Dear PS 87 families,
Welcome back! I hope all of you were able to relax and recharge during the summer. I love the beginning of the school year because it gives us the opportunity to recommit to our school’s mission which is “to build a stimulating and inclusive environment in which every student develops academically, socially and emotionally” with the hope that “as students leave P.S. 87 they continue to be active participants in their communities.”
In order to support your child’s academic, social and emotional development, it is imperative that we all understand the value of risk-taking, kindness, curiosity, independence, and self-expression. We must partner with one another to cultivate a learning environment that gives children the space to explore, inquire, and speak up. As one family under the sun, it is the responsibility of the adults in our community to empower the children to be advocates for themselves and one another. This is what helps us fulfill our mission.
This school year, we will continue to read books each month that support your child’s social and emotional growth and development. In addition, we will be implementing a new social-emotional learning program that will give us a common language to discuss our emotions as well as equip the children with techniques that will help them recognize and handle their feelings. We will be holding parent workshops to introduce this program and provide you with tools to support your child.
Before closing, I want to thank everyone for helping to get the school ready to welcome the children back last week. Our teachers and paraprofessionals transformed our classrooms into positive and welcoming learning environments. Our office staff enrolled and welcomed new members into our community as well as purchased and organized materials for the classrooms. Parent and student volunteers delivered materials to the classrooms. The custodial staff spent the summer cleaning and painting the building. I thank you for all of your hard work. You helped to make the first day of school a wonderful experience for our children.
I am looking forward to a wonderful year!
Respectfully,
Principal Monica
BPN on Mondays?
Yes! This year we will be publishing BPN every other Monday, alternating weeks with the email newsletter.
Join us! We are looking for one to two more team members to help us pull together the great content for BPN. Roles include coordination with committees, assisting with layout, editing submissions, and even writing (if that’s your thing!). If interested, please contact Backpacknews@yahoo.com.
Hearty Roots Farm CSA
We are excited to again offer our Fall Share at P.S. 87! We are now accepting sign-ups for our vegetable, egg and fruit shares, to begin on Wednesday, September 11.
Go to https://heartyrootsnyc.csaware.com/store/ for details and to sign up. Please pass this information along to your friends and neighbors. We would love to have additional members.
Thanks and we are looking forward to a great harvest!
–Ben, Lindsey, and family at Hearty Roots Community Farm
Girls on the Run Lottery
Girls on the Run (GotR) teaches life skills to 3rd-5th grade girls through dynamic, interactive lessons and running games. The goal of the program is to unleash confidence through accomplishment, while establishing a lifetime appreciation for health and fitness. At the end of the program, the girls will be physically and emotionally prepared to complete a celebratory 5k running event. This is the fifth year that GotR is partnering with PS 87, and we host two teams that each run two mornings per week. Due to the many school holidays in the fall, the program will start the week of September 16. The lottery will be open August 28 and will close on September 9 at 5:00 p.m. Visit www.gotrnyc.org for more details and/or to register for the lottery.
Save the Date!
Harvest Fest, PS 87’s biggest Fall FUNdraiser will be held on Saturday, October 26, from 2-6 p.m. Bring the whole family! Stay tuned for more details about the event and information about volunteer opportunities.
PS 87 Calendar
* Check ps87.info for venue info *
| SEPTEMBER 2019 | |
| 12 | Curriculum Night, 5 p.m. |
| 13 | General PA Meeting, 8:30 -10 a.m. |
| 16 | SLT Meeting, 4:15 p.m. |
| 20 | International Dinner and Dance |
| 30 | Rosh Hashanah, NO SCHOOL |
| OCTOBER 2019 | |
| 1 | Rosh Hashanah, NO SCHOOL |
| 4 | Afterschool Family Fun Night |
| 5 | Community Service Event |
| 9 | Yom Kippur, NO SCHOOL |
| 11 | General PA Meeting, 8:30 – 10 a.m. |
| 14 | Columbus Day, NO SCHOOL |
| 26 | HARVEST FEST! |
| NOVEMBER 2019 | |
| 5 | Election Day, NO SCHOOL |
| 7 | General PA Meeting, 6:10 p.m. (EVE MEETING) |
| 11 | Veteran’s Day, NO SCHOOL |
| 12-15 | BOOK FAIR |
| 14 | Parent/Teacher Conference, Early Dismissal |
| 28-29 | Thanksgiving, NO SCHOOL |
| DECEMBER 2019 | |
| 3 | Teacher Appreciation |
| 13 | General PA Meeting, 8:30 -10 a.m.Winter Holiday Celebration |
| 24-1 | Winter Break, NO SCHOOL |
| JANUARY 2020 | |
| 10 | General PA Meeting, 8:30 -10 a.m. |
| 20 | Martin Luther King Day, NO SCHOOL |
| FEBRUARY 2020 | |
| 7 | Black History PerformanceGeneral PA Meeting, 8:30 -10 a.m. |
| 17-21 | Mid Winter Break, NO SCHOOL |
| MARCH 2020 | |
| 5-6 | Parent Teacher Conferences |
| 7 | Broadway Night |
| 13 | General PA Meeting, 8:30 -10 a.m. |
| 23-27 | ELA testing |
| 28 | AUCTION! |
| APRIL 2020 | |
| 2 | General PA Meeting, 6:10 p.m. (EVE MEETING) |
| 3 | Pan Asian Night |
| 9-17 | Spring Break, NO SCHOOL |
| 20-24 | Math testing |
| MAY 2020 | |
| 8 | General PA Meeting, 8:30 – 10 a.m. |
| 14-16 | Shining Star |
| 26-29 | Nature’s Classroom |
| 29-31 | Book Fair |
| 30 | SPRING FAIR! |
| JUNE 2020 | |
| 1 | 4th Science Test |
| 4 | Anniversary Day, NO SCHOOL |
| 9 | Clerical Day, NO SCHOOL |
| 12 | General PA Meeting, 8:30 – 10 a.m. |
| 19-20 | Fiesta Latina |
| 26 | LAST DAY OF SCHOOL, Early Dismissal |
Healthy Carrot and Zucchini Tots
- From a PS 87 parent
Back to school, and back to healthy eating! Sneak in some veggies into everyone’s favorite tots.
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchini, grated
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and grated
- ½ cup breadcrumbs (Panko is best)
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup of your favorite cheese, shredded
- 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
- ¼ tsp onion powder
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Combine grated zucchini and 1 tsp salt in a colander. Let it rest for 10 minutes, and then squeeze the zucchini through a clean dish towel to drain all the water out. The more water you squeeze out, the crunchier the tots!
- Transfer drained zucchini, carrots, breadcrumbs, eggs, cheese, Italian seasoning and onion/garlic powders to a large bowl. Mix well and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Form the mixture into tots (or patties if you prefer that).
- Place on a greased baking tray, bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.
- Unbaked or baked and cooled tots can be frozen for up to one month and reheated at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.