I.S. 131 - The Albert Einstein School

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GRADE 6 NEWSLETTER

September has come and gone and our children have settled into the routines of Middle School. We have been emphasizing the 3 P’s by commending those students who are polite, prepared, and punctual as well as our Core Values that are described in our Parent/Student Handbook as part of our PBIS system.

POSITIVE BEHAVIOR INCENTIVE SYSTEM (PBIS)

 Big NO’s

1. Bullying/Cyber Bullying
2. Fighting
3. Cursing Directly to an Adult
4. Threats
5. Weapons

Expectations for Students

1. Dress Code – Royal Blue Top/Black or Tan Pants
2. Students need to be escorted by adults at all times or with a signed pass
3. Hats and Hoodies should remain off while you are in the building
4. Cells phones and electronics are off and out of sight
5. All members of the community arrive daily to school and class on time and prepared

IS 131 Core Values

1. Responsibility:

• Accountable for one's actions
• Supporting members of the community to be the best they can be
• Holding high expectations for oneself as well as all members of the community

1. Respect:

• To regard the feelings, wishes, and rights of others before responding.

III. Trust:

• Assist in creating a risk-free environment that leads to open discussions and dialogue
• Building relationships to support personal and academic growth

1. Perseverance:

• When faced with challenges you don’t give up! Seek support from a member of the school community in order to achieve mastery.

1. Positivity:

• Focus on what can be and not on what can’t be in order to achieve your goals.

In October, we will be having our Town Hall meeting where we will recognize those students who had Perfect Attendance for the month of September. We will also be recognizing our Student of the Month from each class. This is an honor that is bestowed on a student who has been recognized by their teachers for their effort and diligence academically as well as behaviorally. This is also a forum for your child to voice their opinions regarding how their year is going as well as any questions or concerns.

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, students will be allowed to Dress Down on Fridays for the month of October. Students must wear pink in order to receive credit for being in Dress Code.

If you were unable to attend our Meet The Teachers Night on September 20^th, we will be sending home a letter during the first week of October with your child that will provide you with the information to log into Pupil Path. Please check Pupil Path each week to see the progress of your child and email the teacher if you have any questions or concerns. Please contact us if you have not received your logon information. Remember: Our Instructional Focus is for our students to read complex texts throughout the curriculum. All students need to read for 20 minutes every night and complete their Reading Logs!

Dates to Remember:

 Feel free to contact me anytime at emorosu@schools.nyc.gov if you have any questions or concerns.

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09-05-18

9-25-18

Dear 8^th Grade Parent/Guardian,

It is with great pleasure that I welcome you and your children back to the I.S. 131 school community. For our new students and parents joining us this school year, welcome as well. As we begin this journey together, I would like to set the expectations for all of our 8^th graders. First, I would like to remind all members of our school wide community of our educational philosophy on how our students learn best and that is our three P’s- Polite, Punctual, and Prepared. I.S. 131 students are Polite to their peers and adults. Our 8^th graders are Punctual. They arrive to school and class every day on time ready and excited to learn. Our seniors are Prepared and ready to engage in rigorous tasks to get them ready for High School. Our staff is excited about the prospects of a productive academic year for all of our students.

As such, I would like to address a few issues regarding our dress code for this new school year. As part of our goal to maintain the best learning environment for our students we do maintain a dress code policy. Students should wear the dress code every day. The dress code will remain the same as last year. For students new to our school the dress code is black or khaki slacks and I.S. 131 blue or yellow polo’s or t-shirts. Jeans are not allowed as part of our dress code. These polos and shirts are available in Parkchester at the Kids Place. We are also fortunate to have more support for our seniors this year in the form of two staff who will be facilitating a safe climate and culture for all. Mr. Hargrave will be working with our 8^th grade students and Mr. Brian Richards will be supporting us as well. Both gentlemen will be enforcing our dress code policy as well as keeping all our students on track for academic success. However, none of this cannot work without you- our parents! Failure to wear their dress code may result in loss of points and incentives via our P.B. I.S. system. We would like to see all the students wear school shirts for gym days, as well as on trip days. Students are allowed to wear plain gray sweat pants on gym days only. I thank you for your understanding in this matter and I look forward to a productive and successful academic year with all our students.

We once again have our parent portal this year- Skedula. Students and parents can access and monitor their grades on line via this tool.! You can use this site as a way of not only communicating with your children teacher’s but also as way to monitor student progress and growth. Every Tuesday afternoon is also parent engagement so feel free to speak to either myself or Ms. Staine, the 8th grade guidance counselor to set up an appointment to talk to your children teachers. Also, the high school process has changed. The high school application can now be done on-line. To support all our parents with this new procedure Ms. Staine and the guidance department will be hosting two workshops. Please refer to the calendar on the reverse side of this letter. As another way of supporting our seniors we will have a senior committee that will be supporting all of our 8^th graders this year. Leading the team will be myself and our senior lead advisor Mr. R. Kessler. He will be leading the charge for all things 8th grade.

Once again welcome back and I look forward working together in collaboration with all of you to make this a successful academic year for all of our students.                                                                                                                        Educationally yours,

Mr. Carlos L. Acevedo

8^th Grade Assistant Principal

Dates to Remember this Month

Dates to Remember:

September 5, 2018 

 Greetings New Members of the I.S. 131 – Albert Einstein Family, 

 My name is Emilie Kava and I am the 6th Grade Guidance Counselor. I have been working here at I.S. 131 – Albert Einstein for 18 years! I work closely with the students and staff to ensure that every child comes to school healthy, happy and well prepared. 

Middle School is one of the most challenging experiences in a young persons life. Children are entering adolescence and trying to find themselves. Working together, we can make sure that your child successfully navigates middle school and goes above and beyond their potential. 

I can be reached by phone at 718-991-7490, extension 203, and by email ekava@schools.nyc.gov. I will make every effort to get back to you by the end of the school day; however, the best form of communication is through email. Always let me know your name, your child’s name and class and a phone number (if a call is needed) where you can be reached. 

The school year is off to a great start and I cannot wait to get to know all of the children and their families. I will be here on Thursday, September 20, 2018 during our Parent Teacher Meet and Greet from 4:30 pm – 7:30 pm! 

Again, Welcome to the I.S. 131 – Albert Einstein Family! 

Educationally yours, 

Emilie Kava 

Guidance Counselor 

September 5, 2018

 Dear 7^th Grade Families,

Welcome back! I hope you enjoyed your summer. My name is Mrs. Melendez. I am a bilingual school counselor at IS 131.-Albert Einstein. I will be working   with the seventh-grade students this year. My goal is to help your child achieve academic, social and emotional needs in school. I like to communicate with students, colleagues and parents. I enjoy meeting with parents to discuss issues, ideas and strengthen the school/home linkage. Seventh grade is a year of transition it’s a year where students are trying to find where and how they fit in their social circle. It is important that we work together to help your child achieve academic achievement.

 If you have additional questions or concerns, feel free to contact me at 718-991-7490 ext. 232

Thank you for all that you do to support your child’s education.

 Sincerely,

Mrs. Melendez

Guidance Counselor

September 5, 2018

Dear 8^th Grade Families,

Welcome back! I hope that you all had an enjoyable and relaxing summer.  I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself to those of you who do not already know me.  My name is Ms. Staine and I am the 8^th Grade Guidance Counselor at I.S. 131 – Albert Einstein.  I will be working with you and your family throughout the year.

As you begin to think about which high schools are right for you and your child, it is important to do your research. Using the Directory of New York City Public High Schools, you can begin to identify and investigate schools and programs of interest to you.

Here are some other useful resources you can use while investigating schools:

• Department of Education Website: www.nyc.gov/schools/ChoiceEnrollment/High
• Accountability Information: www.nyc.gov/schools/accountability
• Independent Guide to NYC Schools: www.insideschools.org
• Travel Time and Travel Directions: www.hopstop.com

In addition to this research, you should set aside time this fall to attend Admissions events. The Department of Education will be hosting High School Fairs September 22^nd and 23^rd, 2018 from 10am – 3:00 pm and October 13^th, 1nd 14^th, 2018  10am to 3pm.   where you can meet representatives, students, and teachers from all high schools in New York City.  In addition, you will have the opportunity to visit the different schools that interest you during the fall.

It is the responsibility of the family to learn about Information Sessions, Open Houses, and school tours. Some schools require that you register for these events. You will find school contact information and Open House information in the High School Directory under “Contact Information”.  Families can also subscribe to receive email updates with important HS admissions deadlines and information here: http://schools.nyc.gov/Subscribe/default.htm

I look forward to working with you and your student as you navigate the high school admissions process.

Thank you,

Brenda Staine