Principal's Weekly letter 10/18/24
October 18, 2024
Dear Families,
Reminder all students who have not provided/submitted proof of updated or completed vaccination will be excluded from school and cannot attend school as of October 15, 2024 for 6th grade students and October 22, 2024 for 7th and 8th grade students. Students in need of updated vaccination information were contacted on October 7, 2024.
Today was the deadline for Students to submit their completed Student Government Application. Applications were to be picked up from your child’s social studies teacher. On October 21st we will inform the students if they have been approved to run for their Student Government position. Campaigning will take place the last two weeks of October and our Election will be held the week of November 4th.
8th grade families the High School Application process opened up on October 1st. The high school application process is an exciting and daunting time. The High School application process is completed online via your NYC My school's Account by our 8th grade student’s parents/guardians. It is very important that you take the time to navigate the website and application process. We will be here to support you during this process via Parent workshops and setting up individual appointments with your 8th grade Guidance Counselor Mr. Gellard, but ultimately it is the responsibility of the families to complete the application process. Today is the last day to sign up for the Specialized High School Exam. On October 21st from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m we are holding a High School Application Parent Workshop in English.. The information will be presented in English and Spanish.
On October 16th we celebrated unity Day at IS230. Unity Day, is the signature event of National Bullying Prevention Month. Unity Day is a day when we can come together to send a visible message of building COMMUNITY through kindness, acceptance, and inclusion. It was wonderful to see all the Orange flowing through the building.
The month of October is Drug Prevention Awareness Month. Throughout the month, students have been volunteering their time to prepare for this year’s National Red Ribbon Week Campaign, taking place on October 23-31. The Red Ribbon symbolizes a commitment to a healthy, drug-free lifestyle. During this time, a pledge to a drug-free life will be recited during the announcements to promote a safe, healthy, and supportive school environment. Students will also be learning about the importance of Red Ribbon Week/Drug Abuse Prevention in their homerooms. This year, October 24th is designated as a nationwide “Wear Red Day.” Red Ribbon Events will be held on October 24th in the Annex and October 29th in the Main building. During these events, students will have the opportunity to make the Red Ribbon Pledge to show their commitment against drug use by making a written statement. Students are encouraged to decorate their statements and ribbons and add them to a banner which will be displayed in the school throughout the year. I.S. 230 hopes to give students a strong foundation to build a fulfilled life and discourage them from ever second-guessing their decision on drugs, alcohol, gangs, and other roadblocks when confronted with them at any point in their life.
Please see the link below to watch a short video and learn more about Red Ribbon Week and why it is so important.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_39-3VcYcE
Thank you to all the 6th grade girls who tried out for our basketball team on Thursday, October 17th from 2:30-4:30 p.m. We will hold 7th and 8th grade girls basketball tryouts on Thursday October 24th from 2:30-4:30 p.m. Students can pick up permission slips from Mr. Espinal in the Main Building and Main office of the Annex building.
We have completed all ELA, Math and Science baseline testing. Families will start to receive two documents from your child’s ELA and Math teachers. The documents are entitled I-Ready Growth Report and I-Ready Growth Diagnostic for Families. These documents will explain to families how to read and understand your child’s ELA and Math I-Ready Data. There is a QR code on the back of the I-Ready Growth Report that translates the document in Arabic, Bengali, Chinese and Spanish. Please take the time to read and sign the documents with your child.
Emergency Preparedness
This past week we did not conduct any drills. We are planning on holding more fire drills next week.
Restorative Practices / CRSE Corner
I am excited to announce a new project that we hope that all of our families will participate in. In preparation for our November CRSE celebration we are creating an I.S. 230 Recipe Book with students and families. The purpose of the recipe book is to celebrate our diversity here at IS230 and what a better way than through food. We hope to sell the recipe book to our school community and hopefully donate any profits to a cause within our Jackson Heights community (TBD). To submit a recipe please see the links below:
English Recipe Submission Form: https://forms.gle/ZT6Yond89e6Q2FLe7
Spanish Recipe Submission Form: https://forms.gle/hLJ9XYRYvboRWJUX9
One of our newest and biggest initiatives this year is rolling out Homeroom. Homeroom will take place from 8:00 to 8:20 a.m. every morning. Homeroom is mandatory and part of your child’s school day. The purpose of Homeroom is to provide a space for our staff and students to take attendance, conduct announcements and most importantly an opportunity to connect with their peers in a meaningful way before starting the day. We are utilizing the MorningSide Cultural Affirming Wheel as our framework. To learn more about Restorative Practices and Morningside, please visit the link below.
https://www.morningsidecenter.org/
Important Upcoming Dates
October 18, 2024: Last Day to Sign Up for the Specialized High School Exam.
October 21, 2024: High School Application Workshop in Spanish 5:30-7:30 p.m (Main Auditorium)
October 23, 2024: Special Education Virtual Family Workshop @ 6:00-6:45 p.m.
October 24, 2024- 7th and 8th grade girls basketball tryout (2:30-4:30 p.m) Main Gym
October 25, 2024- District 30 Trunk or Treat Event in Astoria Park
We look forward to improving communication and relationships here at IS230.
Please visit our website www.is230.org to get more information and sign up for E-Chalk Notification.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Mr. Ajith Satyanarayana
