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.

PS 39 Raises The Stakes For High-Stakes Testing Battle

The PS 39 PTA mobilizes beautifully when it wants something done – or undone (one word: rezoning). Now on the agenda is the burdensome activity of high-stakes testing. This ritual standardized test is given to 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th grade students in the hopes of gaining a comprehensive understanding of how a school is progressing as a whole. The results are not only meant to evaluate students and schools in a very definitive way, but also to evaluate teachers’ performances for test prep and general teaching skills.

Big problem: the testing is excessively time consuming and wholly unreliable (and this is by the admission of the NYC Department of Education itself!).  Its inaccuracy is causing job loss and instability both here and nationwide. As well, prep for the ever-increasing tests are taking precious quality time away from our kids. Instead of learning, they’re prepping. This is not cool.

In a recent, heated PTA meeting on a bitter cold night, our awesome principal, Anita DePaz, clearly gave us the lowdown on the situation. The takeaway: this situation needs to be nipped in the bud, and calls for PTA action (stay tuned and get involved).

During that same meeting, a passionate presentation from the local anti-high-stakes testing advocacy group, called ParentVoicesNY, backed up our principal and provided great detail as to why this whole situation smells like a 60 Minutes segment (at least one for-profit testing company is reaping big profits. Big surprise.).

More on the situation will be posted as we mobilize. In the meantime, educate yourself -- for your child’s sake -- by clicking on this link: http://www.parentvoicesny.org/. And to become involved with our school-based High Stakes Testing Committee, click here.

~ Ronald Sklar, PS 39 reporter-at-large

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

What makes The Mighty Fine Drive mighty fine?

Everyone gives. It’s that simple. Named from the school’s song, our fund drive is based on participation, not dollars. As a community, we believe that when every family invests in the PTA, we create a shared interest in making PS 39 the best possible learning environment for our kids. It’s not the amount that makes the difference. It’s the act of showing support. Giving feels good. And, when our kids know that we value their education, they value it more too.

Here, however, is the Mighty Fine truth: the 100% goal can only be achieved if EVERY family contributes to the campaign. That’s right: the 100% goal is not based on a dollar amount, but on the number of families contributing (so that means all of us). Human nature, our propensity to procrastinate, is the biggest obstacle to our success.

But good news: there is no minimum amount that you are required to contribute. If you only can afford a dollar, that’s awesome. Again, the most important thing is if you give something, even if it’s only a few bucks (or less!).  Of course, if you can afford to give much more, well, we can’t stop you! And your gift will benefit 377 kids. 377 futures.
In essence, give what you can afford. Every penny is much appreciated, and it means participation! It all counts toward that 100% goal.

The money raised by this campaign goes directly to to pay for consultants to improve the classroom teaching every single day, chess instruction that is integrated with the math curriculum, dance/music/arts enrichments and more mundane-but-essential supplies like copy paper.

Any class that reaches 100% participation receives a $300 classroom grant for their teacher to use at his/her discretion, PLUS a pizza and popsicle party in Prospect Park in the spring (how sweet is that?).

As well, any class with at least 85% of families participating will get $100 classroom grant for their teacher to spend at his/her discretion, PLUS a pizza party in the classroom.

Teachers are so excited by the prospect of grants to get new larger rugs, National Geographic animal books, and other library expansions. 

Let’s get this party started!  The deadline for pledges is February 14^th, and our trusty call-a-thon will start soon.

It’s easy to donate: simply send a check in your child’s folder (make checks payable to PS 39 Parent Association) or, to charge it, go to www.ps39.org.  You can even set monthly automatic payments, so your gift keeps giving throughout the year without a big hit to your wallet. Our school song, which dates back close to a century, starts with the lyrics, “We have come to a Mighty Fine school.” Indeed we have. Let’s keep it that way. Together.

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.