Hello AmPark Families,

We are again grieving the loss of children and educators under the most tragic of circumstances.  The work that we do as a community and with our students lights the spark for change with this next generation.  We pray and fight for an end to this violence and send our hearts to the Uvalde community.  Our superintendent shared resources with our D10 community that were provided to teachers late last night.  We are including them here for our parent community as you navigate the sadness and fear these events cause.

Our all-hands-on deck approach to supporting our children continues today.  Their trusted adults are here for them should they need support.  We are also respectful of your choices as a family as to whether this information is shared with your children.  We will be intentional and mindful of the ages of our students and our responses, working to be responsive to the needs that come to us and to create safe spaces.  The adults are also experiencing a range of feelings and processing.  We will lean on one another as we always do in difficult times.

Please reach out to administration, our parent coordinator, your child's teacher, or our social workers and counselors if you would like to further discuss:
Ana Veras - averas3@schools.nyc.gov
Melissa Valerio - mvalerio@schools.nyc.gov
Josie Illarraza - jillarraza@schools.nyc.gov
Elvira DeJesus - edejesus30@schools.nyc.gov

Resources: 

Talking to Students About Texas Elementary School Shooting | NEA
https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nea.org%2Fadvocating-for-change%2Fnew-from-nea%2Ftalking-students-about-texas-elementary-school-shooting&data=05%7C01%7Crlieber%40schools.nyc.gov%7Cfbba024873a24ae1736808da3df1a56b%7C18492cb7ef45456185710c42e5f7ac07%7C0%7C0%7C637890405321373359%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C2000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=zRfaZSlO5GpEbl20SDZQF4KhC9j53vgQl1CNWj3ufns%3D&reserved=0

Talking to Children about the Shooting | The National Child Traumatic Stress Network
https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nctsn.org%2Fresources%2Ftalking-children-about-shooting&data=05%7C01%7Crlieber%40schools.nyc.gov%7C257e2640c71241be991d08da3df1bb20%7C18492cb7ef45456185710c42e5f7ac07%7C0%7C0%7C637890405678974394%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C2000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=VBlq0karhL8sluDFsa5lKB2Xave6zz%2BZbX5Pxk9%2FyzA%3D&reserved=0
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Resources for Educators and Families to Discuss School Shootings
Resources for Educators, Families to Discuss School Shootings | post (sdcoe.net)

Dear AmPark,

This notice is to inform you that multiple cases of COVID 19 have been reported in our school community.  Please see the Situation Room letter posted below, with guidance and next steps on how to remain safe.  Do not hesitate to reach out with questions or concerns.

With wishes for health to all,

Bonnie
 
5/23/2022
 
Dear Ampark Neighborhood at 3961 HILLMAN AVENUE community, 

I am writing to notify you that a member or members of our school community have tested positive for COVID-19 and may have exposed others while at school. 
Below you will find guidance on next steps that will help keep our school community healthy and safe. The information below reflects the expertise of the Department of Health & Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), Test & Trace Corp (T2), and the New York City Department of Education (DOE). 
Note: DOHMH has issued new guidance due to the current transmission level of COVID. All people, regardless of vaccination status are strongly encouraged to wear masks at all times when indoors in a public setting. Please see the DOHMH advisory for more information. 
What Happens Now?  

• In K-12 classrooms, students and staff who shared classroom space with the individual who tested positive will receive at-home tests with guidance and directions. All may continue to attend school as long as they test negative for COVID and have no COVID like symptoms. 
• The Situation Room will monitor our school for any further interventions. 
• Anyone with a positive COVID-19 test will not return to the school until they are no longer infectious.  

• All areas visited by the person with COVID-19 will be deep cleaned and disinfected. 
• If your child is feeling sick, keep them at home. 
• If your child is at least 2 years old in a Pre-K, 3-K or LYFE program, they must quarantine for at least 5 days since their last exposure. To return to school on Day 6, your child must be asymptomatic, and have a negative lab-based test taken on Day 5, or 2 negative home tests, taken on Day 4 and Day 5 respectively. Your school will send your child home with a COVID Test kit so they can test to return from quarantine on Day 6. Children that do not get tested can return after quarantining for 10 days. Children who return on Day 6 must wear a well-fitting mask until Day 10. As a reminder, regardless of age, students who are fully vaccinated do not need to quarantine when they are exposed to COVID-19, unless they have symptoms. 
• If your child is under 2 years old in a LYFE classroom, they must quarantine for at least 8 days since their last exposure. In order to test to return to school on Day 8, your child must be asymptomatic, and have a negative lab-based test taken on Day 5. Children that do not get tested can return after quarantining for 10 days. Note: home test kits are not considered valid for children under 2 years old, unless administered by a health care provider. 
• Students that have had, and recovered from, COVID within the last 90 days do not need to quarantine. 

 
How do we stay healthy?  
Vaccination is the most important tool we have to protect ourselves from COVID-19. All New Yorkers age 5 or older are eligible to be vaccinated for COVID-19. People who are between 5 and 17 years old are eligible for the Pfizer vaccine only; all older ages are eligible for all three vaccines. We encourage all eligible students to get vaccinated. Find a vaccine site today at https://vaccinefinder.nyc.gov/. There is no cost to be vaccinated. 
Vaccine booster shots are now available for all fully vaccinated people 12 and older. These shots boost your immunity from an initial vaccination series. A booster shot is recommended for any adult who received the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine at least five months ago, the second dose of the Moderna vaccine at least six months ago, or the one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at least two months ago. 
Please remember to follow these important actions to prevent COVID-19 transmission:    

1. Stay home if sick (except to get essential medical care, including COVID-19 testing). 

1. Wear a face covering if you are symptomatic or exposed to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Children ages 2 through 4 should continue to be masked indoors at all times. 

1. Practice healthy hand hygiene: Wash your hands often or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer; avoid touching your face; and cover your cough or sneeze with your arm, not your hands.  

 
How can I stay updated?  
We will continue to closely follow directions from public health experts and proactively update you on any measures we are taking. To ensure we can reach you via text and email, please create a New York City Schools Account (NYCSA) as soon as possible by visiting schools.nyc.gov/nycsa 
 
To help New Yorkers quarantine, the NYC Test + Trace Corps partners with community-based organizations to connect individuals to resources like food, medicine, and health care.  To connect with resources, you can call 1-212-COVID19 (212-268-4319). 
 
For additional information on COVID-19, visit schools.nyc.gov/coronavirus or call 311.  
Sincerely, 
KELLY LENNON/Meena Lildharrie 

Dear Families,
Happy Friday!  We hope you are able to find ways to stay cool on this warm weekend!
PK Offers
Please check your myschools account if you have been waiting for an offer for a PK sibling.  The offers went live this week.

Kindergarten Registration
Elvira and Sandra are continuing to reach out to send the documents and set up registration appointments. 
Please call the school if you have received your offer, but do not yet have an appointment.

Middle School Virtual Family Events
Next week, the Office of Student Enrollment will be hosting a series of virtual events for elementary school families about middle school offers and waitlists. Each event will be virtual and will cover the same content, but different events will provide interpretation in different languages.

• Tuesday, May 24, 5pm – 5:45pm | Interpretation provided in: Bangla, Korean, Spanish 
• Wednesday, May 25, 5pm – 5:45pm | Interpretation provided in: Chinese (Mandarin), Haitian Creole, Urdu  
• Thursday, May 26, 1pm – 1:45pm | Interpretation provided in: Arabic, French, Russian

Families who signed up for our DOE newsletter or with a MySchools account will receive an email inviting them to participate in these events. Feel free to share the flyer below with your school community.
MS - Spring 2022 MS Offers and Waitlists Events Flyer.pdf 

The Division of Specialized Instruction and Student Support is hosting a Special Education Family Forum via a virtual platform on May 23, 2022, from 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm.

The interactive event will feature info sessions, resources, and panels to inform parents about a variety of special education topics from experts, hear from parent leaders, and get tools that can be used to support participation in the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process. The interactive workshops have been developed to meet the diverse learning needs of families who are new to special education, those with children who are preparing for life after high school, and everything in between. 

Below is the agenda:
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Interested families can sign up here: 
https://www.techlearningevents.com/familyforum22/begin-registration
Learn more about the event here: https://www.techlearningevents.com/familyforum22/home
Access resources for families here: https://www.techlearningevents.com/familyforum22/resources