When your child is absent because of illness or another reason, please email attendance@ps166.org and copy your child's teacher. Teacher emails can be found on the home page of our website PS166.org. Scroll to the bottom, click on Staff Directory, teacher's name and "show contact info."

Please do not call the school to report an absence. 

When a student is marked absent, the parent will receive an automated message from the DOE. Please remember that when your child is late, if attendance has already been submitted, you will still receive this message. We have no control over this. 

The following day, teachers correct the official attendance for any students who were marked absent but came in late. 

Please try to have your child arrive on time! There are far too many students arriving late each day. It's a good idea to have your child here by 8:15 to avoid them not being with their class when school starts at 8:20. 

We are excited to announce that we are once again planning PALP (Parents As Learning Partners) days in every classroom. PALP is an opportunity to visit your child's classroom and participate with them in their learning! 

PALP Dates:
October 19 - Grade 3
October 23 - Grades K and 1
October 24 - Grade 2
October 30 - Grades 4 and 5
 
All PALP sessions will take place from 8:30-9:10.

We chose this time to be convenient for parents who are dropping off their children. Parents will be asked to line up outside during arrival and will be admitted at 8:30 AM. There will be another PALP opportunity in the spring.

Please remember to label your child's outerwear, lunchboxes and water bottles. Labeled items will be returned to students. Unlabeled items pile up and are regularly donated or recycled. Lost and Found items will be on a table on the first floor in front of the cafeteria. If you wish to purchase labels AND support our PTA see below.

Back to School means time to label your child's backpack, clothing, water bottles and more! Shop in support of our PTA when you purchase labels from Mabel's Labels or Oliver's Labels. 

Breakfast is available in the cafeteria between 8 AM and 8:15 AM. Students should arrive no later than 8:10 so they have time to eat. 

Grades K and 1: Students who want breakfast should enter the main blue doors and enter the cafeteria. They should ask an adult if they need assistance with picking it up. Kindergarten students will be brought to their line-up spot or classroom after they eat. 

Grades 2-5: Students enter through yard gate as usual and then to the cafeteria. Students should join their classes in the yard before the teachers pick up the class.

Parents must communicate with their child’s teacher as to which days the child will ride the bus home. To avoid any miscommunication problems, teachers will not take a child’s verbal message. Please send a written note to the teacher stating which days your child will ride the bus. When changes occur, parents must email bus@ps166.org before 1 PM that day. 
 
For those students eligible for MetroCards, they will be given to your child sometime the first week of school. MetroCards are for students only and cannot be used by an adult (unless an exception is made in a bus strike.)
 
Students cannot have both a MetroCard and bus service.

We are excited to announce that Impact Coaching Network (ICN) will be coming to P.S. 166 to teach our kids chess and all of the valuable skills that come with it!

ICN is the city’s leading scholastic chess program (https://impactcoachingnetwork.org), and they will be running after-school classes for kids at every level — from brand-new novices who just want to learn the basics, to advanced players who want to play in competitive tournaments as part of 166’s amazing chess club, the Manhattan Knights. After-school classes are open to all levels and will be offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with late stay options until 6 pm. Registration will open on July 1. Sibling Discounts and Financial assistance is available.

For any questions, please email PS166CHESSCLUB@GMAIL.COM

Congratulations to the parents below!  

Co-Presidents: Marguerite McNicoll & Ava Safdie

Co-Treasurers:  Amit Patel & Micah Lasher

Financial Secretary: Justine Vlasto

Co-VPs of Fundraising: Jane Kim & Heather Nesle

Co-VPs of Volunteers and Events: Raquel Munive & Sean Gallagher

Recording Secretary: Jennifer Passero

Communications Secretary: Lauren Richards

VP of Grants: Lacy O’Toole

SLT:
Ilana Weinberg & Marie Mank
Alternate Member :  Amber Cifarelli 

We are thrilled to be chosen as the new provider of after-school enrichment programs for PS166. Our company, Amazing Athletes Sports & Education Programs (www.amazingathletes.com), is the leading educational sports program in the country, positively impacting over 250,000 children annually through sports and enrichment activities. We are also the proud owners of Super Soccer Stars, which was founded on the Upper West Side 22 years ago. Our offices are conveniently located on 89th and Columbus, just around the corner from PS166.

As parents ourselves - my partner Carmen Bellavia, who is the Chief Technology Officer (and a PS166 parent), and myself, the CEO and a thirteen-year resident of the Upper West Side - we are committed to providing the diversity of programming PS166 children have enjoyed, such as musical theater, dance, arts, coding, study hall, and chess. 

Furthermore, we are excited to collaborate with the PTA and the administration to explore new possibilities. This includes options like an early drop-off, enhanced programming, and expanded locations to provide an even better experience for PS166 families.

We understand the importance of maintaining continuity of pricing, program options, and, whenever possible, instructors and teachers. We are in daily communication with the school administration to ensure a seamless transition.

To ensure we capture your input, we will send out a parent survey early next week to gain insights into your preferences and expectations for the program. Your partnership is incredibly important to us as we aim to deliver the highest quality of enrichment programming for your children. We will also provide you with additional details regarding the opening of registration, which is planned for late July or August 1st.

Should you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to email us at ps166@amazingathletes.com. We value your input and look forward to building a strong partnership to deliver exceptional enrichment programming.

Thank you all and we are looking forward to an exciting year in ‘23/’24.

Best,

-Adam Geisler
CEO

The P.S. 166 PTA raises funds each year through the Family Giving campaign. For the 2023-24 school year, the PTA must raise $648,400 to cover the cost of classroom assistants, recess aides and other curriculum enhancements. 

We hope you'll consider making your donation today! The suggested donation amount per child is $1,000. However, every gift makes a difference and we encourage you to give what you can. All donations are completely confidential. Please consider making your donation by check or money order, so that 100% of the funds go to our PTA. Please make checks payable to "Friends of PS 166, Inc." and deliver using one of the following methods:

• backpack with your child in a sealed envelope addressed to FRIENDS OF PS 166 with the teacher’s name; 
• mail to: FRIENDS OF PS 166, Attn: Treasurer, 132 West 89th Street, New York, NY 10024

Read more about PTA fundraising at P.S. 166 on our website and donate today! 

Falloween Fest is back, and we need YOU! There are so many ways to get involved. Please sign up to volunteer here! This year's event will include the return of our famous haunted house, a dance party, crafts, games, concessions, and more! Please email volunteers@ps166pta.org with any questions. Sign up! 

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.

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.