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PTA Newsletter - October 2001

PARENT-TEACHER WORKSHOP ON LITERACY

The next PTA membership meeting on Monday, November 5^th at 6 PM in the library will be a workshop on the school’s literacy program. Parents are urged to attend to take advantage of this opportunity to discuss the literacy curriculum with teachers. The emphasis on literacy has resulted in a significant increase in reading scores over the past two years.

The annual Halloween festivities will take place in school on Wednesday, October 31^st. Children and teachers are invited to dress in costumes for the day’s celebration. Activities will include storytelling for pre-K, 1^st and 2^nd graders, and two dances, one for grades 3-5 and another for grades 6-8. The PTA is also working with the Housing Management office on the traditional Main Street parade on Saturday, October 27^th. After the noon parade, games and entertainment will take place in the schoolyard from 12:30 to 2:30. Hot dogs and sodas will be sold to benefit the PTA. If it rains, the festivities will take place inside the school.

The Learning Leaders program arranges for volunteer adults to work one-on-one with students on their skills in reading, writing, math or English, and to help in the library, office and cafeteria. Adults who are interested in being Learning Leaders take three training sessions, which will take place on October 30, November 1 and November 8, all from 9 to 11 AM at the school. To sign up, please call the school at 980-0294, extension 2422.

Each year, students collect pennies that are contributed to charity through the organization Common Cents New York. This year, the contributions will go to the relief efforts for victims of the World Trade Center disaster and their families. Prizes will be given to the students and classes who collect the most pennies. Not only is this an important cause, but it gives the children a chance to feel that they have helped in responding to this crisis.

Parent-teacher conferences will be held on Thursday, November 15^th in the afternoon and early evening. A white elephant sale will be held on November 6^th. If you can donate any clothes or other items that are in good condition, or if you can volunteer time at a table, please call the PTA office or leave a note in the PTA mailbox. Our first Book Fair will be held November 28^th-30^th. Every class will have a chance to visit the book stalls and select their books. Please give your child a few dollars to make purchases.

Our thanks to Council Member Gifford Miller, who has assured us that we will again receive $16,000 in funding from the City budget through his office despite the budget cutbacks. These funds will be especially helpful this year in maintaining school programs.

The PTA plays a major role in the daily activities of PS/IS 217. It sponsors and funds many school activities, provides supplemental funds for the purchase of books and school supplies, and organizes such events as the annual Career Day and Book Fairs. The PTA assures a strong parental presence in the school. We organize parents’ participation in school tours for parents who are considering enrolling their children in the school, and recruit parents to be involved in many other school activities. The PTA and the school maintain a close working relationship with the Roosevelt Island Youth Center’s Beacon Program, which provides sports, art, and homework help to many students after school hours.

Every parent or guardian of a child enrolled in 217 is automatically a member of the PTA. We urge all parents to become active. Come to a meeting, call us, or leave a note in the PTA mailbox. If you would like to serve on the PTA Executive Board, the position of Corresponding Secretary is vacant, and we can elect additional fundraisers and parent liaisons. Anyone who wishes to serve in these positions, please let us know.

We also ask all parents to pay a small donation to help the PTA fund these activities. We send home with each child an envelope that can be used for your donation. We ask for $5 per family, but we accept any amount, large or small.

We are collecting coupons from Wheaties, Cheerios, and other cereal boxes that can be mailed in to obtain funding for the school. If you clip these coupons from the top of these boxes, please drop them off in the PTA mailbox.

The next meeting of the School Leadership Team will be on Tuesday, November 20^th at 8 AM. The Leadership Team includes parents, teachers and school administrators who meet regularly to develop the annual educational plan for the school.

Assistant Principal Sharon Jeffrey-Roebuck, who served on an interim acting basis last year, was selected for the permanent position by District 2 in June. Congratulations to Sharon. We are happy to have her with us on a permanent basis.

You can help our school receive extra funding if you shop online at www.Schoolpop.com or at www.target.com. Both of these Internet web sites give money back to the school if you shop on-line. Schoolpop.com allows you to shop at more than 250 online retailers, including Gapkids, Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com, Drugstore.com, OfficeMax, JC Penney, eToys, Sharper Image, Omaha Steaks, Pets.com, Tower Records, Sports Authority, LandsEnd, Eddie Bauer, Planet Rx, Toys R Us, and many other shopping web sites. Just choose "PS 217 Roosevelt Island", and the school will receive a percentage of every purchase.

Remember to buy fruits, vegetables and other products at the Saturday Marketplace at the Motorgate. The vendors rent their tables from the PTA, so your purchases help to provide an important source of funding that is used for school activities.