Let’s Fight For Our Right To After-School Activities

Committee Forming Now to Ponder After-School Program

How much would you love your kids to participate in a karate or ballet class after school? How about cooking or a foreign language? Even math?  These dreams could be realized as early as this spring as we form a committee to start the brainstorming of a PS 39 After-school Program.

Alex Marshall (aka The Tall Guy), is heading up the After-School Program Exploratory Committee

Alex Marshall (dad of first-grader Max) is heading up the exploration. However, easy does it with a dream this big. Instead of overwhelming everyone with dozens of choices, we will investigate a workable pilot program and then build from there. We’re also going to seek advice from area schools that have had success with similar after-school program start-ups.

A call is going out for volunteers to help make this a reality (we need brain-stormers and movers/shakers. You know who you are.).

In the meantime, a survey is in the works to sample the wish lists of PS 39 parents (“survey says…!”).  Once a consensus starts to form, the structure will be built from there.  Get your pencils sharpened, and look for that survey soon.

“There is kind of a chicken and egg challenge,” Alex says of getting this party started. “People tend to participate once these programs are up and going, but they are hard to offer unless we have some idea that people will participate.”

That’s why it’s up to us to step up right away and give that little extra effort for extracurricular!

To get involved, contact: Alex Marshall.


 -- Ron Sklar, PS 39 Reporter at Large

We need to scare up some volunteers for the P.S. 39 Halloween party

Spooktacular!! poster by Jeff Yas

It’s still not too late for you to throw your witch’s hat into the ring as a volunteer for the upcoming Halloween Party on Saturday, October 29th (from 6-9 at John Jay High School).

If you’ve attended one of these spookfests before, you know that it will be off the hook. There is music, dancing, fabulous raffles, pizza, hot dogs and other tasty treats. And don’t forget to give serious thought to the costume contest. The competition, as always, will be intense.

The scarabration is being helmed by Dara Federman and Jim Seger, but we need volunteers to haunt the party room as early as 3 p.m. for set up. Jim has some amazing decorations ready to go, but we need folks who are comfortable climbing ladders and hanging things.

Also in urgent demand: baked goods and snacks to be contributed, as well as help for setting up food and beverage tables, selling tickets, and judges for the costumes contest.  And there is also a need for the good-old clean-up once the party’s over (if that’s possible!).

Can’t hardly wait! As Caspar the Friendly Ghost would say, “be seein’ ya!”

To volunteer, please email Dara at: darasf@yahoo.com


 --- Ron Sklar, PS 39 Reporter at Large