Programs and Services for Newcomers

Date: Wednesday, May 31, 2023

Time: 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Topic: Programs and Services for Newcomers

Description: In New York City, schools and families work together closely to help children succeed. The early years of a child's life make a big difference, especially while learning a new language and adjusting to a new culture. During this presentation, we will be sharing important information and resources to help you advocate for the educational success of your children during this transition to a new school system.

There will be a Q&A session at the end of this workshop.

This event is free to attend, but registration is required. Please reserve your virtual seat today. 

Mandarin interpretation for this session will be available.

Programas y Servicios para Estudiantes Recién Llegados

La Fecha: Martes, Mayo 23, 2023

El Tiempo: 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm

El Tempa: Programas y servicios para estudiantes recién llegados

La Descripción: En la ciudad de Nueva York, las escuelas y las familias trabajan juntas para ayudar a los niños a tener éxito. Los primeros años de la vida de un niño marcan una gran diferencia, especialmente cuando aprenden un nuevo idioma y se adaptan a una nueva cultura. Durante esta presentación, compartiremos información y recursos importantes para ayudarlo a abogar por el éxito educativo de sus hijos durante esta transición a un nuevo sistema escolar.

Habrá una sesión de preguntas y respuestas al final de este taller.

La asistencia a este evento es gratuita, pero es necesario registrarse. Reserve su asiento virtual hoy.

A big THANK-YOU to our PS163Q community for making our first Scholastic Book Fair in eight years a MASSIVE success. A special THANK-YOU to the PTA and the parent volunteers who helped make everything run smoothly. We hope the Book Fair will be remembered as a fun and positive experience by our students and they enjoy reading the books they got.

Dear Families,

At the recommendation of the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) and in accordance with guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/schools-childcare/k-12-childcare-guidance.html), COVID-19 test kits will be available on-site in our schools and distributed upon request for students and staff experiencing symptoms and/or with a known exposure to someone with COVID-19. This new procedure will begin May 1 and replaces the previous practice of automatic distribution of four tests per month to each student.

As always, vaccinations remain our best defense against the spread of COVID-19. We continue to encourage up-to-date vaccinations for all students and wearing masks in indoor settings, especially during respiratory virus season. Please visit our school health policy page at schools.nyc.gov/2023Health for all updated information.
Children aged six months and older are eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19. If your child is eligible but not yet vaccinated against COVID-19, please take the opportunity to make an appointment at vaccinefinder.nyc.gov or call 311 to find a vaccination site near you. COVID-19 vaccination is free to all New Yorkers, regardless of immigration or insurance status.

Anyone aged five years and older can get the updated COVID-19 booster shot if they received their last vaccine dose at least 2 months ago. Eligible New Yorkers should get the new bivalent booster even if they received the previous booster doses. Please visit cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/stay-up-to-date.html for more information on COVID-19 vaccination schedules.

The health and safety of our students is important to us, and we will continue to follow the guidance of our City, State, and federal health agencies. Thank you for your continued partnership.

Sincerely,
Tracy Agerton
Assistant Commissioner
Office of School Health

Espanol: 34626-family-letter-continued-test-kit-distribution-spanish.pdf  

中文: 34626-family-letter-continued-test-kit-distribution-chinese.pdf 

Apply Now for Exciting STEM Summer Enrichment Programs!

Shine this summer with STEM! Students entering kindergarten through grade 12 in September 2023 can apply now to attend enrichment programs with STEM Matters NYC. Get your hands dirty in the garden, encounter amazing animals, or design an art or engineering project. Students entering kindergarten through grade 9 in September 2023 can apply for weeklong camps. Students entering grades 10-12 in September 2023 can apply for multi-week programs. Choose from a wide range of programs offered at sites throughout the city!

Programs are offered at the NYC DOE’s Genovesi Environmental Study Center and NYC Center for Aerospace and Applied Mathematics; Bronx Zoo; Central Park Zoo; DNA Learning Center NYC at City Tech; Intrepid, Sea, Air & Space Museum; Makerspace NYC; New York Aquarium; Pellettieri Stone Carvers' Academy; Prospect Park Zoo; Queens Botanical Garden; Queens County Farm Museum; Queens Zoo; Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden; Staten Island Museum; The Battery Conservancy; The Horticultural Society of NY; UrbanGlass; and Wave Hill. 

Students will meet and work with field experts in programs that feature real-world learning experiences. 

Don’t miss out, spots are limited and the application deadline is Wednesday, April 26. For rising K-9 camps, lottery preference is given to students who attend Title I schools. Download our flyer, learn more, and apply now. For questions, contact STEMMattersNYC@schools.nyc.gov. Translated flyers, FAQs, and application guides are also available on our program page.

STEM SummerCamp_Flyer_2023_Final.pdf 

Thank you to all the parents who joined for Career Day!

WOW!  A BIG THANK YOU to all who donated to our Toys for Tots this year!!  We filled 3 boxes, and the Marines were so excited when they came to pick all the toys up.  Both families and staff were so generous and with your donations many kids will be smiling this holiday season.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) gives parents and students age 18 and older rights over student education records. The Parents’ Bill of Rights for Data Privacy and Security provides you with additional rights, and Chancellor’s Regulation A-820 provide additional information.

Please note that if you are a student and age 18 or over, these rights belong to you, and not your parents or guardians.

Among other things, you have the right to: 

• Inspect and review your child’s education records within 45 days after the DOE receives your request. 
• You should submit a written request that identifies the record(s) you wish to inspect. 
• Your child’s school will notify you of the time and place where you may inspect the records. 
• Request changes to your child’s education records when you believe they are inaccurate, misleading, or violate your child’s privacy rights under FERPA. 
  
  • You should make requests to amend records in writing, and identify what you want changed and the reason for doing so. 
  • If the DOE decides not to amend records as requested, you will be notified of the decision, and of your right to a hearing and certain hearing procedures. 
• Provide written consent before personally identifiable information in your child’s education records is disclosed. However, in certain cases, FERPA allows disclosure without consent. Cases permitting disclosure without consent include: 
  
  • Disclosure to school officials who need to review education records to fulfill their professional responsibilities. School officials include: 
    
    • DOE employees (such as administrators, supervisors, teachers, other instructors, or support staff members); and 
    • People whom the DOE engages to perform services or functions for which it would otherwise use its employees. These include (a) individuals and entities providing DOE services and functions through contracts, (b) employees of other government agencies providing DOE-related services or functions, such as attorneys in the NYC Law Department representing the DOE, and school nurses and Office of School Health staff employed by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, (c) parents, students, or other volunteers assisting other school officials in performing their tasks, and (d) other qualifying individuals or organizations, such as consultants and community-based organizations, but only if they have agreed in writing to keep student information confidential. Such people are required to be under the direct control of the DOE with respect to the use and maintenance of personally identifiable information from education records. Direct control is achieved in various ways, including by written agreement. 
  • When records are requested by officials of another school, district or education institution in which your child seeks or plans to enroll, or is already enrolled if made for purposes of your child’s enrollment or transfer. 
• Other exceptions exist that permit disclosure of personally identifiable information without consent include certain types of disclosures. Some are listed below. Most of these types of disclosures are subject to certain additional requirements and limitations. Please see FERPA and Chancellor’s Regulation A-820 for more information about them. 
  • to authorized representatives of government entities and officials in connection with audits, evaluations, or certain other activities; 
  • in connection with financial aid for which the student has applied or which the student has received; 
  • to organizations conducting studies for, or on behalf of, the NYCDOE; 
  • to accrediting organizations to carry out their accrediting functions; 
  • to parents of students age 18 and over if the student is a dependent for Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax purposes; 
  • to comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena; 
  • to appropriate officials in connection with a health or safety emergency; and 
  • of information that the NYCDOE has designated as “directory information.”
• File a complaint with the USDOE if you believe the NYC DOE failed to comply with FERPA’s requirements. Complaints may be filed here: 
  • Student Privacy Policy Office 
  • U.S. Department of Education 
  • 400 Maryland Avenue 
  • SW Washington, DC 20202-8520 
    or by email to FERPA.Complaints@ed.gov 

中文:  annual-ferpa-notice-chinese.pdf 

Español:  annual-ferpa-notice-spanish.pdf 

More information at: https://www.schools.nyc.gov/about-us/policies/data-privacy-and-security-policies/annual-ferpa-notification

• UPDATED Health screenings are NOT required for visitors or students to enter the school building.
• UPDATED Schools will no longer be doing random testing. Each student will receive 4 take-home test kits every month.
• If a student tests positive for COVID-19, they are required to isolate for 5 days and return to school on the 6th day with improving or no symptoms. They must wear a mask until day 10 after symptom onset or date of positive test, whichever is earlier.
• Families should continue reporting positive cases to the school.
• Students exposed to COVID-19 will continue receiving take-home test kits.
• Masks are recommended, not required. Schools will continue providing masks for those who want/need them.
• Schools will continue having daily surface cleanings and air purifiers in the classrooms.
• Proof of a negative test result is not required for students to return to school.
• Visitors MUST show proof of at least 1 vaccination dose and ID to enter the school building.

In the link below, you will find important information and updates about academic policies, health and safety protocols, support services for students and families, and more!

ALL (PTA/SLT/Title 1) Elections ran successively on Monday June 6, 2022 @7PM. BELOW are the positions that are still open.

PTA Core Members

• Treasurer
• keeps records of all income and expenses by the PTA
• prepares the January Interim Financial Report, June Annual Financial Report and all other monthly reports
• sign and deposit checks and money to PTA checking account

All parents and/or legally appointed guardians are eligible to run for a position on the Executive Board.  If you are interested in nominating yourself or someone you know, please email the P.S.163Q PTA at pta163q@gmail.com

Parent Advisory Council (PAC) and PAC Chairperson Election

The Title I PAC will participate with the School Leadership Team (SLT) in the joint review, planning, and improvement of the school’s Title I program, and the development, revision and review of the parent

and family engagement policy.

Responsibilities of Title I PAC Members:

All Title I Parent Advisory Council (PAC) members and officers shall regularly attend all scheduled meetings of the Title I PAC as representatives of the school’s Title I parent body to provide input and feedback on the school’s:

• Comprehensive Education Plan (CEP), which also serves as the Schoolwide Program Plan (SWP) for SWP schools
• Parent and Family Engagement Policy (PFEP) and School-Parent Compact (SPC).
• Proposed spending plan for the use of the Title I parent and family engagement set-aside funding (a minimum of 1% of the school's Title I allocation) to support Title I parent and family engagement activities.

Alternate Chairperson Responsibilities:

• Serve on the School Leadership Team (SLT) as the Title I PAC representative.
• Decide how 1% of our Title I money should support your child’s education. Coordinate and draft a proposed spending plan for the use of the Title I parent and family engagement set-aside funding (a minimum of 1% of the school's Title I allocation) for approval by the Title I parents and SLT to support Title I parent and family engagement activities.

If you are interested in running, please fill out the PAC Willingness to Serve Form (located on our school website) and email the PTA at pta163q@gmail.com 

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