PS 261 Philip Livingston School

This Sunday !

Family movie night tomorrow ✨✨✨

A day of outdoor gardening activities

Have a wonderful summer !!!!!

First day of school for students : September 7th!

Summer Shopping?
If you shop on Amazon make sure to use the PS 261 Amazon Smile account. You can always access it from our website and tell your relatives! It is an easy way for the school to make extra cash. Smile and prime work together so you will not lose out on your prime benefits.

From our school librarian, Joy:

Summer Reading 2017

Summer reading is an essential part of a full year of learning
Students can lose 2-3 months of learning over the summer by not reading. Don’t let your child fall behind. Research suggests that at least 20 minutes of reading per day will help maintain reading levels over the summer.*

For some kids, reading is its own reward. For other kids, rewards help to motivate them. Here are some programs:

PS 261 Summer Reading Challenge! Read at least 20 mins a day (or more) for 10 weeks to improve reading skills. Readers should read a minimum of 3-5 picture books/week or 100-150 pages of chapter books (roughly 3-5 books depending on length). Log your books here, sign and bring in forms in September for a party! Any format of log signed by adult is acceptable. How many books can you read in 10 weeks?

50% of our challenge goal can be met with read alouds or audiobooks
Reading aloud to your child is the best way to connect children to books and the benefits are similar to reading independently. (Jim Trelease, The Read-Aloud Handbook)

Other incentive programs:
Brooklyn Public Library - Make sure you have a PS 261 MylibraryNYC card for no late borrowing fines (take application to any branch and write down your pin for ebooks and other online services).
1) Complete board game for raffle of free books. 2) Adults, enter your child's library card number to register at beanstalks to complete book reviews for tablet raffle.

Barnes & Noble – for students going into grades 1-5. Read 6 books and get a free book.

Chuck E. Cheese – Earn free tokens when your child fills in a form for reading every day for 2 weeks. A food purchase is required.

Scholastic Summer Challenge – Children can log in their reading minutes online and earn rewards like online badges. There are games and features to keep kids interested in books.


Adults - make sure your kids have lots of things they love to read. Research shows that access and enjoyment are the most important factors for getting kids to read a lot!

Books online: (in age order)
● Day by Day - NY State Library early literacy initiative
● Storyline - picture books read by actors/actresses
● Unite for Literacy - early readers,
● E-books from Mackin - all ages username ps261 password ps261​
● Myon - 5,000 ebooks all ages. FREE through 8/31.
School name: enter 261 and select our school name
login = student Osis # (on report card)
password= 1+first two digits of first name (example for Joy :1jo)

Online Magazines and other reading (in age order)
● National Geographic for Kids
● Ranger Rick
● Wonderopolis – answers to quirky questions
● Sports Illustrated for Kids
● Newsela

Book Reviews and Recommendations:
Horn Book Summer Reading Recommendations
Lee and Low Publisher - Diverse Summer Reading List
Brightly Summer Reading - good book blog
Read Kiddo Read - by James Patterson
See PS 261 2-5 class books recommendations and more links to summer learning sites for typing practice, coding and more: tinyurl.com/261library.

I am always looking for resources and ideas for summer reading. Please email me – [email protected] I hope to see all PS 261 students at the summer reading party in the fall. Let's keep the reading levels up and have fun doing it!

Happy Reading!

Joy
Librarian
[email protected]

Found A K-5 Collection of Fiction, Non-fiction, Biography, Early Readers, Audio/Visual, Reference and Teacher Reference Material.

Last few days of school ::

Tuesday, June 20th
8:45AM - Pre Kindergarten Celebration

Wednesday, June 21st
9AM - Kindergarten Celebration

Friday, June 23rd
9:15AM - 5th Grade Graduation. 5th graders go straight to class while Parents are invited to line up outside of school along the Pacific Street fence. No parents will be allowed into the building until at least 8:45AM.

Monday, June 27th - NO SCHOOL - EID al-Fitr
Eid mubarak ! :)

Wednesday, June 28th - LAST DAY OF SCHOOL! I/2 Day.

Have a wonderful summer !!

PS261 Families - Don’t forget! Saturday June 17 is our inaugural Outdoor Movie Night! We will be showing Despicable Me 2 in our very own yard! Grab your lawn chairs and blankets and invite your family and friends for this fun end of the year event! We will be selling concessions and sweet treats from One Girl Cookies and Ample Hills.
Doors open at 8pm. $5 Admission.

This event needs volunteers!
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0c45acab29a0ff2-movie

Movie Night We need volunteers for our first outdoor Movie Night. Help is needed for set up , to sell tickets and concessions . Thank you in advance for your help and we will see you all there. 

Save the date !

Hello Parents

BUILDING EQUITY & COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

Tuesday May 23rd 5::30pm-8:00pm
(OPEN TO THE PUBLIC)

It has been a great experience for THE HUMAN ROOT to be involved with the PS 261 community. After implementing anti-bias education and training with teachers, staff and administrators this work is now being offered to parents and the surrounding community. The nation's social and political climate changes have had a profound impact on school culture. In this community workshop, stakeholders (parents, neighbors, school staff and teachers ) are asked: What does it mean to develop spaces where consciousness accountability and vision can thrive in a multicultural community? Participants will deepen their connection to the evolving work adults must do to create safe space for children. Participants explore history, tools and resources to define systemic oppression, explore identity and the power of practicing empathy.

GOALS OF THE WORKSHOP:
IDENTIFY Forms and Functions of oppression impacting school culture
EXPLORE Bias & Privilege
NOTICE the need for empathy and practicing mindful engagement
ACTION towards critical responsiveness

There are 100 seats available for this workshop you must sign up HERE

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-human-root-ps-261-parent-workshop-tickets-34634054389?ref=estw

The Human Root PS 261 Parent Workshop Join us for a 2 hour workshop for parents and the community of PS 261. BUILDING EQUITY & COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS Tuesday May 23rd 5::30pm-8:00pm(OPEN TO THE PUBLIC) It has been a great experience for THE HUMAN ROOT to be involved with the PS 261 community. After implementing anti-bias education and tr...

Tomorrow !

****NYC Schools Closed Tomorrow - March 14th- Snow Day! ****

Also, the Science Fair has Moved to March 21st and 22nd.

Stay safe