From the
Parent Council Excecutive Committee
SA families Bensonhurst
October 2015 Newsletter
What’s Inside 1 Opening Letter 2 Staff Survey
The Best Part of the Day
3 Hard Work
Help!
Vegetarian Day
Go Beyond SA-BH
4 Calendar of Upcoming Events at School and Around Town
sa-bh PCEC Polina Bulman President
Madeline Vega Vice President
Lana Dziouba Secretary
sabh.pcec@gmail.com Send pictures or calendar events anytime to contribute_sabh@yahoo.com
On the cusp, GWU Kindergarteners wait to walk calmly out to the play yard. adults Have guided them downstairs, made sure they actually ate their lunches, and will soon separate them into small groups to play safely. photo by Madeline Vega
taking the lead The more structure you introduce, the happier children feel. At least, that’s what psychologists will tell you. Children may never act like they are listening or want to go along with the structure, but supposedly children crave the security of routines and rules. There has to be a boundary for them to test. The Success Academy rules and infractions can sound so regimented from a distance. But from inside the school, scholars smile at you as they walk to the bathroom. Scholars wait to open their lunch boxes until the whole class is sitting down and ready to eat. Scholars talk to anyone who is near them because they’re all family now. Everywhere you look ACTION values are reinforced, and it’s amazing. While it might be the parents’ job to remind scholars to do everything from finishing their homework to flushing the toilet, there’s a lot we could learn from our scholars. How to be friendly, how to be imaginative, how to be hopeful. There’s a lot left for us to teach them, but watch what it means to try and try or show integrity or bounce back from a disappointment.
What do you miss most about being a kid? Using my imagination SA-BH Staff Members Answering
5 No bills
“ ”
No responsibility
4
3
Always feeling like I could do anything!
—Ms. Phillips
Muhlenburg A.T.
Naptime 2
Playing outside
1
Swimming with floaties and other pool toys Camp
Family trips to the Shore
Free time
The Best Part of the Day We stopped by lunch to ask 20 scholars why they like coming to school
Scholars seem to spend a lot of time running at recess. Muhlenburg Kindergarteners played duck-duck-goose. Older grades let leaders choose games and maintain order. photo by Madeline Vega
Scholars are quick to tell you what they like. Jarek in Muhlenburg can tell you all about what work is being done in science and art, but the best part of the day is “snack time. It’s so good.” Ask the Quinipiac scholars in the lunch line, and Sophia G. says, “Blocks.” “Guided reading,” says Bella. “Number stories,” says Rya. SUNY Brockport scholar Isabelle says, “Number stories.” “Me, too,” says Kezia. “And going home. I miss my mom and baby brother.” At the CMU Harvard table, scholars rattle off more favorites. “Lunch,” says Diyor. “Read aloud,” says Kal. “Chess,” says Andrea. “Recess,” says Sasha. “I love the whole day,” says Nathan G. “My second favorite part is gym,” Andrea says. Her classmates object. “Soccer!” she says. Riella is not a fan of soccer. “Number stories and art” are her favorites. Sage says, “Four days off.” “We had a dance party for all of us completing our reading logs,”
2 SA-BH PCEC Newsletter October 2015
Diyor says. The sticker on his tie? “I did challenging work, and finished it, and got it all correct.” “Dojo points are how good you’re doing,” Emanuel explains. “You get a prize, like pencils or a bouncy ball. You pick whatever you want.” Scholars are very proud of their point totals. At the Quinipiac table, London has 16, Yasmine has 20, and David S. has 11. He explains the points are for “acting good, sitting in Magic 5, not talking loud.” “That’s what we’re working on now,” Mr. Graves says. At the Muhlenburg table, Michael is the Scholar of the Week for “urgency and doing good on morning work.” “I love morning work,” Alexandra says at the GWU table. “My dad goes fast to work. My mom goes fast to my school.” She gets to school earlier than her friend Doroteya. “She has a mom and a grandma.” “Today my dad brought me,” Doroteya says. Another friend was not there for morning work. “Ms. Calish puts her work in the yellow folder,” Alexandra says. It’s good to be at school.
People who want to help— just maybe not at school
Help!
Communications subcommittees need volunteers The Welcome Committee will help new families find “We can help you find other their bearings.
ELL families. ”
The Focus Group will keep an eye on communications from the school and from parent-driven initiatives. Creative Services can be done in your pajamas: - writing - editing - proofreading - illustrating - photography - graphic design - web design/coding - PowerPoint - videography - sound - video editing
Morehouse works hard to prepare “Watch me” for community circle. photo by Madeline Vega
from Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood
“ ” Play is really the work of childhood.
World Vegetarian day OCTOBER 1, 2015
Ms. Keisha says there are quite a few vegetarians in the SA-BH community—including teachers! Not sure what “vegetarian” means? On some days, everyone is eating the vegetarian lunch—pizza, bananas, carrots, and milk? It’s not vegan, but it is vegetarian.
Okay, so some of these things can’t be done in your pajamas, but you can be a lot of help without attending meetings. The newsletter and website need people who can do these things regularly, but there are also odd jobs for the flyers, letters, special gifts, and so on that other committees will produce. Add your name to our directory at sabh.pcec@gmail.com!
Tell us what could be better next time. Or help us make it right the first time.
Don’t be shy!
Going Beyond SA-BH Let’s “Go Beyond Z” through volunteering If you are not on Facebook, the Parent Council committees will start providing updates for how you can be involved in and around the school through the emailed ACTION Update. Check for updates on cultural events, school-wide playdate ideas, the party in December, and more. Help us go beyond Z anytime by not littering, not blocking driveways, and keeping the sidewalks clear for other pedestrians. We want our neighbors to love our school as much as we do!
October 2015 SA-BH PCEC Newsletter 3
Calendar of Upcoming Events sun 27
mon 28
tues
wed 30
29
thurs
fri 2
1
4
World Vegetarian Day
5
7
6
Shemini Atzeret
11
12
Prospect Park Kites + Balloons School Play-date*
No School
18 Open House New York
8
9
10 Rocket Park Mini Golf
15
16
17 Staten Island Jazz Festival
Education Rally arrive 6:45 a.m.
Pickle Day Simchat Torah
14
13 No School
Día de la Raza for scholars and volunteers
Columbus Day El Día de la Raza
19
3 SUBMERGE Marine Science Festival
Sukkot begins at sunset Hispanic Heritage Month 9/15 - 10/15
sat
Sweetest Day
Islamic New Year
20
21
Literacy Fair 4 p.m. - 6 p.m.
22
23
24 Adventurers Amusement Park School Play-date*
The Future Ashura
25
26
27
28
29
Queens County Farm Fall Festival
30
31 Great PUPkin Festival Halloween
Fun Things to Add to Your Calendar A selection of events in and around Brooklyn to check out with your scholar * Check ACTION Updates and Facebook for School Play-date information Submerge Marine Science Festival Oct. 3 at 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. Hands-on science activities, catchand-release fishing, science stage events, kayaking and more! Pier 26 in Tribeca. Free. https://www.hudsonriverpark.org Lower East Side Pickle Day Oct. 4 at 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. Buy a pickle on a stick, take part in activities, and dance to DJ music on Orchard St. at Delancey. Free. http://www.pickleday.nyc/
Staten Island Jazz Festival Oct. 17 at 2 p.m. - 7 p.m. Snug Harbor Music Hall Tickets can be purchased at http://utasi.org/Buytickets.html Open House New York Oct. 17 - 18 Unlock the doors of New York’s most important buildings, an extraordinary opportunity to meet the people who design, build, and preserve New York. http://www.ohny.org/
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The Future Oct. 21 at 4:29 p.m. Marty McFly arrives from 1985. Free. (Thank you to Michael Curcio for submitting this cultural idea.) http://www.october212015.com/ 17th Annual Great PUPkin Festival Oct. 31 at 12 p.m. The largest dog costume event in Brooklyn will be held in conjunction with Fort Greene Park Conservancy’s Halloween Fest for kids. Free. http://www.fortgreenepups.org/