Message From Our Principal
IS 131 Instructional Focus/Mission & Vision Statement
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Lightsail Parent SlideDeck
May 2022 Parent Calendar
6 Grade News Letter
GRADE 6 NEWSLETTER
Welcome
During the month of October, we will be celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month, Italian Heritage, and Indigenous People Day! Every year we celebrate the people and traditions of these communities. Understanding our identity and how our lives connect to the world is essential to understanding life. Listen every morning to the announcements to learn something new and wonderful about Hispanic Heritage.
This month we also continue to focus on our social-emotional health and well-being. In class, you will receive lessons that will help you and your social-emotional health. Our Social Emotional Lessons (SEL) will focus on the 3 P’s and identity with Ms. Kava, Ms. Melendez and Ms. Alex.
Last month, all our students completed the DRP, and iReady ELA Reading and Math Assessments. The data results will show growth and progress from the beginning of the school year. If you did not complete these assessments, your teachers will arrange for you to do so. These assessments will allow each student to track our growth and determine the best path toward success.
Ms. E. MORO SULLIVAN
Assistant Principle
GRADE 7 NEWSLETTER
Dear 7th grade families,
I am humbly honored and excited to be a new member of the I.S.131 school community. My name is Juan Fernandez, and I am the 7th grade assistant principal and the Math Department supervisor. With a month into the school year, I am fortunate enough to have met your child and some of you! In this post-remote learning school year, we face new challenges. This is why our relationship and communication is more important than ever. Working together will ensure your child has a champion all day, everyday. If we have not met yet, I look forward to building a relationship in the near future. I will always make myself available to meet with you to support you and your child. You can reach me using my contact information detailed below, and your child can always reach me during morning entry, lunch, and dismissal. My goal is to help your child not only achieve academic success, but support their social and emotional needs, as stated in our school mission and vision. Seventh grade is not only a year of transition, as well as a year where our students are learning who they are, but it is a pivotal year as this report card is attached to High School applications. It is important that we all work together to help your child achieve academic achievement.
To support our communication this year, please take a few minutes to read the attached documents involving Kinvo (our messaging system) and Liveschool (our behavioral system). This will allow us to communicate effectively and easily in regards to your child and their behavioral patterns in school. I look forward to building our relationship this year. Let us make this homecoming year a rewarding one! To contact me, you can email Jfernandez35@schools.nyc.gov, or call (718) 991-7490, extension 236.
Best Regards,
Mr. J. Fernandez
Assistant Principal
Spanish Family Welcome Letter.pdf
8th Grade News Letter
October 2021
Dear I.S. 131 8th Grade Family Members:
We would are so pleased to have you and your child as part of the I.S.131 family this school year. After the last struggles that we have all faced over the last year and a half, it is wonderful to have all our students back in the building and ready to learn.
The I.S.131 school motto is “In The Middle Of Difficulty Lies Opportunity” (Albert Einstein). Over the last year and a half, our school community has learned how true the message behind our motto is. While the past two school years have included some very difficult times, we now have the opportunity to grow and learn together again. Our students are being introduced to our motto and providing us with their insights as to what it means to them and sharing out in class. We are working together to build our school community and we invite you to be an important part of our educational adventure.
Things to Know:
- Masks are to be worn at all times in the building.
- All students are to complete their Health Screening before entering the building. https://healthscreening.schools.nyc/
- All students should complete the Covid Consent Form through their NYCSA account.
- https://www.schools.nyc.gov/school-year-20-21/return-to-school-2020/health-and-safety/covid-19-testing.
It is important for all students to eat a balanced breakfast to be prepared for the school day. The Breakfast door opens at 7:40 am on the Bolton Avenue side of the building if your child prefers a hot breakfast. All students may take advantage of our “Grab & Go” breakfast upon their entry to school.
Grade 8 enters the building through Exit 11, which is located on Underhill Avenue. The school doors open at 8:10 for morning entry and students will be dismissed at 2:30 pm via Exit 11. Students who participate in the afterschool Aspira program are dismissed through the main entrance at 5:30 pm.
While our 8th grade students will be graduating this year, many of our students have spent a limited amount of time in our building. The readjustment to in-person learning, with the increased workload and social adjustments may feel overwhelming to some. As a school community we believe it is important to support all our students through this transition. To that end, all students are participating in social emotional wellness lessons with our guidance counselors. Through this SEL curriculum students will learn coping mechanisms to guide them not only through this time, but all the changes they will encounter as they prepare for the entrance into High School next year. We ask that you support these efforts by having your student attend school regularly, complete all assignments, behave appropriately, and adhere to the school dress code. In the coming weeks you will be receiving additional information regarding our communication systems and how they will be utilized to communicate with teachers as well as monitor your child’s academic progress. We encourage you to contact us if you have any questions or concerns regarding your child’s time at I.S.131.
Ms. Kava, our 8th grade guidance counselor, will be supporting you and your child as you prepare to apply for High School. Over the coming weeks, Ms. Kava will be reaching out with important information regarding the application process. Please look for announcements from Ms. Kava via her iLearn page, your NYCSA account and our Kinvolved communication system.
State law now mandates that every child of school age must obtain the necessary immunizations. Any child who has not begun the immunization process by the first day of school will be considered out of compliance. Please contact your community health center, or if you prefer, your family health care provider to help with the process.
In an effort to meet your needs and encourage ongoing communication, we are asking that all members of the community set up their NYCSA account NYC Schools Account NYCSA - Schools.nyc.gov have established a school website to provide important information about scheduled activities. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us at 718-991-7490. We look forward to working with you to ensure the quality of your child’s education and success.
At this time all students should have been issued a DOE device to use in school as well as at home. If your child is not in possession of a DOE device, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can provide an appropriate remote device. All students are to bring their device to school every day, fully charged. On Election Day (November 11, 2021) and any potential snow days, your child will need to utilize their device to complete assignments.
In order to ease our students back into in-person learning as well as to buildup their foundational skills, we are asking our students to read 30 minutes each night on LightSail and 20-30 minutes 3 times a week on IREADY Math. LightSail teachers have provided your child with a username and password for their LightSail accounts. Your child’s Math teacher will let you know the dates.
We will be beginning our Saturday Academy through the Recovery Program on Saturday, October 23, 2021, from 9:00 am – 12:00 pm. Invitations will be sent out this week to selected students.
Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Ms. Monique Mason
Principal
iLearnNYC
NYC DOE Consent Form for Covid-19 Testing
However, Family Welcome Centers are operating remotely and staff are available to support by email, phone or video conference
Parent Coordinator's Corner
Natalie Rodriguez
A special place for parents and guardians
The NYC Schools Account, is a NYC web-based application that lets you see your child’s academic and biographic information.
Cell Phone: 646-523-9833 Or by E-mail Nrodriguez38@schools.nyc.gov
Natalie Rodriguez
Parent Coordinator
I.S. 131 Parents Association
President: Denise Jackson
Recording Secretary: Marisol Rivera
Treasurer: Natasha Rowe
Title 1: Caroline Santana
School Leadership Team Meeting Schedule - 2020 - 2021
Senior Event "Class of 2022"
ASPIRA After School Program
Aspira After School Program
718-991-7490 ext: 126
Application is available in English & Spanish
DYCD Universal ENGLISH Participant Intake and AIR Consent - FY20.pdf
DYCD Universal Spanish Participant Intake-Youth and Adult Form FY19-SP 2 002.pdf
Katherine Gomez, Director
Lanaya Jeffer, Assistant Director
LaNaya Jeffers, Senior Group Leader
Collin Emanuel, Senior Group Leader
Community School
September 20, 2018
Dear Albert Einstein, Intermediate School 131 Family:
Hello! We would like to introduce ourselves and inform you about our role’s here at the school. My name is Kaychell English, and I am the Community School Director and I work alongside Shantae Blount who is my Assistant Community School Director. We service both Intermediate School 131 & Soundview Academy for Culture and Scholarship.
We are from the Community Based Organization ASPIRA of NY Inc. Working in partnership with the DOE, through the Office of Community Schools. NYC Community Schools Initiative focuses on six models which are Academics & Enrichment, Attendance, Family Engagement, School Environment, Health and Mental Health and Community Partnerships.
We offer Adult ESL Classes to our families. We have winter coats to families in need. Also, we have the connections to link families to organizations for anything you might need. Please, consider us your extra voice to support and advocate for you and your child.
If you need assistance we are located in Room 101-A or you can contact us at 718-991-7490 ext. 147 or email us at sblount@nyaspira.org or kenglish@nyaspira.org. We look forward to a great year!
Best,
Community School Team
Parent Handbook
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 in Spanish.docx
I.S. 131 Cell Phone Policy
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.