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FAMILY HANDBOOK
2014-2015
Principal Robert O’Brien
Assistant Principal Ravonda Oden Grades 3-5
Assistant Principal Alida Grafals Grades K-2
P.S. 75 Vision and Mission
At P.S. 75, we will work together to create a safe and stimulating environment where education
is strengthened by respectful and responsive partnerships between home, school and the
community. We seek to develop responsible, competent and independent students who are lifelong learners. We will enable each student to reach their full potential and become resourceful,
contributing members of society. We will support students towards the highest achievement
possible, celebrating the diversity of their academic ability and linguistic, cultural and socioeconomic background.
We believe:

Children are our primary focus.

Education is a partnership involving parents, students, school staff and the
Community.

A fundamental goal of education is to inspire students to become lifelong
learners.

The best learning and working environment is physically safe and
emotionally secure.

Each school community member has unique social, emotional, physical and
intellectual needs.

Each individual has unique potential and is worthy of our best efforts.

Excellence in teaching promotes excellence in learning.

Students learn in different ways.

All students learn best when they are actively engaged and challenged.

Schools promote and support the development of well-rounded citizens.
COMMON CORE-ALIGNED CURRICULA
As you may know, we have adopted the recommended CCLS ELA and Math curriculum.
Kindergarten will be using Go Math and for ELA, K-2 will be using Core Knowledge and
Fundation’s as the phonics program. Social Studies are integrated into the literacy block for all
grades. Grades 3-5 will be using Expeditionary Learning a NY State based Social Studies
Curriculum along with the Go Math Curriculum. Students also participate in the Studio in School
art partnership, music and science classes throughout the school year.
For additional information regarding the Common Core State Standards and the expectations
by grade or grade band:
1. Please visit
http://schools.nyc.gov/Academics/CommonCoreLibrary/ForFamilies/default.htm
2. There will be presentation overviews during Open School Night on September 16, 2014
co-facilitated by teachers and administration. If we cannot address your question during
the allotted time, there will be a drop-off box where you can leave your question for a
teacher or administrator. We will respond to you as quickly as time permits.
3. Please schedule a time to chat with your child’s teacher about specific concerns you have
about the expectations as stated by the Common Core State Standards. Generally, these
meetings are 15-20 minutes in length and give you an opportunity to get individualized
recommendations for your child.
HOMEWORK
Each child will receive a red folder for homework. The red folder will be sent home each
Monday with the homework for the week. Please check with your classroom teacher as to when
completed homework is due.
Homework guidelines:
Kindergarten—20-30 min. (15 min. reading with adult / independent reading)
1st grade--10-20 mins
2nd grade--20-30 mins
3rd grade--30-40 mins
4th grade-- 40-50 mins
5th grade-- 50-60 mins
BASIC SUPPLIES
Teachers will let the parents know what supplies are needed for the school year in each
classroom’s Welcome Letter.
BREAKFAST
Free breakfast will continue to be served in the classroom at the start of the school day. A
cooler bag from the kitchen will be delivered to the classroom each morning containing the
breakfast items for the day. Teachers and para-professionals will be in charge of distributing
the breakfast to the children every morning.
ARRIVAL-STUDENTS
Classes begin at 8:10am and dismiss at 2:30pm. Kindergarten dismisses at 2:23pm. Kindergarten
students will enter the building with their parent / guardian beginning at 7:50am via the
cafeteria entrance on 96th street. 1st-5th grade students will enter the building via the
entrance on 95th Street and proceed to their assigned area in the auditorium. Students will be
picked up by their teachers at 8:10am. Please note that instructional activities will begin at
8:10am.
LATE ARRIVAL / TARDINESS (Beyond 8:21am)
Kindergarten students that arrive after 8:21am will be directed to the cafeteria. They must
remain with their parent until they are escorted back to their classrooms at 8:40am.
EARLY DISMISSAL
Parents wishing to pick up students prior to the end of the school day must come to the office
and sign the student out. Students will only be released to individuals listed on the ‘blue’
emergency card. No student will be released during 8th period (1:40pm-2:23pm).
STUDENT DEPARTURE

Kindergarten students will be dismissed from the small yard at 2:23pm

NEST Kindergarten and First Grade classes are dismissed from the side exit at 96th St.

Grades 1-2 will be dismissed in the Small Yard.

Grade 3 will be dismissed at the entrance between 95th and 96th street on West End
Avenue (near the steps)

Grade 4 will be dismissed at cafeteria side entrance located at 96th street (between
West End and Riverside)

Grade 5 will be dismissed on 95th Street (side door closest to West End Avenue)
**Parents and caregivers will be given a reasonable period of time to make contact with
the teacher before the students are brought to the late pick-up area (Yoga Room).
ABSENCE POLICY – STUDENTS
Parents will be contacted to determine the cause of a child’s unexplained absence. (Regulation
of the Chancellor A-210 sec. III, F). The school will use the School Messenger system to
contact parents. If a parent cannot be contacted by the second day of absence, a letter or
postcard is to be sent to the home. Parents are expected to submit a note or letter explaining
their child’s absence from school. A note from a doctor or health-care professional should be
provided in cases of extended (3 or more days) or frequent absence due to illness. If students
have been absent from school for reasons other than illness, documentation of the reason for
the absence is to be presented to the school (e.g., examination schedule of special examination,
court order, etc.).
CLASSROOM SCHEDULE
The classroom teacher will share the basic classroom schedule with the parents. Please note
that the schedule is subject to daily changes according to the school’s activities.
CURRICULUM EVENING
Curriculum evening will take place sometime September 16th. Each grade will share with parents
the curriculum map they created in June and the highlighted goals that the grade has chosen to
work on during the first instructional cycle. Each grade will provide parents a unified message
about the school’s expectations for homework, behavior, etc. Parents should complete and hand
in lunch forms, Blue Emergency Contact Card and signed parent contract at the meeting.
LUNCHROOM / RECESS PROCEDURES
P.S. 75 students will have recess for ½ of the lunch period and will eat for the other ½ .
Typically, 20 minutes is allotted for lunch. Students have the option of bringing lunch from
home. If lunch is forgotten, they will be given school lunch that day. All K students will eat in
their classrooms. The decision to call an indoor lunch recess will be decided by the
administration and announced over the PA system. This will be based upon temperature (below
freezing) and weather conditions. Indoor recess will be auditorium for all grades, except K. In
general, Kindergarten indoor recess is held in the gymnasium, schedule permitting.
PS75 is a member of the Wellness in the Schools Program. Wellness in the Schools ("WITS")
inspires healthy eating and fitness as a way of life in public schools across the country with
hands-on programs such as Cook for Kids, and Coach for Kids. Through WITS, our school lunch
is fresher and healthier than the standard school lunch. We follow the “NYC K-8 alternative
lunch menu”. Coach for Kids is a program that brings trained coaches onto public school recess
yards to encourage even the least active children to engage in fun and healthy physical
activities. Coach for Kids actively combats schoolyard bullying by building positive social skills
through play along with fostering a sense of excitement around fitness.
All families must complete and return a National School Food Programs form, which is
distributed at the beginning of the school year. Important data is collected from the forms
and is used to determine school funding. It is vital these forms be completed and
returned. PS 75 is required to have a National School Food Program form filled out for each
family in our school. We ask that every family complete the form even if you do not believe your
family will qualify for free/reduced lunch.
PS 75 will not be a universal free lunch school for 2014-15. Students who qualify for reducedprice lunch, however, will receive it free of charge. Students who do not qualify for reduced or
free lunch will have bills sent home to cover the lunch costs.
BATHROOM PROCEDURES
Kindergarten through 2nd grade students who are not in a room with a bathroom are taken to
the bathroom as a group just prior to lunch and again in the afternoon. To better guarantee
that students will have an opportunity to use a supervised and clean bathroom, we are
instituting grade-specific times to use the bathroom. In general, students in 3rd through 5th
grade sign out of the classroom when going to the bathroom, and sign in when returning; they
are encouraged to use the bathroom during 2nd through 7th period.
BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS
The overall guidelines for birthday celebrations is that: 1) arrangements are made at least a
week in advance; 2) they will not exceed 15 minutes, 3) the teacher will not be able to cut a
large cake (we recommend cupcakes) and 4) no decorations (due to time constraints). Each
grade will determine if there is a need for further guidelines; please refer to your teacher’s
Welcome Letter for more information.
VISITORS
Parents and other visitors are required to sign in at the office and obtain a badge to be worn
during the visit. Parents are encouraged to assist in class as appropriate and necessary. Please
discuss opportunities for this with your classroom teacher.
SPECIAL FEATURES OF THE PS 75 CURRICULUM
Arts are a vital part of PS 75 and are presented as an integral part of the student’s core
curriculum. We have several special programs or partnerships with non-profit providers that
enhance the academic experience. Some of them are:
Chess: Chess instruction from a Chess master is offered in the classroom from Kindergarten
through second grade. Twice-yearly Family Chess Nights are for the entire PS 75 community.
Visual arts: Through a partnership with Studio in a School, every student receives visual art
instruction every week.
Music: All students receive music instruction by our DOE teacher and students in grade 3-5
have the opportunity to participate in Young Peoples Chorus.
Social Studies: Grades 3 -5 participate in the Curriculum Arts Project (CAP) provided by
Symphony Space. These international studies include attending performances at Symphony
Space and in-school demonstrations by visiting artists. Immigration studies feature oral
histories, puppet making and other rich, hands-on activities.
Dance: 5th graders participate in ballroom dancing provided by partnership with Dancing
Ballrooms. Beginning this year, a partnership with Parsons Dance will bring dance to our 3rd
graders.
Dual Language Program: PS75 offers an English/Spanish immersion program for grades K-5.
Children master both languages, regardless of the language spoken at home. PS75 has two duallanguage classes per grade.
Science: We welcomed a new science teacher to PS75 in January 2013 for grades 3-5 and
expect to have a science teacher for grades K-2 as well.
Computers and Technology: In Spring of 2014, all classrooms received Smart Boards and we
expect to receive funding for new student laptops during this school year.
Rugby USA!: Through a partnership with Rubgy USA!, students have the opportunity to learn
about the importance of sportsmanship, physical fitness, and mental discipline. Activities take
place after school and during the Summer.
SNACKS
In general, students are to eat only during lunchtime or supervised snack time. Families are
encouraged to send healthy and nutritious snacks. Please make sure that you inform the
teacher of any allergies your child might have. Gum is not allowed in the classroom during the
school day; please talk to your classroom teacher if you have concerns about this.
In keeping with the PS 75 Wellness Philosophy, and the national agenda to encourage healthy
choices for our children, we have adopted Snack Guidelines. We hope you will find this helpful
when choosing snacks for your child's class.
The Big Picture: On average, a quarter of kids' calories are coming from unhealthy snacks. Help
make snack time healthy at school and at home. 
“ALWAYS” CHOICES
FRUIT
grapes
bananas
apples
pears
pineapple
cantaloupe
honeydew
watermelon
berries
cherries
dried fruit
clementine
oranges
mangoes
bananas
VEGETABLES
baby carrots
snap peas
bell peppers
grape tomatoes
edamame
cucumbers
string beans
celery
WHOLE
GRAINS
rice cakes
whole grain
crackers
whole grain
bread
whole wheat
pita bread
whole grain
dry cereal.
Other Foods
nuts or nut
butters- if
appropriate
for
your
classroom;
hummus,
salsa,
guacamole,
healthy dips;
whole grain
pita,
bread/
crackers
*It is recommended that students bring in a reusable water bottle so that they may stay
hydrated throughout the day. Low-fat milk is presented as an option during breakfast and lunch
times.
* Please bring in fruits and vegetables washed and, if necessary, cut into ready to serve pieces.
These should preferably be pre-bagged or organized to ease distribution and clean-up,
particularly for small hands!
“SOMETIMES” CHOICES

applesauce-unsweetened canned fruit, or fruit cups, in fruit juice

(corn syrup-free) crackers, pretzels, plain baked chips, bagels homemade bread or
muffins

Suggestions- add fruit or veggies like zucchini, carrots, blueberries etc.

Granola bars with less than 8 grams of sugar per 100 calories. Examples: Nature Valley
Crunchy Granola Bars, Quaker 25% Less Sugar Chewy Granola Bars, Earth's Best Organic
Fruit Bars low-fat yogurt, low-fat cheese sticks
“ALMOST NEVER” CHOICES
 juice, or any sugary drinks;

cookies, candy, donuts, fried chips, brownies, muffins (store bought, packaged) "fruit
snacks" or fruit roll ups.
**These items might be reserved for special celebrations, such as birthdays and family
pot-lucks. Thank you. 
PS75 PARENT TEACHER ASSOCIATION
The PTA raises funds to provide a wide range of educational enrichment programs for our
students. PTA puts on several fundraising events such as fall Harvest Dance, Spring Carnival,
Student Talent Show, and movie nights that are fun events where the whole community comes
together. The PTA also runs picture day, gift-wrap drive, and an annual auction gala that
provides much of the PTA’s income. Funds raised support programs such as our art instruction
program Studio in a School, kindergarten aides, Classroom chess, CAP Social Studies, Young
People Chorus music, classroom supplies, and much more. Without PTA funds these programs
would not exist! 
The PTA runs the school web site: www.ps75pta.org, where you can find the school calendar, and
lots of information about the school. The PTA also sends out a weekly email and runs a twitter
feed that alerts parents to upcoming events. The PTA strongly encourages you to sign up for
the weekly email to stay abreast of what is happening.
The PTA needs your help to make these events happen. Whether you can help only at events or
from home during evenings or if you can be responsible for organizing one of the PTA events,
the PTA needs you. Monthly PTA meetings, which usually occur in the morning, are a great way
to become involved. The PTA also encourages parents to stop at the PTA office, located
diagonally across from the main office.
The co-Presidents of the PTA for 2014-15 are John Decatur ([email protected]) and Lisa
Walters-Valera ([email protected]). Feel free to contact them.
CLASS PARENTS
Class Parents are representatives of the classroom families. The PTA relies on Class Parents to
inform and encourage involvement in school events and fund raisers. Class Parents also organize
classroom events such as thanking the teachers at Holiday time and at the end of the year.
When you sign up to be a class parent, you are not only helping your teachers, your child’s
classroom community and the PTA, you are helping to enrich your child’s educational experience.
Studies show that children perform better when their parents are involved in their school.
There will be information on how to volunteer distributed soon, but you can always contact the
PTA directly to volunteer.
In addition, please talk to your classroom teacher about how you can best assist them. This
could take the form of organizing guest readers (parents and other family members), helping
organize and chaperone field trips, and/or asking for families to guest star their talents in the
classroom (music, arts, cooking, dramatic play, puppetry, etc).
Welcome to the PS 75 Community!