I.S. 131 - The Albert Einstein School

Dear I.S. 131 School Community,

Welcome to March!  We would like to thank all of our parents and guardians for assisting us in ensuring that our students are Polite, Prepared, and Punctual!  By this time that you have been informed, via letter, if your child has Promotion In Doubt (PID).  This letter informed you of your child’s progress thus far this year.  As the letter indicates that there is a “doubt” but it is not a certainty.   With all of us working together we can erase the “doubt”.  Remember to contact your child’s teacher via is131.org or set up an appointment during our Tuesday Engagement session if you have any questions or concerns.  Second Quarter Report cards were distributed to students on Friday, January 31, 2020 and Promotion In Doubt letters were distributed to students by Friday, February 15, 2020.  Students who received a Promotion-In-Doubt letter also had this information mailed to the home address on record.  Please contact me if you have not received this important information.

Our job at I.S. 131 is to work with our parents and guardians for the benefit of our children.  We hope at this time that you have been able to review your child’s second quarter report card and have contacted your child’s teachers, if you have any concerns.  Remember, open communication is key in assisting your child academically.  We would like to remind you that our teachers are available through is131.org, as well as during our Family Engagement time on Tuesday afternoons from 3:10 pm – 3:45 pm.  If you are experiencing any difficulties with logging into the various websites or would like assistance with scheduling an appointment, please contact the Grade Assistant Principal for assistance.

             Grade 8 – Mr. C. Acevedo – ext. 236

            Grade 7  – Ms. C. Kenny - ext. 104

            Grade 6 – Ms. E. Moro-Sullivan – ext. 116

Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held on Thursday, March 12, 2020.   Students will be dismissed at 11:30 am.    The afternoon session will be held from 12:30 pm – 2:30 pm, while the evening session will be held from 4:30 pm – 7:30 pm.  Remember, this is a wonderful opportunity to discuss their academic progress as well as to voice any concerns.  During this time please contact the teachers via email or by phone due to the concerns regarding coronavirus.

We are pleased to offer additional academic supports through our Saturday Test Prep Academy which began on Saturday, January 17^th.  The program takes place from 9:00 to 12:00. 

We are also offering additional academic support in ELA  on Wednesdays from 2:30 pm – 4:35 pm and Math on Thursdays 2:30 pm – 4:05 pm.  Sign up your child today!

All applications for our various programs are available in our Main Office for pick up or you may request us to send it home with your child.

Remember, all students should be reading for 30 minutes each night and should log this information every day on their Reading Tracker sheet or logged on to I-Ready for extra support in ELA and Math. So, if your child states that they do not have any homework, please ask them about their reading or I-Ready.  Please check Pupilpath.com weekly to see the progress of your child and to contact any teacher if you have any questions or concerns.

We have been working to Prepare your child for the upcoming State Exams.  As I have mentioned in an earlier communication that in order to assist your child in doing their best academically, we have made some changes in our weekly flow.  On Fridays, students in ELA and Math are participating in Focus Fridays.  Students are given a short exam based on material that they need to be familiar with on their grade level.  These exams are graded and the students are provided with the results and this information is used to provide support on Skills Day as well as Content Re-Teach Day.  You can monitor the progress of your child by logging onto www.pupilpath.com.  Please contact your grade Assistant Principal if you need assistance with accessing this site.

 As you are aware, our students become stressful when faced with the New York State Exams.  In order to alleviate this stress and to acclimate our students to the rigors of the State Exams, we conducted a Simulation Exam for ELA on Wednesday, February 5^th and Thursday, February 6^th.   We also conducted a Simulation Exam for Math on Wednesday, February 26^th and Thursday, February 27^th.    We have met with your children in Grade Assemblies and Town Hall meetings and gathered their feedback regarding testing and their concerns for the upcoming State Exams.  We are utilizing this information to provide the necessary supports for your child to do their best.

In order for your child to do their best on these exams, it is imperative that they are Prepared and Punctual.  Students should get plenty of sleep, arrive to school on time, eat breakfast, have two sharpened number two pencils, and “Bring their A Game!”.

Remember this is a partnership between you, your child, and the school.  When we work together, there is nothing that your child can’t accomplish!

Coming soon:

Dates to Remember!

Remember to check our websites weekly for other events such as our monthly workshops offered by our Parent Association as well as our Parent Coordinator, Ms. N. Rodriguez.  Please contact Ms. N. Rodriguez, at extension 111, if you would like additional information.

Thank you for being a positive part of our I.S. 131 school community. 

Sincerely,

Ms. Monique Mason

Principal

Watch Video--->    https://youtu.be/yv4OgIjgNck

This event was created to encourage our 7th graders to begin thinking about college and their future careers.  During College Week, teachers decorated their doors representing the colleges they attended and spoke to their classes to share their own college experiences and journeys.  On Friday, January 11, 2019, College Awareness Day, we had two special guest presenters for our students.  Former NHL hockey player, Mr. Ron Duguay from the NY Rangers spoke to our students about following his dream. He shared with our students the hard work and dedication he had to apply to be successful and happy throughout his career doing what he loved.  Mr. Rich Bastar, known as B.A. Star from Funk Salsa Urban, a New York based Latin band, spoke to our students about his college experience and journey in becoming a musician.  Rich not only performed for our students, but he spoke to our scholars and asked them questions to expand their mindset on college

Parent Handbook

 The documents below are there to help answer any questions you may have throughout the school year.  Please take the time to read the handbook which provides you with important information for I.S. 131.  If you have any further questions, please contact us.

 Parent Handbook.docx  

Parent Handbook in Spanish.docx 

Use of Cell Phone and Other Electronic Devices

I.S. 131 Policies 

IS 131’s policy on cell phones and other electronic device policy remains unchanged.  The new Regulation A-413 continues to stress that for all regular communication between parents, guardians and students, the Onsite School’s phone system must be used. Our school phone number is (718) 991-7490 and it must be used for all emergency communication. Additionally, there will be no tolerance for unauthorized cell phone use during the school day, and disciplinary interventions will apply as per Chancellor’s Disciplinary Code. While we recognize the reality of handheld devices in today’s society, we also affirm the need for our school to maintain safety for our students.

In short, students may have their cellphones on their person as long as they are turned off and out of sight.  No use of such devices is permitted during school hours, including after school and Saturdays. Violation of this policy will result in confiscation and disciplinary consequences in accordance with the guidance interventions and disciplinary responses set forth in the Chancellor’s Discipline Code.

Regulation A-413 does allow students to bring electronic and digital devices to school for educational purposes. However, given the quantity of devices we have on site we highly recommend our students leave their devices at home. Our school will not secure nor provide protection for such devices, nor be held responsible for lost or misplaced items.

Key additional provisions of this policy include:

●        Cell phones/electronic devices must be turned off before entering the school building.

●        Once inside the school building, cell phones and electronic devices must not be visible under any circumstances.

●        If a cell phone or electronic device rings, vibrates, or makes any noticeable sound, it will be confiscated.

●        If a cell phone or electronic device is noticeably visible, it will be confiscated.

●        Refusal to surrender a cell phone or electronic device is considered insubordination and will be addressed according to the Chancellor’s Discipline Code. 

●        In the event that parents/guardians contact their children via cell phone during school hours, a mandatory meeting with administration will be required; as such communication is highly disruptive to the educational process.

IS 131 requires your full co-operation with this policy.