February Parent Letter
Dear Parents,
We are already halfway through the school year with only 33 school days left before state testing begins. It’s hard to believe that on Thursday, February 14th, we will already be celebrating the 100th Day of School!
Promotion-in-Doubt letters were sent home to select students who are in danger of not being promoted to the next grade in June 2019. Follow up letters will also be sent home from the DOE during the week of February 11, 2019. Teachers have already reached out to you to discuss areas of concern and to address ways to ensure a successful remainder of the school year. If you have any further questions you can request an appointment on Tuesdays from 2:20 – 3:00 or a date and time that is most convenient for you by calling the school or sending a note to the teacher.
We would like to remind you that daily attendance and punctuality are good habits that we encourage all our children to have. Your cooperation in making sure that your child arrives to school on time (8:00 AM for the regular school day) and has good attendance is greatly appreciated. We would also like to remind you that P.S. 186 follows the school uniform policy. Your cooperation in assisting your children to meet this mandate is also appreciated.
Important Dates to Know
February 11 - 15 Respect for All Week (More information on the back.)
February 14 Happy 100 Days of School! Help us meet the 100 Item Food Challenge!
PTA Valentine’s Day Bake Sale
February 15 Last day for marking period 2
February 18 - 22 Mid-Winter Recess! Students are reminded to work on their
Vacation Learning Packets which includes their “Dr. Seuss Silly Hat Day” project.
February 25 Back to School! All Vacation Learning Packets are due!
March 1 Silly Hat Day at P.S. 186 to Celebrate Dr. Seuss’s Birthday
VIP Reader’s Day/Read Across America
School Spirit Day! Don’t forget to wear your gold with burgundy t-shirts!
March 11 - 15 Spring Book Fair – Please visit when you come to Parent Teacher Conferences
March 6, 20, 27 School Leadership Team Meeting @ 7:15 AM
March 14 Half Day – Dismissal will be at 11:15 AM
Parent Teacher Conferences
Afternoon 12:20 – 3:00 PM
Evening 4:30 – 7:30 PM
*Report cards will be distributed to all Grade K-5 Parents during the conferences.
April 2 & 3 Grade 3 – 5 NYS ELA Exam
Green Envelopes- Student Survey
Return the bright green envelopes labeled Learning Environment Survey to school to be mailed by Friday, February 15, 2019. The information it provides helps us to identify what we are doing well and how we can better serve our children. Each of your children will receive a free ice cream ticket when they return the survey. As an added bonus, the first class to reach 100% will have a pizza party! If you need help, filing out the survey please contact our Parent Coordinator, Ms. Delaney, at (718) 236-7071 Extension 1031. Also, if you fill out the survey online please print a confirmation and send it in. Thank you in advance for completing and returning the survey.
Respect for All Week
For the 2018-2019 school year, the NYC Department of Education has designated February 11-15, 2019 as Respect for All (RFA) Week in all NYC public schools.
The NYC DOE is committed to maintaining a safe and supportive learning environment that is free from harassment, intimidation and/or bullying and from discrimination based on actual or perceived race, color, citizenship/immigration status, religion, creed, national origin, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, or weight.
The citywide Respect For All program was launched in 2007 to build the capacity of staff and students to actively promote a community of inclusion in each of our schools. The importance of promoting respect for diversity in our daily practice is vital to creating and sustaining an inclusive school climate and culture in each of our schools so that all students feel valued, supported and safe.
Respect For All Week at P.S. 186
Respect for All Week will take place during the week of February 11th, 2019. Each day of the week starting on Monday, February 11th students will wear a designated color shirt to school to represent a positive characteristic that they can imitate that day.
Monday, 2/11/19 each child will wear a BLUE shirt to represent RESPECT. Some actions to show respect include being considerate and thoughtful. You are polite and you show kindness towards others when you are respectful.
Tuesday, 2/12/19 each child will wear a GREEN shirt to represent HONESTY. Some actions to show honesty include being trustworthy and reliable.
Wednesday, 2/13/19 each child will wear RAINBOW COLORS to represent DIVERSITY. At PS 186 our students come from all over the world representing 31 countries! We are all special and unique!
Thursday, 2/14/19 each child will wear a RED shirt or their own creation of a 100 day of school t-shirt or object (such as belt, hat, scarf, necklace) If your 100 day project is not a shirt students are encouraged to wear RED to show their LOVE for our school and to represent CARING. Some actions to show caring include thinking of others before thinking of yourself, and wishing the best for others. This day will represent creativity and originality, which shows uniqueness and imaginativeness.
Friday, 2/15/19 each child will wear their school spirit day shirt to represent UNITY and COLLABORATION. Some actions to show unity and collaboration include working together and listening to one another and respecting each other’s ideas and thoughts.
Have You Filled A Bucket Today? By Carol McCloud will be read to your child(ren) to encourage positive behavior as our students see how rewarding it is to express daily kindness, appreciation and respect. This book explains to children that we all carry an invisible bucket in which we keep our feelings about ourselves. When our buckets are full, we are happy, when they are empty, we are sad. It is important to know that we can fill our own bucket and so can others. We fill buckets by saying and doing nice things to the people around us.
Please stress the importance of treating others kindly and respectfully in all of your children’s experiences. Together we can stop bullying from occurring by teaching children how hurtful words and actions can affect others.
We are asking for you, the parents or guardians, to participate as well by completing the “bucket” that was sent home. Write your child’s name on the bucket and write two to three sentences to your child that will make him/her feel happy and in turn will “fill his or her bucket”. Feel free to decorate your child’s bucket. Please return the bucket to the classroom teacher by Wednesday, February 6, 2019.
Together we can guide our children towards making the world a better place to live in.
Sincerely,
Bayan Ebeid-Cadotte
Principal
Donors Choose
We make it easy for anyone to help a classroom in need, moving us closer to a nation where students in every community have the tools and experiences they need for a great education. Here is a link to our classrooms that are trying to be funded. Please help us reach our goals. https://www.donorschoose.org/donors/search.html?includeNearbyLocations=true&school=688&keywords=ps%20186
Barnes & Noble "My Favorite Teacher" contest
Barnes and Noble is hosting a "My Favorite Teacher" contest. You must enter by March 14th at https://www.barnesandnoble.com/h/my-favorite-teacher.
Online Student Learning
Quick Links
How to Log Into Our Internet Resources
New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Healthy Homes Program Workshops
The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Healthy Homes Program is offering FREE Winter Session Workshops for community residents to attend. Workshops are conducted in English and Spanish.
Workshops will be held at: NYC Department of Health- 125 Worth Street, New York, NY 10013. To RSVP: call 646-632-6023 or email us @ healthyhomes@health.nyc.gov 
A Town Hall Event with Chancellor Richard A. Carranza
PTA Meeting Schedule
PTA General Meeting Agenda: Important Dates to Know
Location: Auditorium
Date: March 19, 2019
Time: 8:30 AM
We will be celebrating our students of the month at the meeting!
2018-2019 School Year Calendar
Family Resources for Special Education
Safety Drill Videos
Cyberbullying Presentation
Outdoor Lineup and Recess
In keeping with the recommendations from the NYC Dept. of Health, the Deptartment of Education has set forth the following guideline:
Children benefit from vigorous exercise and should be given the opportunity to play outside whenever possible. Unless it is snowing, or there is ice on the playground, or the wind-chill factor is below zero degrees Fahrenheit (-18 degrees Celsius), temperature alone should not preclude outdoor play. You are encouraged to work with your staff to maintain outdoor play periods, and should take precautions to keep students warm and ensure that they are appropriately dressed on very cold days. When outdoors, please ensure that your students and staff cover exposed skin, wear warm clothing, and use multiple layers to maintain warmth.
Please be sure to dress your child for outdoor line up and recess each day.
On days when the weather does not permit outdoor lineup, students should enter the school through one of the schoolyard entrances.
Playworks- A Rocking Recess!
Our Indoor "Rockin' Recess" is such a great success! We would, however, like to give the children the opportunity to play outside whenever it is possible. Please remind students to come dressed appropriately (cover exposed skin, wear warm clothing and use multiple layers to maintain warmth) for outdoor play daily. The decision to stay indoors or outdoors will be made on a day to day basis.
Breakfast in the Classroom
This year our school will continue to participate in an innovative program called Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC). BIC is a free breakfast program that aims to alleviate hunger and ensure all students are ready to learn each day.
Our school selected the "Grab and Go" delivery option. Children arriving before the school day begins between 7:20 and 7:50 AM may have breakfast in the cafeteria before morning line-up. Children arriving after that time make take their "grab and go" breakfasts up to their classrooms from a station at one of the entrances. Once in the classroom, these students eat at their desk while the teacher takes morning attendance, teaches a short lesson, and/or reads announcements.
Lunch Flyers & Links
Lunch Menu
LUNCH IS AT NO CHARGE FOR ALL NYC STUDENTS!- Complete Application Now!
Each school day New York City Public School students are able to enjoy FREE breakfast and lunch meals. Parents and guardians must complete an application by applying online at www.myschoolapps.com/Application using any electronic device with an internet connection. Households need to complete only one application for all children living in a home attending Pre-k to high school.
Say yes to delicious and healthy school meals and complete your child’s application today. Completing it helps secure State funding for your child’s school.
If you have questions regarding the application contact SchoolFood's Help Desk at 877.363.6325.
Your privacy is important to us. All information is kept confidential. Federal regulations do not allow the Department of Education to share your information with any other agency.
Statement on Accessibility
We are working to make this website easier to access for people with disabilities, and will follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0. If you need assistance with a particular page or document on our current site, please contact sbruno9@schools.nyc.gov to request assistance.