1. education
2. school

Linda Mazza, Principal
Lisa Pagano, Assistant Principal
January 22, 2015
Volume 6, Issue 16
SCHOOL CLOSINGS
PRINCIPAL’S NEWS
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TITLE III AFTERSCHOOL

February 16-20 - Midwinter
Recess
April 3-10 - Spring Recess
Our Title III afterschool is happening on Thursdays from 2:45 to 4:15. This program will
continue until April 2nd. This program is available to all English Language Learners who
are or have been serviced by our ESL teachers.
ATTENTION PARENTS!
KINDERGARTEN
APPLICATION PERIOD
The Kindergarten application
period opens on January 7, 2015,
and closes on February 7, 2015.
All applications must be
submitted online or at a
Borough Enrollment office. All
current pre-k students must
submit an application for
kindergarten. You should receive
an Elementary School Directory
from your pre-k teacher. If you
need assistance, please see
Sergio Borrero, Parent
Coordinator.
You can also visit
www.nyc.gov/schools/kindergarten
or
www.nyc.gov/schools/EnrollmentOffices
During your child's Title III Program on Thursday afternoons, there will be Adult English
workshops provided by Ms. Wood from 2:45-4:00 in the Library. All parents are
welcome and you do not need to sign-up--just come to class! We will work on computer
skills, practice English conversation, and have presentations to teach you how to help
your children with literacy, math, and homework.
CBE KIDS AFTERSCHOOL CENTER AT PS 295
Winter/Spring registration will begin soon. We are offering a wide range of enrichment
classes in art, video, science, dance, sports, circus, Spanish and much more! Register
early to ensure getting your first choice. The new semester begins February 2nd
Check with Sergio Borrero to get a brochure. Register online at
www.congregationbethelohim.org/afterschool, or call 718-768-3814x211 with questions.
GET FREE WIFI INTERNET ACCESS with the Brooklyn Public Library’s HotSpot
program.
SIGN UP for and attend a Library HotSpot orientation session
CHECK OUT your library HotSpot device for up to one year
GET CONNECTED by bringing the device home
To participate, you’ll need a Brooklyn Public Library card, valid ID and an email address,
as well as to attend an orientation session. For more information, visit
www.bklynlibrary.org/mifi. This service is reserved for patrons who have no internet
service at home.
IDNYC AVAILABLE IN JANUARY
IDNYC, the City of New York’s new government-issued photo identification cards are
available for all NYC residents age 14 and older. IDNYC grants New Yorkers access to
the City’s important services and programs. It can be used as a library card at the
Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens library systems, and to gain entry into public schools.
Card holders will also get a free one-year membership to 33 of the City’s leading
museums, zoos, concert halls, and botanical gardens. You can get the IDNYC free of
charge. All you have to do is submit an application at an IDNYC Enrollment Center. For
more information, call 311 or NYC Council Member Carlos Menchaca’s office @ 718439-9012. You can also visit http://www1.nyc.gov/site/idnyc/index.page
Website: www.ps295.org
Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PS295PTA/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PS295
Linda Mazza, Principal
Lisa Pagano, Assistant Principal
January 22, 2015
Volume 6, Issue 16
PTA NEWS & INFORMATION
MIDYEAR GRADES FOR PARENTS: EXCELLENT WORK, KEEP IT UP!
It’s not quite the middle of the year—more like the 2/5 point—but with several big events
behind us and even bigger ones ahead, it’s a good time to see where we stand. The
turnout from parent leaders and volunteers has been amazing and inspiring! Our PTA
“regulars” from past years have been joined by many newcomers, and the school has
maintained the high levels of engagement and spirit that make it such a special place.
We’re ahead of our budget goals for many programs, and that translates directly into
more resources for our kids: more books, more art supplies, more enrichment
opportunities, and more support for Linda and her team.
IMPORTANT DATES
 January 27th- PTA @ 8:30 am
 January 29th- PreK nonattendance day
 January 30th- Cupcake Friday
 February 3rd- Armory Day
Grades 3-5
 February 16th-20th-Mid-Winter
Recess
We’ll need even more from you over the course of the spring. We’ll need dozens of
volunteers each for Brooklyn Boogie Brunch and Touch-a-Truck, as well as fresh energy
for our reinvented Spring Arts Fair. We’ll also need new people at every level for the
Farmers Market, from the core management team to the week-to-week staff. Please
watch for meeting announcements in this bulletin, on Facebook, and on the Yahoo
group, and always be asking yourself: how can I help make this school an even better
place for our kids to learn and grow? Thanks!
IT TOOK A VILLAGE TO PUT ON THAT SCHOOL PLAY
COOL CULTURE
If you are a PreK or a kindergarten
parent and have not completed a
Cool Culture application, please
do so by January 22nd. See Sergio
Borrero or Ms. Shen if you have
any questions.
FOLLOW
PS295VISUALARTS ON
INSTAGRAM
Ms. Shen-Ribeiro has set up an
Instagram account to share her
classes’ creations with family
members! The account is under
the name ps295visualarts. Check
it out today!
Website: www.ps295.org
We say this every year, but every year it seems to be true—this year’s school play was
the best ever! Such an amazing performance by our kids. This is a huge undertaking for
children of this age, with lines and blocking to learn, sets and props to manage, nerves
to overcome, and endless patience to be mustered. But they’ve had their moment in the
spotlight—now it’s time to shine it on the people who made it possible.
First, a special word for Athena Spelios, who raised her hand to be Ms. Cat’s assistant
this year, a large and complicated job that makes Ms. Cat’s job possible. We were afraid
we’d have a hard time replacing last year’s assistant, but Athena came through as if
she’d been doing it all her life. DeeDee Gomes also deserves endless gratitude for
shaping up the many kids who’d flocked to her Dance Club and turning them into a wellchoreographed troupe fully worthy of the stage. DeeDee’s work provides a great way for
a lot of kids to get more involved in the production.
Thanks also to the many parent and staff volunteers who answered the call! It takes a lot
of people to put on a show like this, and a lot of you were willing and eager to help so
the rest of us could relax and enjoy. Take a bow Jackie Duvall-Smith, Doreen Miranda,
Chanon Judson-Johnson, Taura McMeekin, Caroline Bailey, Kevin Feinberg, Alex
Sanchez, Claudia Ngai, Rita Idavoy, Suzanne McCoy, Delia Hernandez, Amy Ortiz,
Christine Mark, Tracy Armstead, Beth Ashley, Jahna Bobolia, Maribel Pineda, Liza
Carfora, Joan Radigan, Derek Wohlleb, Michele Martel, Cathy Longo, Aayesha Gaisi,
Heather Stoelting, Jocelyn Wood, Susan Campbell, and surely a few others whose
names we’ve omitted (sorry!). And thanks to Matt Kells, who answered the call for a
photographer and got some truly amazing shots of the big nights (they’re on the school
website and Facebook page).
Great communities do great things together—thanks for being part of it!
Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PS295PTA/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PS295
Linda Mazza, Principal
Lisa Pagano, Assistant Principal
January 22, 2015
Volume 6, Issue 16
CUPCAKE FRIDAY NEXT WEEK, JAN. 30
The cupcake tables return next Friday, Jan. 30! Our December sweetfest was a big success—let’s keep up the
momentum. Remember, empty calories are key for survival in these cold winter months. Again, feel free to bake
beyond the cupcake genre if you’re so inspired. Rice Krispy treats, banana muffins, shortbread cookies—if you think
kids will be excited to see them on a Friday afternoon, give it a shot. Drop off your goodies in the office that morning,
or bring them straight to the tables in the courtyard before pickup that afternoon. See you then!
PTA MEETING NEXT TUESDAY, JAN. 27, 8:30 A.M.
Come join us—it’s free coffee and bagels on a midwinter morning, what’s not to like? We’ll have lots to discuss as we
contemplate the business at hand, like Brooklyn Boogie Brunch, Touch-a-Truck, Spring Arts, and the new Burning
Bright journal, not to mention action-packed updates from Principal Mazza and our ace treasurer Ellen Cerniglia.
Rumor has it the Christmas Tree guy will even show up with the rebate from all the business PS 295 gave him last
month! I’m hoping for an oversized novelty check, but you’ll have to come to find out.
DO YOU KNOW YOUR CLASS PARENTS?
Class parent play a vital role in your child’s classroom! In addition to supporting teachers in many important ways
(helping with class parties and activities, collecting for holiday gifts, coordinating volunteers), they also provide
parents with important information on what’s happening in your classroom week to week. If your class has a drama
sharing or publishing party on the calendar, it’s your class parent who’ll make sure you find out about it. If a class trip
gets planned or canceled, you’ll hear about it from them. They also pass along important school-wide
announcements, acting as a vital channel to make sure you don’t miss anything. And the communication works both
ways—if you have any questions or concerns about what’s happening in your classroom or at school in general, you
can always talk to them about it, and they’ll make sure it gets to the right person to help.
There’s a list of class parents included with this bulletin. If you haven’t met your class parent yet, take a moment to
introduce yourself. This can be a big job, and too often a thankless one—let them know you appreciate their work!
KEEP IN TOUCH ONLINE!
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PS 295 Yahoo! Group (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PS295PTA/)
PS 295 on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/PS295)
PS 295 Farmers Market (https://www.facebook.com/PS295FarmersMarket)
PS 295 on Twitter (https://twitter.com/PS295Brooklyn)
PS 295 website (www.ps295.org)
Website: www.ps295.org
Yahoo Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/PS295PTA/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PS295