A Short Week: First PTA Meeting, a New Families Committee, and Curriculum Night Ahead
It was a four-day week at PS 20, and a full one. School was closed Monday for Yom Kippur, and by Thursday evening families were gathering on Zoom for the first School and Families Meeting of the year, our monthly PTA General Meeting. Ms. Blyden, our principal, shared school news, committees gave their updates, the board walked through the budget, and there was time for questions. Thank you to everyone who joined; questions for the principal or the board can always go to board@ps20.org.
The week also brought a new committee to the PS 20 community. The International & Multicultural Families Committee is up and running and looking for families to help with multicultural celebrations, a book club, translation support for the office (Arabic speakers are especially needed) and English classes and conversation groups starting in October. If you would like to get involved, tell the committee how in their short volunteer questionnaire, and look for their table at Oktoberfest.
Now for the week ahead, which is a busy one. Here are the dates to have on your calendar, followed by a few things the school has asked families to do.
Half days and no school
Fri 10/9 — Early dismissal for PROSE planning, 11:40am for all students
Mon 10/12 — School closed, Italian Heritage/Indigenous Peoples' Day
Important dates
Mon 9/28 — Kalakkal Afterschool begins, 2:50–3:50pm; SLT Meeting, 4:30–5:30pm
Week of 9/28 — Evacuation drill (talk it through with your child beforehand)
Wed 9/30 — Curriculum Night (virtual), 5:00–7:00pm; one Zoom link per grade, sessions recorded
Wed 10/14 — NYC middle school applications open for grade 5 families (close Fri 12/11)
To do this week
If your child is picked up by an outside after-school program, let their teacher know which program it is; the main office needs this on file for dismissal.
Read the GRP Summary Guide with your child ahead of next week's evacuation drill.
If you have not yet set up your NYC Schools Account, the guide is at schools.nyc.gov/setup-guide.
Curriculum Night is Wednesday. On Wed 9/30 from 5:00–7:00pm, teachers will walk families through how the year is organized and what students will be learning, grade by grade, on Zoom. Each grade receives its own link, and every session is recorded, so if Wednesday evening does not work for your family you will still be able to watch. The school's flyer with the per-grade details is on Konstella.
An evacuation drill next week. Sometime during the week of 9/28 the school will run an evacuation drill following the NYC DOE General Response Protocols, so students and staff know what to do in a real emergency. The school asks families to look at the GRP guide linked above and talk through the responses with your child beforehand, so the drill feels familiar rather than alarming. Questions can go to the main office.
After school and enrichment. Kalakkal Afterschool, the math-focused program for grades 2–5, begins Monday 9/28 and runs Mondays through 12/14 from 2:50–3:50pm in room 301 (no session 10/12). Space is limited; the registration link and flyer are on Konstella, and families interested in scholarship seats can email the STEAM Committee at steam@ps20.org.
Full details, flyers and sign-ups are on Konstella; the calendar is always at ps20.org/calendar.
