • Ongoing – Peer Mediation; • All Week – Classroom Lessons focusing on definitions of discrimination, socially appropriate behavior and cultural diversity.; • All Week – Advisory Lessons regarding Diversity and Respect & Public Address Announcements regarding the Virtue of the Week - RESPECT; Additionally, we have the following events scheduled throughout the month around the topics of safety and respect: • 2/7 – AAA New York Safety Assembly on Pedestrian Safety for K-5 Students (Morning); • 2/21 – Student of the Month Assembly (Grades 5-8) at 8:15 AM; • 2/22 – Student of the Month Assembly (Grades Pre-K-4) at 8:15 AM; • 2/25 – The NED Show Assembly (Grades K-5) @ 1:15 PM. The NED show promotes positive attitudes, better behavior and academic achievement in school. The character education assembly is based on the acronym NED - Never give up, Encourage others, Do your best.; • 2/26 – 100TH Day of School Activities (throughout the school building); • 2/26 – Family Basketball Night: MS Students @ 4:30 PM; Adults @ 5:45 PM; We look forward to seeing you at some of the parent events mentioned above. Thank you.

Official Facebook Page

We are pleased to announce the launch of our school's official Facebook page: www.facebook.com/178QHolliswood. Please "like" our page on Facebook to receive alerts and notifications about our school. Thank you.

Grades 1-2 Percussion Residency

Dear Grades 1-2 Parents/Guardians: As you are aware, PS/IS 178Q is committed to ensuring the growth and potential of each student. We are preparing all of our students to be college and career ready with rigorous new learning standards implemented in our classrooms every day. Along with our strong academic program, we also feel that it is vital that students develop confidence and one of the ways this can be accomplished is through performing arts. Therefore, we are pleased to announce that we have extended the partnership with Marquis Studios to provide a percussion residency to grades one and two with the instructor from the Fall program, John Bellia. The program will take place one period every Friday for six weeks, beginning February 1, 2013, for each first and second grade class. During the residency, your child’s teacher remains in the classroom with the teaching artist. The students will perform at the March 14th Arts Benefit Concert (SAVE THE DATE). If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask. Thank you. Sincerely, Jennifer C. Ambert Principal

Common Core Standards

Dear Parents/Guardians: The transition to the Common Core standards represents an opportunity to strengthen instruction. In observing classrooms, we have seen teachers and students participating in rigorous, text-based discussions. Teachers are asking higher-order questions, and engaging with the standards during this transition period. As you know, this spring’s New York State English language arts (ELA) and math tests for grades 3-8 will align with the Common Core standards, and we expect the tests to be significantly more challenging. We have been informed that, at least initially, students’ scores may decline. However, the richer tests we will be seeing over the next few years can help move us toward stronger teaching that emphasizes cognitively demanding tasks and assignments. To support parents’ understanding of these changes, the New York State Education Department recently released ELA and math testing guides on their website: www.engageny.org. These documents describe the content changes at each grade level and provide guidance about how the Common Core standards will be assessed this spring. In ELA, for instance, the tests will include authentic texts that require students to read critically and to write using text-based evidence. In math, the tests will reflect the major work of the grade and the instructional shifts requiring fluency, application, and conceptual understanding. As in other situations that involve significant change, and this combination of new tests and potentially lower scores, I encourage you to make yourself familiar with the Common Core Standards and the newly aligned tests. Therefore, I would like to remind you to attend the parent workshop on January 23, 2013 on the Grades 3-8 ELA and Math Assessments at 8:30 AM. The workshop will be presented by our instructional coaches and our parent coordinator. I encourage you to acknowledge the transition period that we are currently in by participating in our parent workshops and visiting the Common Core Library on the DOE website:http://schools.nyc.gov/Academics/CommonCoreLibrary/ForFamilies/default.htm Thank you. Sincerely, Jennifer C. Ambert, Principal

Sandy Hook Elementary School Tragedy

Dear Parents/Guardians: There are no words that would make sense of the incomprehensible horror of Friday’s school shootings in Newtown, Connecticut. Our hearts go out to the families who have experienced such devastating loss. However, we want to assure you that our school takes your children’s safety very seriously. In fact, it is our number one priority! This past school year, the NYC Department of Education instituted a General Response Protocol (GRP) for all schools, as described in a letter we backpacked home early last week. The GRP is used across the country as a way of standardizing our response to disasters and other dangerous events. Our staff receives ongoing training in these protocols so that we can react to any emergency that may arise. We also have a Building Response Team (BRT) that has received certification in emergency preparedness from FEMA. We will continue to drill and practice to make sure that our students and staff can react with automaticity. With that said, there are things that we can do to make our building safer:  We must be vigilant in ensuring that all doors remain closed. Sometimes people exit the building without going past our wonderful security agents. If you see a door open, please SHUT IT. All staff members will be reminded as well.  Please don’t be angry when the Safety Agents ask to see your I.D. It is their responsibility to make sure that all visitors are properly screened. Each visitor should receive a VISITOR’S PASS label, and wear it.  If you have not done so already, register to receive NOTIFY NYC alerts. You can register at notifynyc.gov or call 311 to receive telephone updates in times of emergency.  Please update all important information on your children’s blue cards. We will not release a child to someone who comes to pick up a student if their name does not appear on the all-important blue card. I know that some parents have been annoyed with our overzealousness in this regard. Again, we take your children’s safety very seriously. We do want to let you know that members of our school’s Crisis Intervention Team are available to speak to you or your child if these services are needed. Our mental health staff (school psychologist, social workers, guidance counselor) is trained to deal with these situations. Please reach out to us if you need to avail yourself or your children of these services. We sent out an e-mail on Friday night to Class Parents with resources for parents for dealing with traumatic events in school (attached for your reference). We also posted these resources on the school’s blog: http://holliswoodschool.blogspot.com Lastly, we would like to say that during these troubling times, the Holliswood School community will do what it always does when there is a crisis. We will band together to support each other through these traumatic and devastating times. We will find strength in each other.

Tragedy in Connecticut School

Dear School Community: What happened in Connecticut is absolutely horrific. At this time, I am so saddened to hear about all of the events that took place. We will review our GRP protocols with our staff next week and hold a Building Response Team Meeting on Monday. In the meantime, please use the following guide for any questions your children may have about this tragedy. A parent/guardian letter will be issued next week and backpacked home. For your information, in the month of December, we have had three safety assemblies, including one with the Office of Emergency Management. **Talking to Children About Violence: Tips for Parents and Teachers **High profile acts of violence, particularly in schools, can confuse and frighten children who may feel in danger or worry that their friends or loved-ones are at risk. They will look to adults for information and guidance on how to react. Parents and school personnel can help children feel safe by establishing a sense of normalcy and security and talking with them about their fears. **1. Reassure children that they are safe. Emphasize that schools are very safe. Validate their feelings. Explain that all feelings are okay when a tragedy occurs. Let children talk about their feelings, help put them into perspective, and assist them in expressing these feelings appropriately. **2. Make time to talk. Let their questions be your guide as to how much information to provide. Be patient. Children and youth do not always talk about their feelings readily. Watch for clues that they may want to talk, such as hovering around while you do the dishes or yard work. Some children prefer writing, playing music, or doing an art project as an outlet. Young children may need concrete activities (such as drawing, looking at picture books, or imaginative play) to help them identify and express their feelings. **3. Keep your explanations developmentally appropriate. • Early elementary school children need brief, simple information that should be balanced with reassurances that their school and homes are safe and that adults are there to protect them. Give simple examples of school safety like reminding children about exterior doors being locked, child monitoring efforts on the playground, and emergency drills practiced during the school day. • Upper elementary and early middle school children will be more vocal in asking questions about whether they truly are safe and what is being done at their school. They may need assistance separating reality from fantasy. Discuss efforts of school and community leaders to provide safe schools. • Upper middle school and high school students will have strong and varying opinions about the causes of violence in schools and society. They will share concrete suggestions about how to make school safer and how to prevent tragedies in society. Emphasize the role that students have in maintaining safe schools by following school safety guidelines (e.g. not providing building access to strangers, reporting strangers on campus, reporting threats to the school safety made by students or community members, etc.), communicating any personal safety concerns to school administrators, and accessing support for emotional needs. **4. Review safety procedures. This should include procedures and safeguards at school and at home. Help children identify at least one adult at school and in the community to whom they go if they feel threatened or at risk. **5. Observe children’s emotional state. Some children may not express their concerns verbally. Changes in behavior, appetite, and sleep patterns can indicate a child’s level of anxiety or discomfort. In most children, these symptoms will ease with reassurance and time. However, some children may be at risk for more intense reactions. Children who have had a past traumatic experience or personal loss, suffer from depression or other mental illness, or with special needs may be at greater risk for severe reactions than others. Seek the help of mental health professional if you are at all concerned. **6. Limit television viewing of these events. Limit television viewing and be aware if the television is on in common areas. Developmentally inappropriate information can cause anxiety or confusion, particularly in young children. Adults also need to be mindful of the content of conversations that they have with each other in front of children, even teenagers, and limit their exposure to vengeful, hateful, and angry comments that might be misunderstood. **7. Maintain a normal routine. Keeping to a regular schedule can be reassuring and promote physical health. Ensure that children get plenty of sleep, regular meals, and exercise. Encourage them to keep up with their schoolwork and extracurricular activities but don’t push them if they seem overwhelmed. Suggested Points to Emphasize When Talking to Children • Schools are safe places. School staff work with parents and public safety providers (local police and fire departments, emergency responders, hospitals, etc.) to keep you safe. • The school building is safe because … (cite specific school procedures). • We all play a role in the school safety. Be observant and let an adult know if you see or hear something that makes you feel uncomfortable, nervous or frightened. • There is a difference between reporting, tattling or gossiping. You can provide important information that may prevent harm either directly or anonymously by telling a trusted adult what you know or hear. • Don’t dwell on the worst possibilities. Although there is no absolute guarantee that something bad will never happen, it is important to understand the difference between the possibility of something happening and the probability that it will affect our school. • Senseless violence is hard for everyone to understand. Doing things that you enjoy, sticking to your normal routine, and being with friends and family help make us feel better and keep us from worrying about the event. • Sometimes people do bad things that hurt others. They may be unable to handle their anger, under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or suffering from mental illness. Adults (parents, teachers, police officers, doctors, faith leaders) work very hard to get those people help and keep them from hurting others. It is important for all of us to know how to get help if we feel really upset or angry and to stay away from drugs and alcohol. • Stay away from guns and other weapons. Tell an adult if you know someone has a gun. Access to guns is one of the leading risk factors for deadly violence. • Violence is never a solution to personal problems. Students can be part of the positive solution by participating in anti-violence programs at school, learning conflict mediation skills, and seeking help from an adult if they or a peer is struggling with anger, depression, or other emotions they cannot control.

Support our Barnes and Noble Book Fair

Dear Parents/Guardians, We are proud to announce that the P.S./I.S. 178 Barnes & Noble Bookfair will be taking place at the Fresh Meadows location on Tuesday, December 4, 2012 from 5-7 P.M. You will also have an opportunity to support us by shopping online from Tuesday, December 4, 2012 through Sunday, December 9, 2012. A percentage of your purchase made through www.bn.com/bookfairs will be contributed to our Bookfair. Here’s how: • Be sure to use the web address above (www.bn.com/bookfairs) to do your online shopping. • When you’ve finished selecting your purchases, click on your cart and begin the check-out process. On the payment page, there will be a section at the bottom that states Check Here If This Is a Bookfair Order. When you check the box, type in our bookfair ID number 10927846 in the required entry field. • If you already have a BN.com account with a default payment method, you will only see a Checkout Summary screen. To add the Bookfair ID to the payment page, you will need to click on the Change button on the right-hand side of the Payment Section. This will take you back to the payment page, where you can enter our bookfair ID number 10927846. • After placing your order, you can log back into your Order Summary Confirmation to check to see if the Bookfair ID number is listed on your order (10927846). If it is, everything was done correctly! • If you do not see a Bookfair ID number (10927846), or if you realize that you placed your order without using our Bookfair ID number, please call Customer Service at 800-962-6177 as soon as possible. Provide your order number and our Bookfair ID number, and the representative will manually add your order to our Bookfair sales total. • Please note that the purchase of some items such as gift cards, textbooks, magazines, etc. is excluded from Bookfair sales totals. For more information, check the FAQs on the www.bn.com/bookfairs home page. Please feel free to forward this email to any family and friends who would like to support our Bookfair as well. Thanks again for supporting our Bookfair! Sincerely, Anthony Rizzo Assistant Principal, IA