• Kindergarten - Red
• Grade 1 -  Purple
• Grade 2 - Orange
• Grade 3 - Blue
• Grade 4 - Pink
• Grade 5 - Green

• Monday: Pajama Day
• Tuesday: Sport Shirt Day
• Wednesday: Crazy Hair Day
• Thursday: Mismatched Day
• Friday: PS 166 Spiritwear

For parents of students in grades 3-5



ELA: Tuesday, March 14, 2023
Math: Tuesday, April 4, 2023

at 9 AM on zoom
 
Parents of students in grades 3, 4 and 5 are invited to our information sessions to learn more about the ELA and math tests your children will be taking this spring. The workshops will provide an overview of the tests and how you can help your child succeed.

All students in grades 3-5 will take the NY State ELA and Math tests on the following dates:

ELA – April 19 and 20
Math – May 2 and 3

Zoom links will be shared closer to the dates. 

If you can't make it to the workshops, the presentations will be posted on our website after they take place.

The week of February 13-17, parents were invited to all classrooms to participate in PALP (Parents As Learning Partners) sessions.

It was great to see so many of you working alongside your children. In order to plan for future PALP events, we would love to hear your thoughts!

Please take a moment to complete the short survey below regarding our recent event. If you attended the event, we'd like your feedback about the experience. If you did not attend, please tell us how we can make it easier for you to attend a future event. 

Take the survey

Library

This semester grades K-2 are having regular library classes with Mr. Shackman. Grade 3-5 classes are able to visit the library during open-access periods. Mr. Shackman would like to have a parent volunteer to help him during some of these periods. Each volunteer shift is one 40-minute period. Because each volunteer needs to be trained, volunteers will sign up for a regular weekly shift and come in at that same time each week.  Please only sign up for one shift, so more parents have a chance to volunteer. The current schedule is for the months of March and April (but beginning Monday, 2/27), and there will be a new sign-up for volunteers for May and June.

Please note that even though the form says you are signing up for one date, you are actually signing up to repeat that day/time every week we are in school until April 28.

Sign Up Here to volunteer once a week in the library.

Save the Dates of April 3, 4 and 5! 

The Scholastic Book Fair is back! We will be having an in-person book fair on April 3, 4 and 5.
More information will be shared as it gets closer, including a call for volunteers. 

By now, most parents have set up their accounts, but for those that have not - remember that this is the only way report cards are distributed. Report cards are available in your NYCSA account today, February 17. Since school is closed for mid-winter recess next week, we will not be able to assist with any issues until after the 27th.

This year parents will vote in the CEC elections through their own NYCSA account. So if both parents want to vote, they will both need an account.  Please read below if you have not set up your account. 

NYCSA is an easy way to stay connected to your child’s school, offering you access to your child’s grades, schedules, test scores, attendance, Individualized Education Program (IEP) information, bus times, and more. NYCSA allows you to submit essential school forms online and access important announcements from the NYC Department of Education, including news of events happening in your district or citywide.

NYCSA now includes Parent University, a resource hub filled with free courses, events, and activities to help empower you as an advocate for your child’s education. In addition, you will be able to use NYCSA to cast your vote in upcoming elections for candidates who will represent your community on local and citywide Community Education Councils.

 How to Sign Up
You can sign up for an account today with just your name and contact information, and then connect the account to your child’s records by contacting your school for verification. Learn more at schools.nyc.gov/nycsa and sign up now at schoolsaccount.nyc.

All kindergarten and first grade families in the Save for College Program can now activate and view their children’s NYC Scholarship Accounts!

Every student enrolled in the Save for College Program automatically receives an NYC Scholarship Account with an initial $100 from NYC Kids RISE, unless their family chooses not to participate by “opting-out.” You can earn more funds for your child’s NYC Scholarship Account by taking additional steps, the first of which is activating and viewing the  account (Building Block 1). Activate and view your child’s NYC Scholarship Account now to earn a $25 reward:

ACTIVATE ACCOUNT

• If you’ve already activated your child’s NYC Scholarship Account, log back in to view the account.
• Learn if your child is eligible to participate in the Save for College Program here.

The application for Kindergarten Admissions for the 2023-2024 school year opened on December 7, 2022 and will close on January 20, 2023.  If your child was born in 2018 and lives in New York City, they are eligible to attend kindergarten in fall 2023. 

NEW!: This year, there will be one application which will include both General Education and G&T.  All application is through MySchools. You will not need an activation or creation code. Simply visit  https://www.myschools.nyc/en/Opens in a new browser tab to begin.

On your child's application, you may choose up to 12 schools. Choose schools  in order of true preference.  Admissions Priorities  will apply. If you currently have a child attending PS 166 in grades K-4, be sure to list that child  on the application so your applicant will receive sibling priority. 

NYC FITNESSGRAM is an annual fitness assessment for students in grades kindergarten-twelve that helps students and their families develop personal goals for lifelong fitness. Students complete the assessments in Physical Education class. NYC FITNESSGRAM is not a graded test, and the results are confidential.

You can view your child’s NYC FITNESSGRAM results and more information about NYC FITNESSGRAM on your NYC Schools Account.

You can also ask Mr. DeVito, your child’s PE teacher, to print out your child’s report. PE teachers can help you understand:

• How the test was administered
• What the results mean
• How your student can make a personal plan for staying healthy and fit

You may also want to share your child’s NYC FITNESSGRAM report with your health care provider. The NYC FITNESSGRAM reports can help start conversations about eating habits and levels of physical activity needed for good health.

What is on the NYC FITNESSGRAM assessment?

• Grades K-3: Students are measured for height and weight only.
• Grades 4-12: Students are measured for height and weight, and complete five fitness activities that assess strength, endurance, flexibility, and aerobic capacity.

Contacts

• To learn more about NYC FITNESSGRAM, email wellness@schools.nyc.gov.

Every school is required to conduct safety drills for emergency evacuation and lockdowns. The drills take place throughout the school year. Before the first of each type of drill, teachers give lessons to the students so they know what to expect. The lessons are posted on our website's safety drill page.

Spring Auction & Gala
Less than two weeks to get your tickets for this year's in person Spring Auction & Gala taking place at The Ribbon on March 15th @ 7:30 PM.  Food, drink & plenty of fun!  Get your tickets HERE!

Our online auction goes live this Sunday at 6 PM.  Check your inbox Sunday night to start your bidding!

Yankees Day Out!
Yankees tickets are SOLD OUT!  We have over 200 people attending from our school. It's going to be a great day at the ballpark.  Make sure to wear your spiritwear!  Tickets will be emailed to attendees the week of March 27th.

Nominations are OPEN for the Big Apple Awards through February 28, 2023! Everyone is encouraged to nominate a teacher. Learn more by clicking here: https://www.schools.nyc.gov/about-us/vision-and-mission/big-apple-awards

If you’re shopping on Amazon, please activate Amazon Smile by going to smile.amazon.com and selecting Friends of PS 166 Inc as the charity recipient. A percentage of each purchase will go to support our school!

PS 166 has a moderated Google discussion group that enables you to communicate and share useful information with other PS 166 parents/guardians.  If you have questions about pick up or drop off procedures or need a recommendation for a good babysitter, pediatrician or other service provider, feel free to post your questions to the group.  If you would like to send and/or receive reminders about upcoming school events or activities or would like to thank or congratulate another member for a job well done, this is the place to do it.  

If you would like to join, email moderatorps166@gmail.com.  Please include PS 166 Message Group in the subject line with your name and your child’s grade in the body of the message.

Gale Brewer’s office is giving out free test kits and masks available for pickup during business hours at her district office: 563 Columbus Ave. at 87th St., from 10 am – 5:30 pm. 

Both Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech bivalent boosters have been authorized by the FDA and CDC for children as young as 5—Moderna for ages 6+, Pfizer for 5+. (“Bivalent” means the newest booster which helps target the BA.4 and BA.5 strains of Omicron.) You can search your ZIP code for availability of appointments for the new bivalent COVID booster at vaccines.gov. 

Flu season is soon and flu shots are available now. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises that “all children ages 6 months and older be vaccinated for influenza this fall, as vaccines remain the best way to prevent severe illness and keep kids in classrooms.”

Our school community relies on parents like you!  Please sign up here to learn more about volunteer opportunities, and to let us know what skills and services you may be able to share! We are specifically looking for:

• Scavenger Hunt Volunteers! Sign up with your friends!

• Teacher Appreciation Event Volunteers

• Volunteers with graphic design or programming experience to join our digital team!

Find out more about the fun events we have planned for this year here and learn about volunteer opportunities. Email our VP of Volunteers, Tiffany Boyer, with questions or ideas!

The chess program at PS 166 is a crown jewel at our school and one of the premier elementary school chess programs in the United States? Now in its 22nd year, the Manhattan Knights Chess Team boasts consistent top honors in all levels of tournament play. If your child is interested in participating in tournaments as a member of the chess team, please contact us to learn more.