Owl Blog Post for April 28th, 2023

AmPark’s Remote Spring Parent Teacher Conferences 
May 4th, 2023
​(May the 4th (and all of us at AmPark) be with you!)

We're excited to invite all families to speak with teachers, present and future, next Thursday evening!  Each grade level team will hold 2 group sessions that begin with a 20 minute recap of the current year for current families and end with a 20 minute preview of the year ahead for incoming families (please note the sessions are the same, just offered at different times to accommodate families with siblings).  The flow of the evening will be as follows:

Session 1 

• Current Grade Update 5:00PM - 5:20PM
• Next Year’s Grade Preview 5:25PM - 5:45PM

Meeting with AmPark Administrators, SEL, & Specials Team: 5:50PM - 6:30PM
​
Session 2

• Current Grade Update 6:30PM - 6:50PM
• Next Year’s Grade Preview 6:55PM - 7:15PM

You will receive Zoom links for all grade level team sessions, via email, next week!  

Calling all AmPark Family Singers!

Do you love singing?  Do you love singing with your kids? Do you want to come into AmPark and sing to get ready for a performance at the District 10 Science Fair on May 20th?!  AWESOME!!  Because we need you!  We are looking for a few musical minded families who would be willing to learn a song and perform (and represent AmPark!) at the upcoming District 10 Science Fair along with members of the District 10 Chorus.  If you are interested, please email Bonnie at bdurgin@schools.nyc.gov and let me know!  Sara Greeson will be joining us here at AmPark for a couple of during the day rehearsals on May 8th & 15th that we'd love you to join, but no pressure!  We can also just send along the song to practice and you can learn it from home.  Either way, I look forward to singing with you! 

With thanks, 
Bonnie

AmPark's May Events Calendar

What's for Lunch?

 The AmPark Science Fair is Coming on May 15th    

Dear AmPark Families,

It’s time to start working on the AmPark Neighborhood School Science Fair! This is an exciting event that encourages students to think as young scientists. Students will not only be learning important science content but they will also have choice in their learning which will make the projects so much more engaging! They will also be strengthening their writing skills and oral presentation skills during this process.

The AmPark Science Fair will be held on Monday, May 15th!  While all classes will participate in the fair with a whole class project, students are welcomed to participate with individual projects if they choose.  Please be on the lookout for resources from your child's teacher to support you in participating in the Fair, should your child like to create an individual project in addition to their class project.  

During the next few weeks your child will be thinking and planning for a science project that uses the scientific methodology that they have used in science class each year, along with their class.

In the future our children will need the ability to solve problems in creative ways by questioning the world around them. This science project is a great opportunity for students to practice these important skills.  Please join us in supporting your budding scientists journey!  

Thank you!

​World's Finest Chocolate Fundraiser

Dear Families,

AmPark is conducting an emergency fundraiser to raise money to pay for professional development for our teachers to learn the new ELA curriculum coming September 2023  - 2024 school year.

Our VP of Fundraising Chair, Jaime Benjamin will be at the school handing out boxes to sell.  Below is the schedule that she will be there.  If you cannot make it any of those days and would like to sell chocolate please email her at pearyg@gmail.com and she will make arrangements with you.

Monday, May 1 - Pick up, Front Entrance - 2PM - 3:15PM
Tuesday, May 2 -Pick up, School Yard - 2PM - 3:15PM
Wednesday, May 3 - Pick Up, Front Entrance - 2PM - 3:15PM
Thursday, May 4th - Drop off at Betty Playground - 7:45 - 8:15 AM and Pick up at School Yard - 2PM - 3:15PM
Friday May 5th - Pick Up, Front Entrance - 2PM - 3:15PM

We have until May 31st, to sell 134 boxes which contain 60 chocolates in a box for $1 each.  

Families will receive raffle tickets, per box that they sign up to sell and will be entered in a drawing to win Beats by Dre Wireless Headphones.

Attached is the form with all information needed, you can fill out and bring with you and/or Jaime will have the form with her when picking up boxes.

Thank you for your continued support to make AmPark an even better school.

AmPark Community:

Please join us in taking this opportunity to celebrate April’s Autism Acceptance Month by encouraging discussion about Autism and Allyship. As a community we would like to invite our AmPark Owls to shine by showing:

• Acceptance: Accept everyone and their differences. We all have abilities and special traits that make us different.
• Understanding: Understand that sometimes their friend may like to play alone or may be so focused on something else. It might be difficult to get their attention.
• Inclusion: Invite their friend to join in on games and activities. Teach them how to play.  They might want to be included but don’t know how to ask.

• A Love of Learning: Learn about their friend’s interests. They may have things in common.

​A great resource for families to learn about Autism is the website Autism - Sesame Workshop. Julia is the newest Muppet on Sesame Street and she has autism. Julia is the perfect way to teach children about their peers who are on the spectrum.
We believe that encouraging acts of kindness will advance our AmPark mission by creating a more inclusive, understanding and accepting world for everyone. Thank you for your continued partnership in building our Owls Social Awareness skills and fostering the growth of our caring community.

-SEL Team

Middle School Information & Waitlist Virtual Events

Dear AmPark Families,

Middle school offer letters are available!  Applicants with MySchools accounts can now view their offer letter online.

Offer letters include a middle school offer and information about waitlists. There are two ways a child can be on a waitlist:

• Automatically, before waitlists open. If an applicant’s offer is not to their first-choice program, they are automatically on the waitlist for any program listed higher on their application than the program where they’ve received an offer—learn more at schools.nyc.gov/Waitlists. A list of any programs where an applicant has been waitlisted is included with their offer letter.
• Added by parent/guardian, while waitlists are open. Families can (optionally) add their children to additional programs’ waitlists. 

If a school can make a waitlist offer to a student, they will contact the student directly, and their family will have one week to accept or decline it.

Learn more by watching the Offers and Waitlists MySchools Tutorial video. 

Questions? We’re here to help.

• If you need a printed offer letter or information about waitlists:
  • Contact your Guidance Counselors Ana or Melissa 
  • Contact a Family Welcome Center
  • Call us at 718-935-2009
  • Get support with waitlist questions and requests by emailing MSenrollment@schools.nyc.gov.

NYC DOE Middle School Offers and Waitlists Virtual Event:
The NYC DOE invites you to join a live virtual event about middle school offers and waitlists, including how to add yourself to waitlists, how waitlist offers are made, and what to do if you get a waitlist offer. 

• Each event will be virtual, so you can join from anywhere! See the attached flyer for more information.
• Please note that every event will cover the same content, but different events will provide interpretation in different languages. 
• The events will be held on the following dates and times—please use the links and information below to join the session best suited to you and your family’s preferred language
  • Thursday, April 27,  5pm – 5:45pm | Event held in English | Interpretation provided in: Bangla, Korean, Spanish 
  • Monday, May 1,  5pm – 5:45pm | Event held in English | Interpretation provided in:  Chinese (Mandarin), Haitian Creole, Urdu   
  • Tuesday, May 2, 1pm – 1:45pm | Event held in English | Interpretation provided in: Arabic, French, Russian

Respectfully your Middle School Team: 

Ana Veras
Melissa Valerio
School Counselor
AmPark Neighborhood School, P.S. 344 
3981 Hillman Avenue
Bronx, NY 10463
(718) 548-3451
mvalerio@schools.nyc.gov
averas3@schools.nyc.gov


Queridas familias,

¡Las cartas de oferta de la escuela intermedia están disponibles! Los solicitantes con cuentas de MySchools ahora pueden ver su carta de oferta en línea.

Las cartas de oferta incluyen una oferta de escuela intermedia e información sobre las listas de espera. Hay dos maneras en que un niño puede estar en una lista de espera:

• Automáticamente, antes de que se abran las listas de espera. Si la oferta de un solicitante no es para su programa de primera elección, automáticamente estará en la lista de espera para cualquier programa que figure más arriba en su solicitud que el programa para el que recibió una oferta; obtenga más información enschools.nyc.gov/Waitlists. Se incluye una lista de los programas en los que un solicitante ha sido incluido en la lista de espera con su carta de oferta.

• Agregado por el padre/tutor, mientras las listas de espera están abiertas. Las familias pueden (opcionalmente) agregar a sus hijos a las listas de espera de programas adicionales.

Si una escuela puede hacer una oferta de lista de espera a un estudiante, se comunicará directamente con el estudiante y su familia tendrá una semana para aceptarla o rechazarla.

Obtenga más información viendo el video tutorial de MySchools sobre ofertas y listas de espera.


¿Preguntas? Estamos aquí para ayudar.

• Si necesita una carta de oferta impresa o información sobre las listas de espera:
  • Contacta a tus Consejeras de Orientación Ana o Melissa
  • Póngase en contacto con un centro de bienvenida a la familia
  • Llámanos al 718-935-2009
  • Obtenga ayuda con las preguntas y solicitudes de la lista de espera enviando un correo electrónico a MSenrollment@schools.nyc.gov.

NYC DOE Middle School Ofertas y listas de espera Eventos virtuales:

El NYC DOE lo invita a unirse a un evento virtual en vivo sobre las ofertas y las listas de espera de la escuela intermedia, que incluye cómo agregarse a las listas de espera, cómo se hacen las ofertas de la lista de espera y qué hacer si recibe una oferta de la lista de espera.

• ¡Cada evento será virtual, por lo que puede unirse desde cualquier lugar! Consulte el folleto adjunto para obtener más información.
• Tenga en cuenta que cada evento cubrirá el mismo contenido, pero diferentes eventos proporcionarán interpretación en diferentes idiomas.
• Los eventos se llevarán a cabo en las siguientes fechas y horarios: use los enlaces y la información a continuación para unirse a la sesión que mejor se adapte a usted y al idioma preferido de su familia.
  • Jueves 27 de abril, 17h – 17h45| Evento realizado en inglés | Interpretación en: bengalí, coreano, español
  • Lunes, mayo 13:50 – 17:45 | Evento realizado en inglés | Interpretación proporcionada en: chino (mandarín), criollo haitiano, urdu
  • Martes 2 de mayo, 13:00 – 13:45 | Evento realizado en inglés | Interpretación proporcionada en: árabe, francés, ruso

Respetuosamente su Equipo de la Escuela Intermedia:


Ana Veras
Melissa Valerio
School Counselor
AmPark Neighborhood School, P.S. 344 
3981 Hillman Avenue
Bronx, NY 10463
(718) 548-3451
mvalerio@schools.nyc.gov
averas3@schools.nyc.gov