PS 39 Silent Auction Makes Some Noise!

Our jazz-club theme jazzes up our annual fundraiser on April 5 at Beth Elohim.

Just like the art form of jazz itself, it takes a lot of talented people to make beautiful music.

Our 2014 PTA fundraiser is going hip, with a jazz-club look that is going hit all the right notes. The party space will be enhanced with an amazing jazz trio: Nat Jannoff, Taymur Phell and Chris Carroll, who were lined up by co-chair Natalia Orlova-Silbfarb.

Natalia has also created our online auction website. Dig:www.biddingforgood.com/ps39/auction2014

Jody Matthews Schwartz created the “club look” of our event, including our attractive invitation and poster, with sweeping music notes and awesome colors.

New PS 39 mom Christiana Cobean has jumped right in to help. She has event planning experience, but has never helped plan an auction (“it’s an animal all its own!” she tells us).

Auction bidding closed as of March 30, and it was the first time in auction history that all items were posted online (a select few will be available for bidding during the event).

Item highlights include the Pawn Stars Cuss Jar and Disney’s Frozen plush snowballs. As well, there are gift certificates to local businesses, gourmet gift packs, and a selection of classes, camps and after-school programs.

All along, Natalia and her team have been tirelessly receiving, logging, photographing and posting the numerous donations coming in.

PTA prez Jo Goldbarb, along with her procurement team, have done an outstanding job of working with parents and local businesses to produce an outstanding selection of items for bid.

Luckily for us, treats will be donated by Vera and TJ Obias, a husband-and-wife team who own the Du Jour Bakery at 365 Fifth Avenue. (tempations include assorted flavors of French macaroons and the Obias’ signature almond bread pudding with maple butterscotch sauce). The cafe specializes in French classics and American comfort and has been a welcome part of the nabe since August 2012.

Last but certainly not least, our Jeremy Dubroff, an expert mixologist, will grace us with a signature drink created especially for this party.

This year’s event promises some real jazz fusion. See ya there. Bring your beret.

You can still bid on the online items, and buy tickets for the live event here.

Fitness Fridays Score Big

The early bird not only catches the worm, but catches the ball.  Our very first Fitness Friday took place on 1/17/14 (this week featuring a friendly but fierce volleyball workout, with other activities to come). First serve was at a nice-and-early 7:30, and Camp Friendship sure was getting everyone’s blood pumping.

Councilman Brad Lander, Colorado Rockies pitcher Adam Ottavino,  PS 39 teacher Eve Ottavino

PS 39’s Wellness Council believes in the benefits of moderate exercise before school, which contributes to the young brain’s ability to focus and process information (many studies show a relationship between morning exercise and brain power). That goes for moms and dads as well as kids.

Our own PE teacher, Ms. Deedrick

Also, Fitness Fridays are in response to our budget’s lack of physical education funding (our kids only get part-time gym class). As part of our steadfast commitment to fitness, we received a grant from the Department of Education for this ten-week mini-Olympics.

Principal De Paz, Assemblyman Jim Brennan, students

If over 100 families attending weren’t awesome enough, our event also had a special guest:  Colorado Rockies pitcher Adam Ottavino, who happens to be a Park Slope native and PS 39 alum, as well as the son of 
PS 39 4^th grade teacher Ms. Eve Ottavino. 

The media was on hand as well: thanks to BK News12 and DNAinfo for their interest in the story. This is a slam-dunk for our Lisa Hoffman, PTA leader of PS 39’s Wellness Council and for our awesome principal, Anita De Paz. As well, big thanks go to NY State Assemblyman Jim Brennan and City Councilman Brad Lander for their support and willingness to jump in and play volleyball with our families.


Be there for the remaining Fitness Fridays at Camp Friendship, 339 8^th Street (between 5^th and 6^th Streets).  Please remember to RSVP each week so we can manage attendance and make the events worthwhile for all who come out bright and early to participate!

As Nike says, “Just do it!”

by Ron Sklar, reporter at large

Spooktacular Pictures are Up!

Sean Ross, father of Hannah (5th) and Joaquim (2nd) took (and set up, and ran, and equipped)  the photographs at the Spooktacular.

It's not an exaggeration to say they are fantastic, phenomenal, and all other superlatives.

You can see them here, and download what you want to print or have. 

http://seanross.smugmug.com/Spooktakular39/

password is ps39

Below, just a tiny sampling:

PS 39 parent coordinator Karen Herskowitz is your new best friend!

As parent coordinator for the school, Karen acts as a one-woman helpdesk. If parents have a question, need or concern, Karen can give answers (or find the person who can give the answers).

In addition, Karen oversees all the communication vehicles for the school, including the website copy, the all-important Wednesday bulletin, the school emails and even the bulletin boards posted outside!

Karen is often in demand for the following: questions about lunches and PTA events, pre-K and kindergarten registration and admissions, middle school transitions, getting in contact with teachers, and school tours.

Need help navigating the bureaucratic public school system in general? Karen to the rescue.

In addition, Karen can help you with scheduling parent pickups, communicating to your teacher when your child is sick, and even getting homework sent home. 

A PS 39 parent herself, Karen is a former fifth-grade teacher with a masters degree in curriculum and instruction. It’s a great place for her to be while her girls attend the school, and she’s in a great place for you if you have a PS 39-related question.

Contact Karen at kherskowitz@ps39.org.

Exclusive! Sneak-peek pictures of our Dancing With Our Stars rehearsal!

This Friday evening the PS 39 PTA Presents...

Dancing With Our Stars

Friday, February 8, 2013

Camp Friendship

339 8th Street

Doors open at 7 p.m. 

Only at P.S. 39, folks: here is your first look at what tail-feathers you can expect to be shaking this Friday, when the Dancing With Our Stars event shows us – even before Valentine’s Day -- what love is all about.  

• Mr. Rochford leading kindergartners in a rendition of "Dancing Queen"
• Ms. Deedrick dancing with 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade girls to the uber-popular “Call Me Maybe.”
• Ms. Hoffman jiving with 3rd graders to Bette Midler's “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.”

  

Our PS39 judges are our awesome principal Anita DePaz, parent co-ordinator Karen Herskowitz, and PS 39 mom Stephanie Matthews (who is also a trained dancer/stage manager with The Blue Man Group!). 

In addition to the dance event, DJ Anthony will be taking it off the hook with music – and an awaiting dance floor -- for everyone. We’ll also dig the Valentine crafting booth, and bake sale.

The hottest look for Spring 2013: Debuting that night will be the NEW PS 39 kids silicone bracelets. Don’t be caught without one.

Remember that a party this amazing doesn’t run itself.  Volunteer to help by emailing Jo Goldfarb at jogoldfarb@nyc.rr.com 

~by Ron Sklar, PS 39 reporter-at-large

Lend a Helping Hand!

PS 39’s Halloween Party Needs to Scare Up Volunteers

The PS 39 Halloween Party makes the celebration at The Hotel Transylvania look like kids’ stuff. That’s because we have our amazing students dressed to thrill, and our dedicated parents providing a helping hand (much like “Thing” from The Addam’s Family, pictured above).

In addition to an off-the-hook DJ (who will be the first to request “Call Me Maybe”?), we’ll be offering up pizza, hot dogs, meatballs, monster mash and more.  Everyone will make a sugar rush for the bake sale; what’s more, a fortune teller and a cupcake-decorating table will add to the already amazing event.

There will be a raffle with incredible prizes (hear tell – a pizza-making night for a family of four at the new Brooklyn Central Pizza).

In addition, PS 39 dad Jim Seger’s awesome decorations will make the scene like always.

Of course, this party is not run by The Invisible Man. We need live bodies to keep the action going before, during and after the bash. We also need bakers for the bake sale (the more, the merrier).

The volunteer opp is open to all warm-blooded humans, as well as the walking dead and creatures of the night. Please contact Dara at darasf@yahoo.com or Jim at jdseger@gmail.com if you can help out.

We’ll see all you boys and ghouls at John Jay High School on Saturday evening, October 27, from 5:30-9 p.m.

Dynamic Changes to the PS 39 Annual Book Fair!

Extended hours, an on-line component and a special guest make this PS 39 tradition extra special

Date:  November 17, 2011

Time: 8:30 am  -- 7 p.m.

Room: 103

Our annual Book Fair encourages our kids to read and raises much-needed funds for the school. This event is especially vital, since we lack a main library. Because of this, each classroom maintains its own collection of books.

Event co-chairs Maria Lord and Kristen Robb announce some exciting additions to the annual event:

• Extended hours:  to accommodate working moms and dads who may not be able to join us until early evening, the fair will be extended until 7 pm.
• On-line: if you can’t make it in person, you can go on-line to purchase books or make a donation. The website link will be revealed and available during the week of the sale.
• Guest Author Doreen Cronin!  At 6 p.m., beloved author Doreen Cronin will visit the cafeteria for a reading and a signing. She wrote such favorites as Duck For President, Click Clack Moo: Cow's That Type, Diary of a Worm and Rescue Bunnies. You can read more about her at her site.
• Parents can pre-order Doreen’s books in advance by filling out an order form on our  P.S. 39 site.

Call for volunteers: it’s still not too late to volunteer, for as little or as much time as you can spare. Volunteer jobs range from set up and displays on Weds, Nov 16th to book sales on Thurs, Nov 17th.  We also need a greeter at the front desk, as well as book and merchandise sales people, and clean up/packing crew.

If you're interested, please contact Maria Lord or co-chair Kristen Robb.

  --- 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