Dear Parents,

 It was wonderful to meet over 700 of our families who joined us for our “Back to School” Curriculum Conference Night on September 17, 2018. We appreciate the time you took to come and meet your child’s teachers, learn about our Math, Social Studies, Science and Reading Programs, and to find out about our school policies and procedures so that we may work together to ensure that your child has a successful school year. It was also great to see over 350 of our Dads, Stepdads, Uncles, Grandfathers, and Big Brothers during our “Dad Take Your Child to School Day” on September 18, 2018.

 Please continue to support your child by checking and signing his/her homework nightly.  It would be extremely valuable if you found 30 minutes each day for your child to read. Encourage them to talk to you about their daily activities at school. Communication is the key!

 We would like to remind you that we are following a school uniform policy. All students are asked to wear white or powder blue collared tops and navy blue/black pants or skirts. We have found that school uniforms help set a serious and focused tone in our building.

 We would also like to remind you that we encourage all our students to attend school daily and to be punctual. These good habits will be a valuable life lesson for them. Your cooperation in making sure that your child arrives to school on time (line-up begins at 7:50 AM) and has good attendance is appreciated.

 Please avoid addressing any questions with your child’s teacher at line up or dismissal. For the safety of all children, the teachers must be attentive to their classes. Talking to parents will take the teacher’s focus away from the children. Please send a note so that an appointment can be scheduled with your child’s teacher, teachers are also available every Tuesday from 2:20 – 3:00 PM. Your cooperation on this matter is greatly appreciated.

Please visit our website to find out what goals your children will be focusing on at school during the month of October.

September 5, 2018

Dear Families,

I hope you had a terrific summer, and that you are as excited about the year ahead as I am. It is a delight to welcome you to the 2018–19 school year. 

I was up before my alarm this morning, my mind racing with thoughts about all the incredible things we are going to do together this school year. This is my first full year as your Chancellor, and my focus this year is on the 1.1 million students here in New York City—and my promise to make our public school system the fairest and strongest in the nation. 

I know that we can’t achieve that promise on our own—we need one another. My own parents entrusted me to the public school system. They relied on our schools to teach me English, and together with their support I became fully bilingual, and was the first in my family (alongside my twin brother) to attend college. Our families and educators are in this together, and we succeed together. We promise to meet you where you are and get information to you where and when you need it. You play a key role in your children’s education, and we are here to help you make critical decisions about their future.

We understand that you are entrusting your children to us, and we do not take that responsibility lightly. We promise to teach your children in safe, welcoming schools, and hold high expectations for their success. We will challenge your children academically and support them socially and emotionally. We will deliver excellence through equity, so that every student graduates from high school with the ability to write well, think like a scientist, understand history, and learn computer science. We will teach all of our students to think critically, speak passionately about important issues, and work in teams to achieve big things. These are the skills needed to succeed in the 21st century.

Together, we will make 2018–19 a year of high expectations, a year of equity and excellence, a year in which we lift all our students to greater heights.

Thank you for your support. I wish you and your children a wonderful start to the school year.

In unity,

Richard A. Carranza
Chancellor

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. 

We live in a world surrounded by technology, and we know that whatever field our students choose to go into as adults, their ability to succeed will increasingly depend on understanding how technology works. However, only a tiny fraction of us are learning how technology works. Fewer than half of all schools teach computer science.

That’s why our entire school is joining in on the largest learning event in history: The Hour of Code, during Computer Science Education Week (December 4-10). More than 100 million students worldwide have already tried an Hour of Code.

Our Hour of Code is making a statement that PS 186 is ready to teach these 21st century skills. To help us in this initiative, we encourage you to work with your son or daughter at home on the activities on code.org (http://hourofcode.com/us) so that they can continue their learning of Computer Science.  

We are excited to be a part of this important initiative and look forward to sparking students’ interest in Computer Science.  See http://hourofcode.com/us for details, and help spread the word.