 Dear AmPark Family, Similarly to this time of year in “brick and mortar” school, we have all been in a flurry trying to close out this year while simultaneously planning for next year. It’s a hectic time of year when it is business as usual so at least these days feel comfortably familiar in that regard. While many of us may be looking forward to taking a collective pause for summer break, in these unusual days it is likely that you are also wondering about what the fall will bring. The Chancellor and his senior staff members have begun sharing out possibilities that will be helpful for our building level planning. We are being asked to continue to be flexible and adaptive. While I know that we can continue to dig deep and draw on our resilience reserves, weariness and fatigue may have also set in and I encourage all of us, myself included, to be sure to make time for rest, just as much as we make time for future planning.  Many things may change in the coming weeks and all of the plans that we make will likely be reworked over and over again. It will be difficult to be without concrete answers, but please trust that we will share information with timeliness and transparency to the best of our human abilities. Our School Leadership Team, as well as our United Federation of Teachers consultation committee, will review preliminary data next week and begin making their recommendations for our community. All of your voices are crucially important in the planning of next year. The Department of Education has created another survey to aid in responsiveness. You have likely also received surveys from your teachers about how online learning went, and we may follow up with a school specific planning survey depending on the results of the larger DOE one. We surely do not want to overload you, but also need your perspectives and needs in the reflecting and the planning. Family survey: https://www.schools.nyc.gov/learning/in-our-classrooms/return-to-school-2020  The Leader in Me Survey is also open at this time. This survey speaks to general school culture, climate, and student leadership and is not in response to remote learning or fall planning. Students, staff, and parents are welcome to participate. Parents: https://www.leaderinme.com/s/ps-344-ampark-ny/parent Students - recommended 2nd grade and up: https://www.leaderinme.com/s/ps-344-ampark-ny/student Thank you for your input and your insights.  Our teachers have just been given the go ahead to begin packing up the classrooms next week. At this time, schools are still not permitted to invite families to the building for end of year pick-up. If this changes, we would like to be able to offer time slots for families to pick up student belongings on the mornings of the 24th and 25th. We will keep you informed if this becomes possible. Standing up against inequalities and the pursuit of social justice is at the forefront of our conversations and our planning. As such necessary conversations are happening in so many different spaces, we would like to begin overlapping some of the circles by inviting family members and staff members to join together. If you would like to take part in a summer book club or other method of conversation alongside us, please reach out to me at [email protected] before the end of the school year.  AmPark’s Got Talent! Thursday, June 18th @ 4:00pm Final push for all submissions to be sent in by Monday June 15th at the absolute latest. This will give the AmPark team time to upload and cue up videos to show during the live events. If you're working on that video, send it to Bonnie this weekend please! The videos will be shown in live Zoom events, giving each of our students a moment to shine and be seen for the stars that they are! Please ensure that no video is longer than 4 minutes. All videos are to please be sent to Bonnie at [email protected]. We cannot wait to see you shine AmPark Stars!  This Week's LIVE Events All links will be posted in classrooms. Monday - One Book One School, Chapter 9 of Rich, A Dyamonde Daniel Book Tuesday - SING Live with Josh & Friends Wednesday - One Book One School, Chapter 10 of Rich, A Dyamonde Daniel Book Thursday - AMPARK'S GOT TALENT @ 4:00pm Friday - One Book One School, The final chapter of Rich, A Dyamonde Daniel Book  Daily Doses of Self-Care through Affirmations
Monday, June 15th: I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do. Tuesday, June 16th: If not me, then who? If not now, then when? Wednesday, June 17th: Strong people stand up for themselves, but stronger people stand up for others. I am strong and can be even stronger. Thursday, June 18th: I am strong enough to stand alone. I am brave enough to ask for help. Friday, June 19th: When I show kindness to someone, kindness is shown to someone else. In this way, I can change the world for people I may never even meet. Comments are closed.
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