Dear Families,
Welcome to another installment of Backpack News. As the leaves turn and the school routine settles in, we’d like to take a moment to highlight our recent Board elections.
First, a big thank you to all the outgoing committee members for your collective years of service. You have volunteered your time and expertise, and we are all truly grateful for the dedication and love you have shown to the entire PS 87 community.
Thank you to those who have volunteered to step into leadership roles on our Board. We are truly appreciative of your willingness to help. While this is a rather “different” school year for us all, we look forward to collaborating with you to make it as awesome as can be.
Announcing your 2020-2021 committee members:
Treasurer – Kim Haussman and Stacey Shapiro
Secretary – Sara Meyer Loya and Carrie Gardner Weinrib
Administration – Marissa Curry
Family Giving – Ross Goldstein
Fundraising and Corporate Sponsorship – Amber Entenberg and Lora Martinez
Auction – Emily Sabree
Culture and Community Engagement/Welcoming – Regine Vincent Bonet and Bea Yang
Community Affairs – Jill Rackmill and Erica De Piero
Enrichment – Megan Hoffman
Communications – Gillian Mollod and Michael Griffin
Wellness – Natalya Murakhver
Kindergarten Representative – Jennie Sparandara
5th Grade/Middle School Representative – Robin Krugman
School Leadership Team (SLT) – Jami De Angelis and Meredith Sharkey
Class Parent Liaison – Gina Pisarzyck
Afterschool – Stacy Cousino
For those of you wishing to get involved in some capacity, we still have some open spots, so feel free to reach out. And please consider being a class parent – it is a fantastic way to make an impact.
Thank you,
Angie Arlia and Rita Kakati Shah
PA Presidents
Earlier in the month, our PS 87 Parents Association held the first “Welcome Wednesday” event for parents new to the school. Parents dropped into a Zoom and discussed ways to connect with other parents, such as arranging pick-ups or playdates (you can find parent contact info in AtoZ Connect). We also talked about remote learning experiences so far, and ideas to help students work more independently on remote days. Lastly, we had the opportunity to meet Jennifer Stark, our new Parent Coordinator.
Alert! All Kindergarten cohorts are still looking for class parents! The PA will communicate more information about class parent roles shortly.
Didn’t make it? Don’t worry – there will be more welcome events to come. Please contact pa-welcoming@ps87.info with any questions.
We are very thankful that Jennifer Stark has joined PS 87 as Parent Coordinator. Please feel free to direct your questions to Jennifer at jstark@ps87.info. Here is Jennifer’s welcome letter to the community:
Dear PS 87 Families,
I am excited to be joining the PS 87 community as your new Parent Coordinator. PS 87’s reputation as a truly collaborative school where all voices are valued was a big draw for me.
Since I had the luxury of googling PS 87 and learning about its history and reputation, and you do not have the same access to me, I thought I’d give you a little info about my background:
I have been a NYC public school parent for 15 years. As such, I’ve experienced everything from early intervention, Turning 5 meetings and IEPs to honors classes, Specialized High School tests and college applications.
I come to you from a three-year stint as Parent Coordinator at PS 281 – a very international school near the United Nations. Prior to that I spent over 20 years working at NYC Barnes & Noble stores where I set-up and hosted events with authors, musicians and performers; worked with teachers, students and schools from around the city; and partnered with cultural institutions and literary and literacy organizations.
I live in Astoria, a neighborhood whose cool factor has risen considerably since I moved there – something I can take no credit for, as my kids will attest.
I will be riding my bicycle to school most days, so wave to all bikers you see, one of them might be me.
I’m looking forward to getting to know you and your children in the coming days, weeks, months, years.
Jennifer
This year’s Harvest Fest is going to look very different, but it will still be filled with fun Halloween activities for our community. Be on the lookout – these activities will be spread out over the next two weeks and will be free to all PS 87 students. A sample of the fun: Guess the pumpkin’s weight, a virtual Halloween costume contest, spooky storytelling, and take-home Halloween craft bags. We will also be selling PS 87 gear so students can show their school spirit. We can’t wait to have some Halloween fun with our “one family under the sun.”
A number of our students could use an extra device for remote learning. Do you have an old laptop or tablet that still works pretty well? If you’d like to donate your old device, please drop it off with Officer Ayala.
Parents can drop in to ask questions to school administration at 9:30 a.m. on:
Monday, October 19 – Blended Cohort A parents
Thursday, October 22 – Blended Cohort B parents
Friday, October 23 – Remote parents
To join the call, please use this link.
The NYC Department of Education continues to update the link below. Keep an eye on it for the latest information from the Department of Education.
https://www.schools.nyc.gov/learn-at-home/chancellor-s-message-for-families
School Funding
Lucas Liu, a member of the CEC and Co-Chair of the Community Relations Committee at PS 9, recently held a meeting about school funding. For those that missed it but are interested in the topic, he will be giving an updated presentation on October 22. If you would like to attend, you can register here.
Community Education Council
District 3 (CEC3) is meeting Wednesday, October 21 at 6:30 p.m.. If you are interested in joining, you can register here.
PS 87 Calendar
| OCTOBER 2020 | |
| 19-20 | Cohort A – In School |
| 19 | SLT |
| 21-23 | Cohort B – In School |
| 26-28 | Cohort A – In School |
| 29-30 | Cohort B – In School |
| NOVEMBER 2020 | |
| 3 | Election Day, fully remote instructional day for all students |
| 4 | Parent-Teacher Conferences – evening only |
| 5 | Parent-Teacher Conferences – afternoon & evening |
| 9 | SLT |
| 11 | Veterans Day, NO SCHOOL |
| 12 | Parent-Teacher Conferences – evening only |
| 13 | Early Dismissal, Parent-Teacher Conferences |
| 26-27 | Thanksgiving Recess, NO SCHOOL |