Thursday, October 21: PTA Meeting, 9:30 AM, Zoom
Tuesday, Wednesday, October 26 & 27: School Picture Days
Tuesday, November 2: Election Day, students receive remote asynchronous instruction
Thursday, November 4: Parent Teacher Conferences, 11:40 AM dismissal for students
Thursday, November 11: Veteran's Day, Schools Closed
Thursday, November 18: PTA Meeting, 9:30 AM, Zoom
Thursday-Friday, November 25, 26: Thanksgiving Recess, Schools Closed
Last day to purchase passes is Wednesday!
What is the Scavenger Haunt?
Teams (of family or friends) will answer riddles that direct them to various locations in Central Park. PS166 Volunteers will ask you to complete a task, play a game, submit a picture or even dance and share your video! In return, you will be given a puzzle piece. Collect all of the puzzle pieces, reveal your final stop & receive your Scavenger Haunt Goodie Bag!
Prizes!
This isn’t a trick, everyone gets a treat! Everyone participating receives a goodie bag. With additional awards, Costume contest and more!. Spooky pumpkin prizes. More to come!
To play:
How to Play | How to join the game.
How to play on Oct 23rd
Play later?
From Sunday, Oct. 24 - Thursday, Oct. 28 is a 5-day Halloween Challenge. The daily challenge can be done at home or around the neighborhood. Children participating in only the 5 day challenge can pick-up their goodie bags at drop off on Friday, Oct. 29. Get your pass now!
Can we do both?
YES! We can only provide 1 goodie bag per child; however, we encourage you to participate in one or both. The more people who play, the more fun it will be!
One registration allows you to play in one or both.
You may have heard NYPL's big announcement that all late fines have been eliminated, and all existing fines on member accounts have been cleared. Learn more about this policy change and see all the upcoming events in NYPL's Welcome Week, where all visitors will receive a free "welcome back pack" filled with school at supplies https://www.nypl.org/
Parent Teacher Conferences will take place on Thursday, November 4th. It will be an early dismissal day for students with dismissal at 11:40 AM. Because of the shortened day, there are no lunch periods. Students will be given grab-and-go lunches on request as they are dismissed.
Conferences will be held remotely. More information will be shared soon about signing up for your conference.
The DOE has not yet released the middle school application or timeline information. At this time, they do not have any updates regarding the admissions timeline, or the admissions methods that will be part of this year’s process.
Later this fall, public school families will receive a personalized welcome letter in the mail, which includes a unique code to access your child’s MySchools account. Please make sure the DOE has your correct address so you don't miss your letter. The best way to do that is to check your NYCSA student account. What you see there is what the DOE system has on file.
Please note that updating information on the blue card does not update the DOE system. You must notify the school with any changes in order to make them official. To change your address you need to submit two pieces of address verification.
NYC has a map of locations that offer free food (food pantries, soup kitchens), as well as farmers’ markets and grocery stores. Please visit a map of food resources across the city.
Arrival gates will close promptly at 8:20 AM. Students arriving after that time must enter through the main blue doors, where they will be given a late pass before proceeding to class.
While the DOE did not penalize lateness during the 20-21 school year, this year lateness will again be on students' permanent attendance records. To ensure your child is not late, please plan on dropping your child off by 8:15 AM each day. This gives them a chance to line up with their classmates and have an unhurried start to their school day.
Remember, late is late, whether it is one minute or one hour. Students who are not lined up with their class by 8:20 are late for school. Students arriving late because of a late bus are not marked late.
Although lunch is free for NYC students, to assure the appropriate share of funding to our school, we still need every parent to complete a Family Income Inquiry Form (formerly known as the lunch form.)
If you have not yet filled out the form for your child(ren) you will receive a letter in your child's backpack. Some letters were backpacked yesterday and the rest will go home today. You do not need the letter to submit the form but if you receive a letter it confirms we do not have a form submitted for your child.
The quickest way to submit the form is at at https://www.myschoolapps.com/
Type in your zip code and state and then select "New York City Schools" as the district.
It is very convenient to fill it out online and you can include all your children on one form regardless of which school they attend. If you feel you will not qualify for free or reduced lunch, just indicate it online.
Paper forms take longer to process but will be provided on request. Send a note to your child's teacher if you would rather have a paper form. The paper form must be filled out by you, sent back to school with your child, collected by a staff member, put through a scanner and downloaded to the Department of Education. The DOE may take several weeks to then process the form.
The superintendent's office keeps track of each school's percentage of submitted forms and expects us to have 100% response rate. So your prompt attention to submitting the form is appreciated!
Please do not pick up your children by car in front of the school. West 89th street is a narrow street and double-parked cars hold up traffic, including buses that must get through. If you must pick up by car, and cannot find a parking spot on West 89th street, please park on one of the avenues and walk down.
Fifth Grade Dismissal Update: Beginning Monday, October 4th, fifth grade students will be dismissed at 2:40 PM, along with the rest of the school. They will still be dismissed in front of the blue doors, on either side of the first grade classes, which are closer to the doors.
4th and 5th Grade Permission to Self Dismiss: Fourth and fifth grade students may self-dismiss with a parent's permission. Parents and 4th and 5th grade students will receive a message from Operoo with a self-dismissal form. If you would like your child to self-dismiss, please check the box "My child has permission to walk home alone" and sign the form. We ask that you do this even if you have already given permission in writing to the teacher so that teachers will have them all in one place digitally. If you don't wish your child to self-dismiss you can either check the No Permission box or simply not respond. Reminders will not be sent for this form since it is not mandatory.
Kindergarten Dismissal Update: Kindergarten classes are dismissed one by one at the Kindergarten Gate. Since teachers and staff are still getting to know parents and caregivers, please stay either across the street or on the sidewalk closest to the street until your child's class is being dismissed. To eliminate confusion, please do not wave to your child until your child's name is called. When the teacher looks out and sees 4 adults waving, she does not know who is the adult for that particular child or who is waving to their child still in line. Once you have picked up your child, please promptly move away from the area to make way for the next group of parents/caregivers. Please share this information with your caregivers.
Pictures will be taken outside (to ensure social distancing and safety procedures) and in front of a white background. So, please make sure your children wear bright clothes on their particular day (schedule to come).
Health Screening Tool
Continuing the safety measures introduced in the previous school year, we will be conducting regular COVID testing of unvaccinated students grades 1 through 12. That way, action can be taken right away to protect the school community if there’s a positive case. Submit your updated testing consent form for your child using your NYC Schools Account (NYCSA) at schoolsaccount.nyc or by downloading the form online at schools.nyc.gov/covidtesting and providing the completed printed form to your child’s school.
You can fill out the form using your NYC Schools Account (NYCSA): schoolsaccount.nyc
Download the form online at schools.nyc.gov/covidtesting
Don’t have an NYC Schools Account? Learn more at schools.nyc.gov/NYCSA
PS 166 parents can also submit the form in Operoo.
Testing consent forms submitted in the previous school year expire on September 30, 2021. If you previously provided consent, your child may be tested this month as part of the in-school testing.
Complete DOE guidance regarding COVID-19 safety and health protocols were announced August 26, 2021 and are available on the DOE site and as a PDF.
Some highlights:
Mask wearing for ALL students and adults in the building will continue to be required.
Vaccinations are required for all DOE staff.
Social distancing requirements are 3 feet between students, where possible.
Testing will occur for 10% of the unvaccinated school population, twice a month. Testing will not be required for vaccinated individuals.
Provide Consent for COVID-19 Testing
Fill out a COVID-19 testing consent form in your NYC Schools Account (NYCSA) or download a printable version at schools.nyc.gov/covidtesting. Don’t have an NYC Schools Account? Learn how to get started at schools.nyc.gov/NYCSA.
Spread the word to anyone who is looking to get vaccinated! New York City is partnering with PTA and community groups like ours to encourage vaccination in our community. For every eligible person we refer to a city-run vaccination site or for an in-home appointment, Friends of PS166 will receive $100.
Participation is easy:
1. Request an appointment using the NYC Vaccine Appointment Scheduler.
2. During online registration, list "Friends of PS166" when asked "Were you referred for your vaccination by an organization as part of the NYC Vaccine Referral Bonus Program?"
3. Friends of PS166 will receive cash for each referral up to $20,000.
Thursday, October 21: PTA Meeting, 9:30 AM, Zoom
Tuesday, Wednesday, October 26 & 27: School Picture Days
Tuesday, November 2: Election Day, students receive remote asynchronous instruction
Thursday, November 4: Parent Teacher Conferences, 11:40 AM dismissal for students
Thursday, November 11: Veteran's Day, Schools Closed
Thursday, November 18: PTA Meeting, 9:30 AM, Zoom
Thursday-Friday, November 25, 26: Thanksgiving Recess, Schools Closed
Last day to purchase passes is Wednesday!
What is the Scavenger Haunt?
Teams (of family or friends) will answer riddles that direct them to various locations in Central Park. PS166 Volunteers will ask you to complete a task, play a game, submit a picture or even dance and share your video! In return, you will be given a puzzle piece. Collect all of the puzzle pieces, reveal your final stop & receive your Scavenger Haunt Goodie Bag!
Prizes!
This isn’t a trick, everyone gets a treat! Everyone participating receives a goodie bag. With additional awards, Costume contest and more!. Spooky pumpkin prizes. More to come!
To play:
How to Play | How to join the game.
How to play on Oct 23rd
Play later?
From Sunday, Oct. 24 - Thursday, Oct. 28 is a 5-day Halloween Challenge. The daily challenge can be done at home or around the neighborhood. Children participating in only the 5 day challenge can pick-up their goodie bags at drop off on Friday, Oct. 29. Get your pass now!
Can we do both?
YES! We can only provide 1 goodie bag per child; however, we encourage you to participate in one or both. The more people who play, the more fun it will be!
One registration allows you to play in one or both.
You may have heard NYPL's big announcement that all late fines have been eliminated, and all existing fines on member accounts have been cleared. Learn more about this policy change and see all the upcoming events in NYPL's Welcome Week, where all visitors will receive a free "welcome back pack" filled with school at supplies https://www.nypl.org/
Parent Teacher Conferences will take place on Thursday, November 4th. It will be an early dismissal day for students with dismissal at 11:40 AM. Because of the shortened day, there are no lunch periods. Students will be given grab-and-go lunches on request as they are dismissed.
Conferences will be held remotely. More information will be shared soon about signing up for your conference.
The DOE has not yet released the middle school application or timeline information. At this time, they do not have any updates regarding the admissions timeline, or the admissions methods that will be part of this year’s process.
Later this fall, public school families will receive a personalized welcome letter in the mail, which includes a unique code to access your child’s MySchools account. Please make sure the DOE has your correct address so you don't miss your letter. The best way to do that is to check your NYCSA student account. What you see there is what the DOE system has on file.
Please note that updating information on the blue card does not update the DOE system. You must notify the school with any changes in order to make them official. To change your address you need to submit two pieces of address verification.
NYC has a map of locations that offer free food (food pantries, soup kitchens), as well as farmers’ markets and grocery stores. Please visit a map of food resources across the city.
Arrival gates will close promptly at 8:20 AM. Students arriving after that time must enter through the main blue doors, where they will be given a late pass before proceeding to class.
While the DOE did not penalize lateness during the 20-21 school year, this year lateness will again be on students' permanent attendance records. To ensure your child is not late, please plan on dropping your child off by 8:15 AM each day. This gives them a chance to line up with their classmates and have an unhurried start to their school day.
Remember, late is late, whether it is one minute or one hour. Students who are not lined up with their class by 8:20 are late for school. Students arriving late because of a late bus are not marked late.
Although lunch is free for NYC students, to assure the appropriate share of funding to our school, we still need every parent to complete a Family Income Inquiry Form (formerly known as the lunch form.)
If you have not yet filled out the form for your child(ren) you will receive a letter in your child's backpack. Some letters were backpacked yesterday and the rest will go home today. You do not need the letter to submit the form but if you receive a letter it confirms we do not have a form submitted for your child.
The quickest way to submit the form is at at https://www.myschoolapps.com/
Type in your zip code and state and then select "New York City Schools" as the district.
It is very convenient to fill it out online and you can include all your children on one form regardless of which school they attend. If you feel you will not qualify for free or reduced lunch, just indicate it online.
Paper forms take longer to process but will be provided on request. Send a note to your child's teacher if you would rather have a paper form. The paper form must be filled out by you, sent back to school with your child, collected by a staff member, put through a scanner and downloaded to the Department of Education. The DOE may take several weeks to then process the form.
The superintendent's office keeps track of each school's percentage of submitted forms and expects us to have 100% response rate. So your prompt attention to submitting the form is appreciated!
Please do not pick up your children by car in front of the school. West 89th street is a narrow street and double-parked cars hold up traffic, including buses that must get through. If you must pick up by car, and cannot find a parking spot on West 89th street, please park on one of the avenues and walk down.
Fifth Grade Dismissal Update: Beginning Monday, October 4th, fifth grade students will be dismissed at 2:40 PM, along with the rest of the school. They will still be dismissed in front of the blue doors, on either side of the first grade classes, which are closer to the doors.
4th and 5th Grade Permission to Self Dismiss: Fourth and fifth grade students may self-dismiss with a parent's permission. Parents and 4th and 5th grade students will receive a message from Operoo with a self-dismissal form. If you would like your child to self-dismiss, please check the box "My child has permission to walk home alone" and sign the form. We ask that you do this even if you have already given permission in writing to the teacher so that teachers will have them all in one place digitally. If you don't wish your child to self-dismiss you can either check the No Permission box or simply not respond. Reminders will not be sent for this form since it is not mandatory.
Kindergarten Dismissal Update: Kindergarten classes are dismissed one by one at the Kindergarten Gate. Since teachers and staff are still getting to know parents and caregivers, please stay either across the street or on the sidewalk closest to the street until your child's class is being dismissed. To eliminate confusion, please do not wave to your child until your child's name is called. When the teacher looks out and sees 4 adults waving, she does not know who is the adult for that particular child or who is waving to their child still in line. Once you have picked up your child, please promptly move away from the area to make way for the next group of parents/caregivers. Please share this information with your caregivers.
Pictures will be taken outside (to ensure social distancing and safety procedures) and in front of a white background. So, please make sure your children wear bright clothes on their particular day (schedule to come).
All students receive remote instruction
Early Dismissal for Students
Show your pride with our exclusive selection of uniquely branded products. 100% of the profit goes towards the PS 166 PTA to help sustain the resources and programs that benefit every student at PS 166.
Items may be shipped or picked up locally at Big Frog Custom T-shirts on the Upper West Side (80th/Broadway).
SHOP NOW
We would like to hear from you about how the first few weeks at PS166 have gone so far and give you an opportunity to meet and greet other parents in your grade.
Please meet us for coffee outside the West Side Community Garden gates across the street from the school after drop off. BYO masks. We'll bring the coffee!
COFFEE IN THE GARDEN BY GRADE
K-1 Parents: Friday, October 15
2-3 Parents: Monday, October 18
4-5 Parents: Tuesday, October 19
We are pleased to announce that this year all PS166 students in grades 3-5 who wish to, will have the opportunity to participate in the Noetic Learning Math Contest, a national problem-solving competition.
The goal of the contest is to encourage students’ interest in math, inspire them to excel, and develop students’ problem-solving and logical-reasoning skills. The Fall contest is in mid-November; students who participate will be given 20 math puzzles to solve in 45 minutes. If your child is interested in joining a PS166 math team, sign up here.
Registration opens later this week for PS166’s first-ever Scavenger Haunt! Families and/or teams of friends will answer riddles that direct them to various locations around the UWS. Our PS166 Volunteers will ask you to complete a task, play a game, submit a picture or even dance at each spot! In return, you will be given a puzzle piece. Collect all of the puzzle pieces to receive your Scavenger Haunt Goodie Bag!
Want to volunteer? Contact Tiffany!
Thanks to your generous support, we were able to purchase guitar carts for the music room. Previously the guitars were stored in cases in a closet and it was time consuming and challenging to get them out for students to use. Now they are safe and easy for children to get out and put away. We can’t wait until our kids can get back in the music room to use them!
CMI- Social emotional wellbeing in students, September 30, 2:30 PM
Catching Up After COVID-19: Social Skills and Friendships, September 30, 6:30 PM
Introduction to Special Education, October 15, 10:00 AM
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!
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, or to volunteer for an event!
We'd love to hear! We really do want to take questions from our parent community and get answers for you. We will be meeting with the administration several times in the coming days, so let us know!
Minutes for the June PTA meeting can be found here and we will vote on their approval at our next PTA meeting on October 21st at 9:30 am.
Congratulations to our new PTA Executive Board and newly elected parent SLT members! The following are the results of the May 25th parent elections:
PTA Executive Board
Co-Presidents: Kristin Savov and Annalisa Petersen
Co-Treasurers: Emilie Wang and Geeta Koolwal
Recording Secretary: Sarah Sevier
VP Fundraising: Simon Franceschi
VP Events & Volunteers: Tiffany Boyer
VP Grants: Radi Morris
Financial Secretary: Ken Connolly
Communications Secretary: Amie Ray
SLT
Christine Nuzum
Jenny Passero
Yael Swica
FLU SEASON
Flu season is soon and flu shots are available now. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises all children to be vaccinated before the end of October. “As we continue to face another year of COVID-19 pandemic, timely influenza vaccination of all persons 6 months of age and older, is a priority this year.”--AAP
PROVIDE CONSENT FOR COVID-19 TESTING
Fill out a COVID-19 testing consent form in your NYC Schools Account (NYCSA) or download a printable version. | Get an NYC Schools account here.
NEW DOE TESTING PROTOCOLS
The mayor's office announced new testing and quarantining policies for NYC public schools. Starting September 27th, students at all NYC public schools will be tested weekly. Also, they are relaxing school quarantine rules to bring them in alignment with CDC guidance. So long as unvaccinated students were masked and maintained 3ft of social distance, they will not have to quarantine after having close contact with a student who tests positive for COVID-19. The prior quarantine rules required all unvaccinated close contacts of a student who tested positive to quarantine for 10 days.
GIVE CONSENT FOR TESTING
Every week the school will be testing 10% of 1st-5th grade students whose parents gave consent.
VACCINE FUNDRAISER
Spread the word: anyone who is getting vaccinated! For every eligible person we refer to a city-run vaccination site or for an in-home appointment, Friends of PS166 will receive $100.
1. Schedule an appointment here.
2. List "Friends of PS166" when asked "Were you referred for your vaccination by an organization as part of the NYC Vaccine Referral Bonus Program?"
COVID TESTING
If you are looking for testing outside of school, here is the city testing location page. There are free LabQ mobile testing vans located at 71st, 86th, and 97th streets that open at 10 am and return PCR results within 24 hrs.
COMMITTEE CHAIR NEEDED
We are need a parent volunteer to chair our school’s inclusion committee. you are interested or would like more information, please email Tiffany Boyer.
When: October 15, 10 AM
Links for those who missed last week’s event or need resources: Video | Slides | Resources
Check out AFC's Guide to Early Childhood Education Programs for 3 and 4 year olds for the 2021-2022 school year, and our Summary of COVID-19 Changes to Preschool Special Education (available in English and Spanish)
Have questions about applying to middle or high school for students with IEPs? Watch Advocates for Children of NY's recent webinar about the application process for students with disabilities.
Advocates for Children of New York's Education Helpline provides individualized guidance and information for your education-related issues. Assistance available in multiple languages: Monday-Thursday, 10am - 4pm; (866) 427-6033.
DOE Free Webinars on Literacy
Designed to support families of students with disabilities during remote learning, they will focus on the basic theory and practice of good reading instruction, and share everyday activities for parents to use at home with their child. Learn more and register
Disability Pride Parade Visual Art Contest
The NYC DOE’s Disability Pride Parade Visual Art Contest is open to all Pre K - 12 students. Recognizing that art is an invaluable means of expression and communication, the DOE is encouraging students to develop visual representations of what the phrase, “Nothing About Us Without Us,” means to them. Contest finalists will be invited to a special reception, as well as have their artwork featured in a NYC art gallery and on promotional materials for the Disability Pride Parade. The deadline for submissions is Friday, March 13, 2020. All interested students should speak with their Art teacher.
ADVOCATES FOR CHILDREN’S TURNING 5 WORKSHOPS: KINDERGARTEN ADMISSIONS.
These workshops will cover the process for applying to DOE public schools, including tips for researching schools, ways to submit an application, understanding how school offers are made, what to do when you get an offer, and more. See all webinar dates and register
Continued Special Education Services during Remote Learning
Your child continues to have the right to receive the special education supports listed on their IEP during remote learning. If you have questions or concerns, reach out to the Special Education office at specialeducation@schools.nyc.gov or call 311, or contact your child’s special education providers to confirm scheduling options for all-remote services.
Webinar: DOE’s Temporary Transition for Fully Remote Learning
Hosted by NYCDOE Division of Specialized Instruction and Student Support. Join DOE representatives to learn more about what the transition to fully-remote learning means for students with IEPs.
Advocates for Children Education Helpline:
This Education Helpline provides individualized guidance and information for your education-related issues. Monday-Thursday, 10am -4pm. Translators available. (866) 427-6033
Food Allergy Support - Return to School
If you are a parent or a guardian of a child with food allergies, you can explore some useful recommendations from the Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) group regarding return to school:
PS166 Family Guide to 504 Accommodations
Please visit the 504 Accommodations Page for information on whether your child is eligible to receive health services or accommodations in school under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
For additional information related to 504 accommodations, you can review the Department of Education’s Student and Family Guide here.
Become a Certified Parent Member of the IEP Team!
The Parent Member is a member of the IEP team that supports a parent of a child with a disability at their IEP meeting. In this state-approved FREE training, learn about procedures and regulations, as well as how to promote the parent's understanding and participation. For more information, please visit here.
We are looking for new Inclusion Committee Co-Chairs. Please email the VP Volunteers if you are interested.
Support the inclusion of climate change education into NY State High Schools by signing this petition.
NYC’s first electric school buses will be added to the school bus fleet in September.
Families looking for places to take their food scraps for composting can search this list of current options,
Want more information? Click here for more composting sites and information.
The Morningside Park Down-to-Earth Farmers Market (110th & Manhattan Avenue), accepts textiles weekly. In addition, Wearable Collections will pick up from your residence, although there is now a fee, and a large minimum amount: https://www.wearablecollections.com/homepickups
Another option is Pick Up Please: https://pickupplease.org/
620 Columbus Avenue (btwn 90th & 91st Streets, west side of street).
Info: Assembly Member Daniel O'Donnell ( 212-866-3970); Council Member Helen Rosenthal (212-873-0282)
Be sure to check out the Green Committee Home Page for more info.
(webinar), Thursday, Sept. 30, 6:30 PM
Online Parent Support Group
Include NYC offers informative webinars and an online parent support group where parents or guardians can share their experiences, struggles, and successes as parents of children with disabilities. Discussion topics include:
