Category: Uncategorized

Shoe Drive: Share Your Soles!
PS 101 is sponsoring its 2nd annual Shoe Drive.
Last year we collected 1,868 pairs of shoes!
What? Families can donate shoes for men, women and kids. Students may bring them to school and give them to their teachers.
When? Now until Friday, May 15th
 
Why? We hope our students will appreciate the importance of helping those in need.
The class with the highest donations will receive a party!
 
Thank you for your support of this charitable event!
Ms. Pirotta & Mrs. Pujol, The Recycling Team

PA Budget & Bylaw Amendment

From the P.S.101Q’s Parents’ Association
Dear Parents,
As a reminder there are several important pieces of business that will be decided this month. At the next PA meeting on Tuesday, May 19th @ 6:30pm, we will vote on the 2015-16 Budget and a By Law Amendment. 
 
We appreciate your interest and involvement.

The PA Board
2015-16 Proposed Budget
On April 21st at the PA meeting, the proposed budget for the coming school year was presented. Based upon feedback from that meeting and subsequent communications from parents, the proposed budget has been revised. Attached is the current version of the proposed 2015-16 budget.
A hard copy of the budget and additional detail is available in the PA office for review. Please contact  Christine Memoli, JP Freeley or Sarah Payne to ensure that the PA office is open if you wish to review the budget in hard copy.
If you have questions or comments about the budget, you can:
1) Attend the PA meeting on Tuesday, May 19th at 6:30pm. We will vote on adoption of the budget at this meetings per our By Laws.
2) Contact the PA at contact@pa101.org and we will endeavor to answer your questions promptly.

By-Laws Amendment Proposal

This amendment was proposed formally at the April 21st, 2015 PA meeting and will be voted upon for adoption at the May 19th, 2015 PA meeting at 6:30pm.

 

Background: In our current by-laws, it is not clear whether the preliminary minutes can be distributed prior to the following meeting. The amendment language below brings us closer in alignment with the NY Dept. of State Opening Meeting Act regarding minutes (http://www.dos.ny.gov/coog/openmeetlaw.html) and explicitly clarifies that the minutes can be distributed after review and approval by the PA President. There is no requirement to distribute. The amendment below also states that the minutes may be provided for review by the President within 14 days.

Current

Proposed

Completed P.A. meeting minutes are to be given to the President or Co-presidents for preliminary approval. Preliminary minutes shall be distributed at the following month’s P.A. meeting for final approval by the general membership. Approved minutes shall be posted on the P.A. website and made available in the P.A, office.

Completed P.A. meeting minutes are to be given to the President and/or Co-presidents for preliminary approval. Once the minutes are preliminarily approved, they shall receive the status of DRAFT. DRAFT minutes may be publicly distributed via paper and/or electronic means bearing the conspicuous mark of DRAFT.Draft minutes shall be distributed at the following month’s P.A. meeting for final approval by the general membership. Approved minutes shall be posted on the P.A. website and made available in the P.A, office.

PA Board and SLT Elections

The slate for the PA Board and the open SLT positions has been finalized. There are no contested positions for the 2015-16 school year and thus, the slates will be ratified by the Recording Secretary at our next PA meeting on Tuesday, May 19th.

Weekly Update from P.S.101Q

 

P.S.101Q’s Weekly Update
Week of

May 5th

Happenings

Michael Berman: Principal for the Day!

On Friday, Michael Berman was Principal for the day, an honor generously donated by Principal Paniagua and won by Michael’s parents at the Spring Auction. Principal Berman performed his duties today along side Principal Paniagua, attending various meetings and helping with important decisions. He was certainly dressed for the part!

 

Stingers Lose A Close One! Michael then played along side his teammates in a Stingers game! Unfortunately, the Stingers lost by 2 points to one of our main rivals, PS 99. It was good effort though and we congratulate the Stingers and thank our official cheerleading squad for supporting them.

From the School

Shoe Drive, May 1st to May 15th

PS 101 is hosting its 2nd annual shoe drive. Last year, we collected 1,868 pairs of shoes which were donated to Goodwill. Please donate shoes that are in wearable condition. Your children may give them to their teacher. Thank you for helping us teach our children the importance of giving to those less fortunate.

Kindergarten Registration: For parents who have a child entering Kindergarten for the 2015-16 school year, you should have received your acceptance letter. Please remember that you need to register your child at the school by May 6, 2015.


Parent Event – May 13th from 4:30pm to 7:30pm. The school invites parents to come and learn about the curriculum your child will be learning next year. For more information: Schedule of Events

 

Career Day – Friday, May 29th @ 8:45am: Share a career experience with our children! We welcome parents, friends, relatives or acquaintances who are willing to share their time. Please email: Randy St. Germain

 

From the PA

Staff Appreciation Event: Tuesday, May 5th
The PA will be hosting our annual Staff Appreciation Event in two weeks. We need volunteers for set up form 1:00pm to 2:30pm, during the actual event from 2:30pm to 4:00pm and for clean up from 4:00pm to 5:00pm. Please email Maria Kaufer if you can volunteer.
 
Wellness Committee Kick Off Meeting: Thursday, May 7th @ 8:30am
Please join us as we form a Wellness Committee comprised of teachers, staff and parents to focus on all aspects of well being for our students. If you have questions or cannot attend the meeting but want to be involved, please email: volunteer@pa101.org
Cultural Dinner Planning Meeting: Friday, May 9th @ 8:30am
We will be having our 2nd planning meeting for the Cultural/International Dinner on Friday. We are still looking for someone to chair or co-chair the event. Please email Sarah Payne if you are interested.

 

Wellness Fair, Saturday, May 9th from 11am to 4pm
The PA is hosting a Wellness Fair next weekend. Parents may rent a table for $30 to sell your wares if you are spring cleaning. For more information, please contact Christine Memoli

 

Important Dates

Tues, May 5th: Staff Appreciation Luncheon @ 2:30pm in the gymnasium.

Thurs, May 7th: Wellness Committee Kick Off Meeting @ 8:30am in the auditorium.


Fri, May 8th: Cultural Dinner Planning Meeting @ 8:30am in the auditorium.


Sat, May 9th: Wellness Fair from 11am to 4pm in the gymnasium.

 
Wellness Fair
Saturday, May 9th
11am to 4pm
 
Spring cleaning? Want to sell you household items? Tables are $30 for parents.

 
Quick Links

PA Sponsored Residencies: 2014-15

Our Residencies 2014-2015
This year, for the first time ever, the PA funded residencies for each grade, with the exception of Pre-K. In total, the PA gifted over $35,000 in residency programs to our school. Residencies are typically 7 to 8 week programs aimed at enriching our children’s education and overall well-being at PS 101.

Kindergarten
Queens Botanical Garden: Kindergarten students will visit QBG to participate in the Plants We Eat workshop. They will tour the garden to see plants that provide the food we eat. They will learn about the different parts of the plant, their functions, and discover which parts we eat. The students will then create a Tabletop Pizza Garden to take home.  Status: In Progress

1st Grade
The School Yoga Project: Our 1st graders completed  a yoga and mindfulness residency program. Once a week for a total of 7 sessions, each 1st grade class participates in a yoga class and were taught to Connect, Breathe, Move, Focus and Relax. The program was run by Little Flower Yoga which is a New York based organization dedicated to making the tools of yoga and mindfulness available to all children and teens. The  School Yoga Project , a program of Little Flower Yoga, currently serves over 700 children per week with in-school and after-school yoga classes. Little Flower Yoga also conducted a Professional Development program for our teachers as well as led a Mindfulness Workshop for our parents.

Status: Complete.

 

2nd Grade
Engineering For Kids: Children are naturally curious about the world they live in. Engineering For Kids builds on that curiosity by teaching engineering concepts through hands-on learning. This STEM residency helps children build problem solving skills, encourages children to discover how things work, increases children’s’ desire to explore engineering as a career option and motivates them to learn math and science concepts by engaging them in real-world engineering problems. Status: In Progress 

3rd Grade

Treehouse Shakers: Treehouse Shakers, a dance and theater company, is committed to creating work that encourages children to experience their feelings and their connection to the greater community. Their residency for our 3rd Graders encouraged them to think, learn, and truly be engaged through the discipline, innovation, and creativity of the arts. The teaching artists taught the children to build, tell and understand movement using their own bodies, rhythms and imaginations. Status: Complete 

 

THANK YOU!
Our residencies were made possible through the generous donations of our parents. Thank you so much!

 

We would also like to thank the administration and our teachers for continuing to be open to new ideas and initiatives. 
Finally, we would like to say a special thank you to Soumaly King, Maria Kaufer, Christine Memoli, Julia Sprules, Sarah Swain and Randy St. Germain who each played a key role in making these residencies happen.

 

 
Thank you again to everyone who made these residencies possible.

Looking Ahead to Next Year
Through our continued collaboration with the administration and our teachers, the PA has permission to propose an additional residency per grade. Thus, in the 2015-16 school year, we hope every grade will have two, 7 to 8 weeks residencies.

Interested in Helping?
The PA is in the process of forming a Residency Committee to research, identify and propose for school approval, next year’s residencies. If you are interested, please email: contact@pa101.org

4th & 5th Grade

Dancing Classrooms: This 10-session program uses ballroom dancing as a tool for getting children to break down social barriers, learn about honor and respect, treat others carefully, improve self-confidence, communicate and cooperate, and accept others even if they are different. The dancers from this program have been featured in the film Mad Hot Ballroom, and participated in citywide competitions. Parents will be invited to a performance at the school at the end of the residency. Status: In Progress

6th Grade

Queens Museum: Our 6th graders worked with contemporary artists in the classroom and at the museum, using the museum’s permanent and temporary exhibitions as inspiration. In addition to focusing on technical skills, the QM program inspires creativity in applied design as well as fine art. Our QM partnership includes ArtsAccess – programming especially geared toward children with varying abilities providing tools that may be used every day in the classroom.  Status: Complete.

Middle School Acceptance letters
Middle School
Acceptance Letters
Sent home
Dear Parents in Grades 5 & 6,
  
Middle School Acceptance letters were mailed to your home.
 
Please check the mail. 
 
If you would like to appeal the decision, please complete the second page and return to your child’s teacher. Your child will be give an appeal form which must be completed and returned by May 16, 2015. 
 
If your appeal is not granted, your child will be assigned to the program indicated on the letter.  Please note that appeals are based on seat availability.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school.
Sincerely,
Randy St. Germain
Parent Coordinator
Stacey Katz
Guidance counselor
 
Contact Us
P.S. 101Q “The School in the Gardens”
P.S.101Q’s Parent’s Association
(718) 268-7230
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Only 28hrs remain — PA 101 Parent Survey


LAST CHANCE .. SURVEY SUBMISSIONS CLOSE 11:59PM WEDNESDAY COMPLETE SURVEY HERE

Dear PS 101 Parent,

Let’s be honest…not everyone can come to PA meetings. So please tell us what you think.


Your opinion matters.

One way to improve what the PA does for our children, our school and our community is to find out how you feel about what we are doing. 

For example, the PA currently spends a good portion of its budget on residencies. Residencies are PA sponsored programs aimed at enhancing our students’ education. Residencies typically focus on the arts, STEM or wellness and run for 7 to 8 weeks. Your feedback on whether this is important to you (or not) and which type of residencies interest you (and your children) will help us allocate our budget.

Answers are 100% anonymous.
 

It’s easy, convenient, and quick.

You’ll need as little as 5 to 7 minutes to complete the survey. Take the survey now by simply clicking here.

Have your voice heard.
The PA Board intends to use the results to ensure that our programs, events and initiatives are aligned with the larger parent body.
 
Thank you for your help and support of the PA.

Fill out the complete survey, print your receipt and get $20 worth of raffle tickets FREE at the Cultural Dinner in June!

 

End of Year Festivities UPDATE
2015 6th/5th Grade End-of-Year Festivities

 

Hi Everyone —

We want to thank our 6th and 5th grade community of families for your tremendous generosity.  And though the deadline to submit your voluntary contribution has passed, we will still accept donations through the end of the week.  

Even if you can’t contribute money, please send in a T-shirt form so we can order the appropriate size for your child.  THIS IS AT NO ADDITIONAL COST!  T-shirt Orders are going in next week.  We must have your child’s t-shirt size in by Monday, May 4th.

 

PICTURE DAY MONDAY, MAY 4th!!!!!!!!  Please be dressed in a white top and dark or black bottoms — think concert dress!  Picture will be taken first thing in the morning.

All forms are below:  

 

T-Shirt and contribution Forms

Any questions or ideas, please let us know:  endofyear@pa101.org

 

Warm regards!

Picture Day IS MONDAY, MAY 4
6th and 5th Grades
 
We will be taking 2 pictures on this day, a picture of the entire 6th grade class and a picture of the entire 5th grade class.  Please send your child in to school dressed in white top and black or dark bottoms.  Weather permitting, the pictures will be taken outside.
Since this is a group picture, please make every effort to be present and on time on this day.