Author: dflosh99771

Dear P.S. 88Q Families,                                                                                 November 2019

     Happy November!  I hope everyone has transitioned from our warm weather to a more chilly temperature.  With the Fall, comes many holidays that we celebrate.  One in particular is Thanksgiving, which happens to be one of my favorite holidays.  What is there not to love about being surrounded by family, and most of all GRATITUDE.  This Thanksgiving, as well as every day, I am thankful for all the blessings I have in my life.  My two daughters, one of which will be home from college for the first time since August this Thanksgiving, and my oldest daughter who is even happier to see her sister than anyone.  I am thankful for my family and friends who support me on days I feel like I need help.  I am especially thankful for my PS 88Q family, who I see more than my family most days.  In these short 14 months, I have felt welcome, and part of something I could only dream of.  All of your smiling faces, friendly words and collaboration have ensured me that life surely is good!  THANK YOU!!

     Our Principal Book of the Month for November is Giving Thanks by Chief Jake Swamp.  The words in this book are based on the Thanksgiving Address, an ancient message of peace and appreciation of Mother Earth and all her inhabitants, that are still spoken at ceremonial and governmental gatherings held by the Six Nations. These words of thanks come to us from the Native people known as the Haudenosaunee, also known as the Iroquois or Six Nations–Mohawk, Oneida, Cayuga, Onondaga, Seneca, Tuscarora. The people of the Six Nations are from upstate New York and Canada. According to the Canadian and U.S. census there are 74,518 Iroquois in North America. 

The three Mohawk clans–Wolf, Turtle, Bear–in turn contain three sub-clans; they hail nine Chiefs in all (Chief Swamp is a Chief of the Wolf Clan) and nine clan mothers. In all the Six Nations, there are 50 Chiefs, each of whom is selected by clan mothers who observe children for leadership skills. The illustrations contain much symbolism. Two examples are: water, which symbolizes continuance because life forms depend on it; and the four winds, which are represented by different animals, i.e., the east by the moose, the west by the cougar, the south by the (gentle) deer, the north by the (strong) bear, and are considered to play a role in how crops grow. 

     The students will listen to this book during this month, and discussing it.  Some of the questions we ask the students are:

• What are some things that you are thankful for? Where do these things come from and how do you receive them?
• What do you appreciate about the earth and the environment?

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Sincerely,

Mrs. O’Shaughnessy, Mrs. Lowe, Mrs. Palesty

We are excited to begin our Word for Success protocol. Beginning Tuesday, November 12, our “Words for Success” initiative will begin. As you walk around on Tuesday, you will see around the building the word ANALYZE, which will kick off the initiative.

Each morning, Mrs. O’Shaughnessy will introduce the “Word for Success” for that week, along with information about the word.  

• On Monday, Mrs. O’Shaughnessy will introduce the word and provide a student friendly definition of the word.
• On Tuesday, Mrs. O’Shaughnessy will share “shades of meaning” or synonyms of the word.
• On Wednesday, Mrs. O’Shaughnessy will share the part of speech of the word.
• On Thursday, Mrs. O’Shaughnessy will share the word in a sentence.
• On Friday, Mrs. O’Shaughnessy will shout out any students observed who used the word and/or share any model sentences the students wrote with the word in it.

Check back every week under the ACADEMICS TAB and the WORDS FOR SUCCESS TAB for the weekly words.

Every October, schools and organizations across the country join STOMP Out Bullying (TM) in observing National Bullying Prevention Month. The goal; to encourage schools, communities and organizations to work together to stop bullying and cyberbullying and put an end to hatred and racism by increasing awareness of the prevalence and impact of all forms of bullying on all children of all ages.

P.S.88Q is excited to participate in this through many ways. We are part of the NYC DOE’s Essay and Poster Contest. Students received the guide lines in their bookbags, but here are they are! We are excited to read and see what the students create!! All entries due by November 4, 2019.