Timely Notice (02-28-08)
Dear parents and guardians,
We hope your families enjoyed the mid-winter recess. Here the new and noteworthy from the PS8 PTA this week.
Remember, web links look like this.
1. Thursday Night "Conversations With The Principal" and PTA General Meeting.
Thursday February 28th (yes, that would be today) brings with it this month's Conversations With The Principal - during which Seth talks to topical matters and answers any questions from PS8 parents - and the PTA General Meeting. It happens in the auditorium at 6pm, and usually finishes around 6.30pm when the General PTA Meeting begins, typically featuring:
an update from PTA Co-Presidents Lisa Edstrom and/or Joanne Singleton
an update on funds raised and PTA spending from Treasurer Amy Linden
updates from the chair-persons of the various volunteer committees like fundraising, communications, enrichment programs, the library and so on
getting a nomination team in place for this year's exec board elections
other general PTA announcements / business
Childcare is provided for this meeting: see footnote at the end of this email for details.
2. The Art Of Real Estate
Anyone perusing 'for sale' notices at Douglis Elliman Real Estate at 156 Montague Street over the past couple of weeks will have had more to feast their eyes on than picturesque Brooklyn brownstones and co-ops. Seemingly every square inch of wall-space not in use to display homes-for-sale is being used to display the art work of PS8 students. For more on this story and links to photographs by PS8 PTA photographer Aki Tucca please look out for an article on the website in the next day or so and if not sooner.
3. Can you outsmart a P.S.8 5th grader?
On Thursday March 6th, from 6-8pm (doors open at 5:30pm), for an entry fee of $25 per team (up to 5 players), you can find out. Pizza, refreshments and snacks will be on sale during this trivia-night during which questions will be asked, answers entered onto a sheet, the correct answers tallied and the winning team will receive a $75 in AmEx gift cards. Sign up for this fun night, in room 302 or 304, which is being run to help raise funds for the 5th grade's trip to Washington DC.
4. Get Your New Newsletter: Latest Edition Of Currents Published.
The latest edition of Currents, PS8's printed newsletter, is being published this week and will be distributed to parents shortly. That said, as a bit of a treat, a pdf-copy of it is attached to this email, because we know that you'll be sitting on the edge of your seats to read the stories which include:
A letter from Principal Seth Phillips - looking toward a bright future amidst funding reductions.
Enrichment at P.S. 8 - Amy Shire, pre-k parent and Georgie Stout, kindergarten parent, take a look at the diverse and ever- important enrichment programs offered at our school.
Life After the Magnet Grant - Wendy Azzouni, kindergarten parent, tells us what to expect now that the magnet grant has run out.
Raising Funds - Todd Glass, kindergarten parent, writes about fundraising efforts afoot to ensure the continuation of our enrichment programs.
Sentimental Journey...to the Present - Philip Wilentz, first-grade parent, writes about the P.S.8 alumni celebrating the centennial of our school building
(You can also access the file from the PTA website by clicking here.)
Credit for this not insignificant project goes with great thanks to:
Editor: Jane Pook, fourth-grade parent
Designer: Eric Janssen, fourth-grade and kindergarten parent
Staff Photographer: Nathalie Schueller, second-grade and kindergarten parent
Communications Committee Co-Chairs: Georgie Stout, kindergarten parent & Susan Sellers, first-grade parents
Additional photos: Ulalume Zavala, Randi Pellett, and P.S. 8 Alumnus Daniel Socolov
5. Bargemusic, Tonight, 8pm, Free: Perfect Way To End The Evening After The General Meeting
Jeff Newell's New-Trad Trio (Jeff Newell-saxophone, Tricia Woods-piano, Dave Bargeron-tuba) will present a uniquely contemporary look at traditional American music~from 19th Century hymns to Cole Porter to Hank Williams in the intimate chamber music setting offered by Bargemusic. Before a beautiful view of the Lower Manhattan skyline, this trio of musicians will follow a common thread in American music, allowing a nation's musical story to unfold. Tickets are $35 ($20 for students) and can be purchased in advance at www.bargemusic.org or by calling: (718) 624-2083. 20 tickets will be given FREE to PS 8 families - first come/first serve. For free tickets contact Jane Stageberg at jane@bscarchitecture.com.
See www.new-trad.com or www.bargemusic.org for more information.
That's all for this week folks,
Tim Eldridge, on behalf of the PS8 PTA
Childcare at the PTA General Meetings
To make it easier to attend, the PTA provides childcare at general meetings for elementary school age children. Children younger than pre-kindergarten age and older than 5th grade should remain with parents at the meeting. The children are be divided into two groups.
- Children pre-k through first grade will be in one room, where they can play quietly under the supervision of two teachers.
- Children second grade through fifth will go to another room to complete homework or engage in quiet activities such as reading* or board games. This group will also be under the supervision of one or two teachers, depending on the number of children present.
The children will be offered pizza in the classrooms. Obviously parents are required to sign their children into childcare when they drop them off and sign them out at the end of the meeting when they pick them up. Also, if you use this service, please help your child clean up any materials they used in the classroom so that when the teachers come in the next day the rooms are as they were when they left them. Finally, experience has taught us that bringing a book to read is a good idea
Posted on: February 28, 2008
