Spruce Street School, PS 397
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Welcome back to School! Mark your calendars...

9/24/2015

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Interested in participating in a committee, helping out at a school event or fundraising activity or volunteering? Please e-mail PTAsecretary@sprucestreetnyc.com (unless otherwise noted). We appreciate your support and involvement.    


Upcoming Meetings:

  • General PTA Meeting Tue, Sep 29, 2015 from 8:30am - 9:30am @ Auditorium
  • SLT School Leadership Team Wed, Sep 30, 2015 from 3:00pm - 4:30pm @ The Library


Upcoming Events:

PTA Social Mixer. Cheese and more!: Tuesday 9/29 6-8pm @ The Louis Meisel Gallery, 141 Prince Street, NYC. Join us with live music by “Music toYour Home, and donations from Charlsetone Cheese House and Financial District Wine & Liquor, Jubilee, Farmigo and PI Bakery. RSVP: PTAsecretary@sprucestreetnyc.org

New York Int'l Children's Film Festival to Partner with Spruce Street-PS 397!! Saturday Sept 26th 11 am.
NY Int'l Children's Film Festival is excited to present a special preview screening of the documentary film "He Named Me Malala" about Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai. The screening will be held on Saturday Sept 26th at 11 am at IFC Center located at 323 Avenue of the Americas at West 4th St. For every ticket purchased by our school community, $2 is donated back to our school!!! Win win!
To buy tickets and raise money for our school simply:
1. Go to www.gkids.com/fest2015
2. Select PS 397 from the “Select My School” Menu (IMPORTANT!!!!)
3. Purchase tickets
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Fall Harvest Festival: Friday, Oct 2nd at lunchtime. Chef George from Garden to School Cafe will prepare a delicious Fall tasting menu for all our students and staff to sample. A huge thank you to Battery Urban Farm and the NYC Greenmarkets for supplying us with fantastic seasonal produce. Brought to you by the Spruce Green/Wellness Team.

The Charleston Wrap is back again!  Kick off date: October 5th. Get ready for our school's second annual gift-wrap fundraiser.   This year's catalogue has over 325 products to choose from with over 500 products online.  With more choices brings more profits for our school.  Be on the look out for your campaign packet on October 5th!  Our school receives 40 - 50% of the value of items sold.  Last year our school sold over $12,000 worth of merchandise.  This year we are shooting to top $15,000.   

Contact Marie Ursitti at samanthac7@verizon.net with any questions. 
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Committee Meetings: Find your Niche!

Gala: Thursday October 1st after drop off - all hands on deck. Let's start raising donations for this event that will take place on March 12th. Every donation helps us get bids that support our enrichment programs, our librarian, technology and more. Find attached the donation form to distribute to businesses.
  • Do you know: a photographer? a chef? a renowned jewelry/clothing/shoe-bag designer? a celebrity/someone who works on a set/theater in NY? a friend who can get backstage access/ VIP tickets? a music teacher? a firefighter? yoga teacher? massage therapist?
  • Do you have access to: Travel miles - have extra? or a friend that has some? hotel stays...any connections?  Let's use them! Summer house for a week? weekend?  Restaurant owner?
If so...ask them to donate items, certificates, or their time & expertise to Spruce! AND each day, as you are out and about, and throughout the week, ask your local service provides/vendors for donations! And, of course, if you have another idea - Go for it!

If you still have questions about who and what to solicit for the Gala, please contact the gala committee at PTAsecretary@sprucestreetnyc.org Incoming Donation Forms: Please drop them off in the PTA's mailbox in the office. 
DONATION FORM (CLICK HERE)
CONTACT US: 
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PTA News - June 2015

6/1/2015

2 Comments

 
Dear Spruce families,

As we enter the final month of the school year, it is worth recognizing that this will be the end of Spruce 'elementary' education for some of the original families that started out in the Tweed courthouse (where Spruce was incubated before moving to our current home). It has been quite a ride! From the initial pioneering days to facing challenges together along the way. Always educational and ultimately rewarding. Congratulations to the 5th graders, we're all proud of you!

Also, in case you forgot, Spruce Street Rocks! Yep, the annual DVD (or digital file, new this year) will be available soon for $20 (an email will go out notifying you when it is ready). To reserve your copy, please reach out to gala@sprucestreetnyc.org and we'll charge your auction number. If you didn't register for the Gala, we'll have a paypal link set-up when the announcement goes out.

Have a great final month of the school year to all!
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Spruce Street School fifth graders 2014/2015

Meeting Schedule

  • The June General PTA meeting is on Tuesday, June 16th @8:30AM in Cafeteria (please note the time/location change) All EB and SLT elections will be held at this PTA meeting AND budget approval and celebrate and reflect on the year that is ending and look ahead to previewing next year.
  • The June PTA EB meeting is Friday, June 5th @ 8:15PM in PTA Room 
  • The June SLT meeting is on Tuesday, June 16th @ 3PM-4:30pm in the Library

Events

May Recap
Gala: Wow, what a night! Big thanks to the Liz Chen, Sonni Mon and the rest of the amazing Gala Team. We raised needed funds for the PTA and had a fun time doing it.
Family portrait fundraiser (March): Great job Laetitia Damiani for organizing and we are happy to announce we raised $1,040 after all the orders were processed.
Coin drive (March): All the coins were gathered and counted and the final tally towards library books is $1,274. Thanks to Joanna Williams, Danielle Galbraith, and Shara Cunningham.
Harvest Day: Great job Yasmeen Hoosenally and the Wellness/Green Team.
Science/Math night: What a fun event showcasing the older grades' science presentations! Thanks to the teachers for a great event.
Magical Dave: Thanks to Grace Lee & the rest of the volunteers who made this a 'magical' night.

June Events 
Drum Concert - Bomba!
Enjoy a night of drumming and dancing on Wednesday, June 3rd at 6:15PM in the Auditorium tickets on sale now, for questions please contact Shelley Grams tech@sprucestreetnyc.org!
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Wednesday, June 3rd @6:15PM in the Auditorium. Tickets $10/Adults $5/Children
5th Grade Graduation
Join the school in sending off our 5th graders and they move up to middle school. Monday, June 22nd at 6PM

PTA Executive Board

Co-Presidents
The June PTA meeting is very important! All EB and SLT elections will be held at this PTA meeting AND budget approval. The time was changed to the morning because we really need a good turnout. There will also be coffee! 
  • As you may have noticed, the screen in the hallway is now active, thanks to Jennifer for making that happen.
  • Please use the Amazon link at the bottom of the website home page when ordering from Amazon so the PTA can get up to 8% back.
Overall, it was a wonderful year with great events and we're grateful for all the volunteers. 

Treasury
The Budget Committee is getting close to finalizing a FY16 budget. It will be presented at the June PTA General Meeting for approval. Thanks to all who took part in the process.

Fundraising
An anonymous donor has offered to match all donations up to $10,000 during a 24 hour period of Direct Appeal. Keep an eye out for an email announcing the specific dates.

Thank you for all of our fundraising events throughout the 2014-2015 year.  As you know, these activities bring our families together in worthy, collaborative projects with a collective goal: to enrich our children’s educational experience.

Website/Tech
Register on the website to have access to your child's Classroom page.  A place where class parents and/or teachers can post pictures, assignments or any other classroom specific info.

Merchandise
The old pink beach bag is now GREEN! Come get yours in time for summer.
$30. They also make great teachers' gifts.  Teachers' price $15.

Other new merchandise:
  • Natural/Blue bag (same style as black/silver bag)
  • Klean Kanteen vacuum insulated bottles.
  • Adult small and youth hoodies for cool summer nights!  
Buy online, ask Shara or Laetitia, or buy on Thursday's in June outside at pick up.

Public Relations
  • There is a new Spruce Parents forum on Facebook. Check it out here.
  • Like the Spruce Facebook page
  • Follow @PS397PTA on Twitter
Nominations
If anyone wishes to be nominated to the EB they should send their name to Shab Boettle sboettle@gmail.com. 
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Spruce Street Beach Bag

Committees

New Programs Committee (NPC) - SLT
The NPC will be evaluating this years' enrichment programs and communicating its recommendations to the SLT about whether or not to continue the current programs next year (includes NDI, Brooklyn Beanstalk, etc.)

Inclusion & Special Education Committee - SLT
No report

Communications Committee - SLT
No report

Middle School Committee - SLT
No report

Art Committee - PTA
No report

Wellness and Green Team - PTA
The generosity of the PTA and all Spruce parents has funded compostable plates in our cafeteria for the last few years. We are thrilled to announce that the plates will now be supplied by the DOE’s Office of School Food to all NYC public schools. The era of styrofoam has ended! In other good news, the chicken served in the cafeteria is now anti-biotic free, and starting next year, we will have compostable cutlery.

Our goal is to get the composting program in the cafeteria up and running by the first week of school in September. 

The Spring Harvest Festival was a great hit with all the kids, many of whom enjoyed meeting our chef for the day. Many thanks to Garden to Cafe and Battery Urban Farm! Look out next for BUF produce in the salad bar at school which is open to ALL children.

We have replenished the school supplies of non-toxic hand sanitizer, hand soap and wipes. The Green Team thanks the PTA for funding these items going into our second year and they will no longer appear on the school supply lists.

A big shout out everyone who has worked on Green/Wellness this year. If you would like to help next year, please let us know at yasgirl888@icloud.com

Taste of the Seaport Committee - PTA
The TOTS Committee is meeting on June 3rd at 8:30am at the new Peck Slip cafeteria. The actual Taste of the Seaport is on October 17, 2015. Please email Tami Kurtz, tamikj@gmail.com to get involved in this great event.

Spirit Project Committee - PTA
The Spirit Project will NOT be happening this year due to loss of key sponsorship, however, we already have some great ideas for next year.

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Silent Disco at the South Street Seaport

Community

Update: The police caught the woman who was involved in a hit & run outside the school. The police have also agreed to take steps to install a crossing guard on Beekman Street. Thanks to the police for their great work and to all those who went to the 1st precinct meeting to help make this happen.

1ST Precinct
1st precinct community council meetings are held at 6:30PM on the last Thursday of each month at:
First Precinct, 16 Ericsson Pl. (in Tribeca).

Manhattan Community Board 1 (CB1)
Get involved in the community, attend CB1 Meetings & Events.

75 Morton Community Alliance Meeting: June 1 at 6:30 p.m. at PS 33 
This is a working meeting for parents, school representatives and community leaders who want to get involved in needs assessment and setting the agenda for the fall 2015 75MCA envisioning meeting. If you plan to attend, please RSVP at 75morton@gmail.com. 

School

Last day of school and Report cards distributed Friday, June 26th
Thank you for a wonderful 2014/2015 school year.

Enjoy your summer!
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Thanks for reading!
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PTA News - May 2015

5/1/2015

0 Comments

 
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Flowers blooming with the New York Federal Reserve building in the background, just down the street from Spruce
Families,
Teacher appreciation day is May 5th...and the Gala is fast approaching. Aside from this, the PTA is advocating for making Beekman Street and the parking lot area safer. EB members have been attending 1st precinct meetings and CB1 meetings. Contact pta@sprucestreetnyc.org for more info on how to get involved.

May Meetings
  • The May General PTA meeting is on Wed. May 20th @ 8:45am in the Cafeteria
  • The May PTA EB meeting is May 1st @8:15am in PTA Room 
  • The May SLT meeting is on Tuesday May 19th, 4-5:30pm in the Library.
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Hilda Bergman, PTA Co-President, assists at the Spruce Street School booth during Tribeca Family Festival in April

Events

April
Big kudos to Saida Barker & Hilda Bergman & Stacey Kurylo for organizing and making the Tribeca Family Festival booth such a hit. Also, to Saida Barker for connecting Spruce & Peck Slip School families for the Bridge night out on what was a warm April Saturday night.

May
1980s Spring Gala - Saturday May 9th 7-10:30PM in the Gym
Well, it is almost here! Thank you for all the volunteer efforts that go into producing this. We are looking forward to celebrating a fun night of 1980s costumes and revelry with a delicious sampling of appetizers from neighborhood restaurants, plus generous alcohol donations. See you and the rest of our Spruce family on Saturday, May 9th 7-10:30PM.  
Remember: register to bid on both Silent and Live Auction beforehand to avoid long lines at the Gala here: https://www.biddingforgood.com/auction/auctionhome.action?vhost=397 and post your pictures to www.dropbox.com, username: sonnimun@gmail.com, password:spruce397

Science & Math Night at the school - Wednesday May 13th 5-8PM

Basketball on May 19th from 6:15-7:40PM ($5). RSVP, by paying here. 
Please only use this link and not previous ones, since this one is linked to the PTA paypal account. Drinks to follow in Beekman Pub.

Harvest Day - Wed. May 20th in Cafeteria

Student Spring Concert performances by grade - Wed. May 27th - see calendar for details

5th Grade NDI - Final share - Friday May 29th - see calendar for details

Magical Dave - Friday May 29th 6:15-7PM in the Auditorium
We are excited to have Magical Dave, the infamous magician, come back to Spruce on Fri., May 29th, 6:15pm.  The show will be 45 minutes and is expected to sell out.  Tickets are $10 in advance (link will be sent so you can pay via paypal) and $15 at the door.  Dave is a NYC school teacher and a dad and not only brings his rabbit but also a very friendly snake!  He is very funny and silly and we hope you can bring the kids to join us.  We will also need volunteers to help us with check-in and to sell snacks so please look out for updates on Julie's weekly and from class parents.

"Night Market" Under the Stars - Saturday May 30th 6PM-10PM at 207A Front Street, Seaport
Celebrate the start of Summer, get to know your neighbors, and support the Old Seaport Alliance ~ and our neighborhood improvement mission. Please join us for a festive "Night Market" featuring local artisans, wine, beer, sangria and light refreshments from our local restaurants. We will have music and a Raffle with great prizes. A $10 suggested donation goes directly to support the programs of the Old Seaport Alliance. For more information, visit the OSA on Facebook, or at www.oldseaportny.com

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Classic Spruce T-shirt in mens, womens and kids sizes.

PTA Executive Board

Treasury
Thank you to those who joined the Audit Committee. These folks are parents that will review the tax return before being signed by the Treasurer amongst other things. If you want to join please reach out to treasurer@sprucestreetnyc.org

The Budget Committee is getting ready to work on the budget for next school year (2015/2016). Please email treasurer@sprucestreetnyc.org if you'd like to participate.

Merchandise
With May 5th being National Teacher Appreciation Day, this is a great opportunity to buy Spruce Merchandise for a teacher at the 'Teacher Price'.
  • New oversized beach bag $30,  Teacher Price: $15
  • Adult size small hoodie $50, Teacher Price: $30
  • Vacuum insulated beverage bottles $25, Teacher Price: $20
  • Shop Spruce Apparel

Fundraising
Thank you for your direct appeal contributions. Thank you 5th grade families for funding the 5th Grade graduation, class trip & yearbook. Thank you sponsors for the Gala!

Website/Tech
Class parents, reach out to Shelley, tech@sprucestreetnyc.org, to learn how to update your Classroom page. They are a great, password protected page for posting pictures, assignments or any other classroom specific info.

If you haven't registered, go to your child's classroom page and register. Approval usually happens shortly after but can take up to a week.

Public Relations
  • There is a new Spruce Parents forum on Facebook. Check it out here.
  • Like the Spruce Facebook page
  • Follow @PS397PTA on Twitter

Nominations to EB Next Year
Calling all dedicated Spruce parents! Please consider nominating yourself or others for one of the vacant positions on the PTA Executive Board for our next school year 2015-2016!!! Our search for nominations begins now for the elections that will take place later this year. The PTA pools our collective talent to create, coordinate, and collaborate on some of the most fantastic fundraisers and community building events in lower Manhattan. We put the fun in fundraising but all that fun can’t happen without you!! For more information contact Hilda Bergman at ptapresident@sprucestreetnyc.org. 
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'Back to the Future' booth at Tribeca Family Festival in April

Committees

New Programs Committee (NPC) - SLT/PTA
All new program ideas for enrichment are being routed to the SLT first and from there to the NPC for assistance/vetting. If you have any enrichment ideas or questions, please email: slt@sprucestreetnyc.org

Inclusion & Special Education Committee - SLT
For the next meeting please see the calendar for more details.

Communications Committee - SLT
For more info please check the calendar.

Middle School Committee - SLT
Contact Laetitia if you'd like to contribute to this committee. For more info please check the calendar.

Art Committee - PTA
For more info please check the calendar.

Wellness and Green Team - PTA
  • The Green Team is excited to announce Spruce Street’s first HARVEST DAY, hosted by Garden to School Cafe, to be held in the cafeteria on Wed, May 20th. A chef will come into school with seasonal and local produce and prepare a special meal for all of our students, staff and teachers to enjoy. If your child usually brings in home lunch, please ask them to consider sharing a special meal with our community that day, as everyone is included!
  • The first grade has started their Seed to Market unit and are visiting Battery Urban Farm as well as farmer’s markets. The Green Team will continue to host the EAT WHAT YOU GROW Days in the cafeteria by bringing the produce from the farm to the school salad bar. ALL children are welcome to serve themselves from the salad bar (both school and home lunch kids).
  • We would love to encourage parents to volunteer just a few hours with us for both events, particularly K and 1G parents who can learn the ropes and run the events next year. Please contact yasgirl888@icloud.com
  • We encourage everyone to send their kids to school with the new Spruce Kleen Kanteen water bottle. Our bodies are made up of 70% water and it is important for kids to stay hydrated during the day.

Taste Of The Seaport Committee - PTA
The TOTS Committee is already starting to get ready for the TASTE OF THE SEAPORT on October 17, 2015. Please email Tami Kurtz, tamikj@gmail.com, for more info.

Spirit Project Committee - PTA
The Spirit Project will be happening again in June! Contact Learan Kahanov learan@lkdp.com for more details or to volunteer.
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Flowers blooming at the World Financial Center, not far from Spruce Street School

Community

Manhattan Community Board 1 (CB1)
Get involved in the community, attend CB1 Meetings & Events.

1ST Precinct
Attend a 1st precinct community council meeting to learn more about what is going on in our precinct. Meetings are held at 6:30PM on the last Thursday of each month at the First Precinct (16 Ericsson Pl) in Tribeca.

School

Cell Phone Policy
The school updated the cell phone policy, please read with your child here

Front Desk Sign-In
Reminder: everyone must sign-in at the front desk with a photo ID. Fill out all information completely. And please, if you are going to an area of the school different than your stated location, please notify security at the front desk.

School Survey
Thank you for completing the school survey. It will help school leaders understand what key members of the school community say about the learning environment at each school.

3rd, 4th & 5th grade
Congrats on finishing state testing!

During the month of May, all students in grades 3, 4 and 5 will be participating in the Advance Student Survey Pilot. This survey allows students to share their feelings about their learning experience in the classroom. 

Students in grades 3 and up throughout New York City will be participating in this survey, not just Spruce Street School . Please see the link below. It has a letter from the Department of Education regarding the survey, as well as an Opt Out letter, and an FAQ sheet. 

http://schools.nyc.gov/NR/rdonlyres/449FE744-41CD-4348-9481-ED1BFF9E5645/0/TripodParentLetter_English.pdf

Please feel free to reach out to Sarah Maiolo, Guidance Counselor, if you have any question or concerns. 
smaiolo@sprucestreetnyc.org 212-266-4800 x1

Thanks for reading!
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A tall building and a tall clown at the Tribeca Family Festival in April
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PTA News - April 2015

4/1/2015

1 Comment

 
The PTA EB would  like to announce that for the remainder of the school year the PTA will not be sending out any more emails...April Fools! 

March lived up to its reputation and 'came in like a lion', both in weather and PTA activity. March was Giving Month at Spruce and we, as a community, gave. First was Project Cicero, then the Coins & Cans and now the Spring Push for Direct Appeal. Thankfully, in both weather and the PTA schedule, while not exactly 'out like a lamb' (maybe a goat?), March has exited relatively gently (knock on wood)...

For April, Spring Recess starts Friday but make sure to fill out the school survey first! It is due April 2nd and will really help our school if all families complete it. After Spring Recess, K-2 start a Spanish foreign language pilot. Then the older grades start their NY state testing during the middle and the end of the month. Preparations for the 1980s Gala are in full effect and there is The Tribeca Family Festival towards the end of the month! Spring is here, yay!

April Meetings
  • The next General PTA meeting is on Tuesday April 14th at 6PM in the auditorium.
  • There is no PTA EB meeting in April (April meeting was held on March 30th).
  • The next SLT meeting is on Tuesday April 28th, 4-5:30PM in the Library.
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Lucas, 3rd Grade, collected 60 cans and got Key Food to match his donation for a total of 120 cans during Spruce Street's March 2015 City Harvest Can Drive.

Events

March
Big kudos to Laetitia Damiani for organizing the Family Photo Day and the Movie Night and to Joanna Williams for managing the Library Coins & City Harvest Can Drive!
  • Family Photo Day was a success with 27 families signed up (out of 32 spots available). We won't know the final monetary benefit to the PTA until all families have placed their orders but each family also received a 20% discount on any extra photos ordered.
  • March Movie Night: 75 tickets were sold and the total proceeds were: $501.  
  • Library coins collected will help purchase new books.
  • City Harvest Can Drive: Our community collected 701 cans...which were picked up by City Harvest and distributed to shelters and food pantries of NYC.

April
The Tribeca Family Festival - Saturday, April 25th 10AM-4PM
Spruce Street School has accepted an invite to run a booth at this festive street fair and family celebration. Join us, share time with friends and neighbors, have a laugh or two, and enjoy the weather. We'll be bringing one (or more) of our carnival games and some merchandise to sell. We do need volunteers to help set-up, play games, sell merchandise and break-down after the event. Please sign up to volunteer here:http://397.ivolunteer.com/tff2015

1980s Spring Gala
Momentum Tracker as of Sunday, March 29th:
Donations received: 120
Sponsors: 5
Tickets Sold: 41
Volunteers: just the Gala Committee, so far. iVolunteer site becomes active after Spring Recess on April 7th.
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More Gala News: 
  • GALA DRESS CODE UPDATE: Any 1980s themed dress is acceptable (think Madonna, Quiet Riot, Pretty in Pink, Miami Vice, Breakfast Club, etc.). All non-themed dress is still semi-formal.
  • James Patterson has signed on again to contribute a character name in his next book for the Live Auction!!
  • We also want pictures of your kids and YOU (when you were in the 1980s) for a video presentation during the gala. Post your pictures to www.dropbox.com, username: sonnimun@gmail.com, password:spruce397
  • Back by Popular Demand -- The Spring Gala Gift Baskets!  Last year, each classroom contributed to a unique gift basket that was among the silent auction items.  There were 13 gift baskets in total that were beautifully designed, displayed and credited to each classroom.  Be on the lookout for an email from Marie Ursitti-Collins that will include details about your classroom basket theme and how you can participate to make your classroom basket a great success.
  • Remember to go to the website for all Gala info: http://www.ps397spruceauction.org/
If you need to get in touch with the Gala Committee for any reason please reach out to Liz Chen or Danielle Solomon. The Gala is only possible through the participation and support of the Spruce Street School community, thank you for all of your continued dedication and support. We are looking forward to celebrating another wonderful event with friends, old and new.
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4th & 5th Graders singing "We Shall Overcome" by Pete Seeger at their March National Dance Institute (NDI) performance

PTA Executive Board

Treasury
The Co-Treasurers are looking for parents to serve on:
  • The Audit Committee. The Audit Committee is made up of at least 3 people that aren't currently in the PTA EB or SLT. These folks will review the tax return before being signed by the Treasurer amongst other things. If you have an eye for details and numbers, please reach out to treasurer@sprucestreetnyc.org
  • The Budget Committee. The Budget Committee can be any number of people that will help shape the PTA budget for next school year (2015/2016). There is a meeting planned towards the end of April but hasn't been announced yet. Please email treasurer@sprucestreetnyc.org if you'd like to be a member and shape the budget for next school year.

Merchandise
  • Shop Spruce Apparel! New Hoodies are in, sized adult small. Very cool for older kids and looks great on adults too!
  • Back by popular demand the Spruce Beach Bag, in a brand new neon green color. This over sized bag is versatile, with pockets inside and outside. Perfect for the beach this summer!

Fundraising
We are grateful to welcome Ashley Duncan and Joanna Williams as our new PTA Fundraising V.P.s. They will be implementing creative ways to continue our fundraising efforts through the Direct Appeal, corporate sponsorships and many other fundraising initiatives. Welcome!

Website
In addition to the new calendar page that was rolled out in March, there is a page for each classroom in the school. Each classroom page is password protected. Classroom pages are a great place for class parents and/or teachers to upload pictures, assignments or any other classroom specific media to share with parents/students. If you haven't registered, go to your child's classroom page and register. Approval usually happens shortly after but can take up to a week.

Public Relations
  • The EB is honing an email policy to lay the framework for PTA email communications. This policy will set the guidelines for delivering emails to parents relating to the PTA, the SLT and the school.
  • For more Spruce inside information, follow the PTA social media posts. 
  • As of today, the Spruce PTA has 195 'likes' on Facebook. Like us! 
  • Our Twitter page has only 26 'followers'. Follow us!

Nominations to EB Next Year
Calling all dedicated Spruce parents! Please consider nominating yourself or others for one of the vacant positions on the PTA Executive Board for our next school year 2015-2016!!! Our search for nominations begins now for the elections that will take place later this year. The PTA pools our collective talent to create, coordinate, and collaborate on some of the most fantastic fundraisers and community building events in lower Manhattan. We put the fun in fundraising but all that fun can’t happen without you!! For more information contact Hilda Bergman at ptapresident@sprucestreetnyc.org. 
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Spruce Street Beach Bag with neon green lettering

Committees

New Programs Committee (NPC) - SLT/PTA
During March, the NPC worked in concert with the SLT, the school and the EB in bringing a foreign language pilot for K-2. Woo hoo!

The NPC continues to work on navigating enrichment programs at Spruce in April. Part of that responsibility will be designing and communicating a framework to best source new enrichment programs and ideas at Spruce going forward. Implementing enrichment takes a lot of work on the part of Nancy, Hillary and the teachers so we'll want to find a way to procure great ideas and suppliers but also recognize that enrichment opportunities are supplemental to core curriculum and operate within the existing limited time, space & personnel resources of the school. If you have any enrichment ideas or questions, please email: newprograms@sprucestreetnyc.org

Inclusion & Special Education Committee - SLT
Do you know about Assistive Technology in schools? Have you been told that your child would benefit from Assistive Technology? Join us to meet experts in the area of assistive technology, see different types of equipment, ask questions and get answers. Thursday, April 16th 6-8PM at Spruce.  Follow the CCSE on Facebook. Please see the calendar for more details.

Communications Committee - SLT
For more info please check the calendar.

Middle School Committee - SLT
Next year Spruce will add a Middle School (in case you haven't heard). There is much to be discussed and planned. Contact Laetitia if you'd like to contribute to this committee. For more info please check the calendar.

Art Committee - PTA
The Art Committee is a bold initiative involving art partnerships with Spruce. For more info please check the calendar.

Wellness and Green Team - PTA
  • The first grade has started their Seed to Market unit and will be visiting Battery Urban Farm. The Green Team will continue to host the EAT WHAT YOU GROW Days in the cafeteria by bringing the produce from the farm to the school salad bar. ALL children are welcome to serve themselves from the salad bar (both school and home lunch kids).
  •  We would love to encourage parents to volunteer just a few hours with us, particularly K and 1st grade parents who can learn the ropes and run the events next year. Please contact yasgirl888@icloud.com
  • Spruce classrooms are now supplied with non-toxic, bio-friendly hand soap, cleaning wipes and hand sanitizer. We will encourage the children to KEEP CALM AND WASH YOUR HANDS as recommended by the CDC (Center for Disease Control)
  • We continue to supply the cafeteria with compostable plates to replace the styrofoam trays. The children are encouraged to separate their trash from recyclables and organics as we are included on the Sanitation Department's organics collection pilot program. Watch for the city wide rollout in the coming years!
  • We encourage everyone to send their kids to school with the new Spruce Kleen Kanteen water bottle. Our bodies are made up of 70% water and it is important for kids to stay hydrated during the day.

Taste Of The Seaport Committee - PTA
The first general meeting took place March 30th and we're gearing up for a Great TASTE OF THE SEAPORT on October 17, 2015. Next meeting is in April, please check the Calendar for details.

Spirit Project Committee - PTA
The Spirit Project will be happening again in June! Check the calendar for the next meeting.

Community

Manhattan Community Board 1 (CB1)
Get involved in the community, attend CB1 Meetings & Events. There is a CB1 Youth & Education Meeting on April 14th at 6PM where there will be an update on Manhattan Youth summer programs and the NYS budget/teacher evaluations issue.

1ST Precinct
Attend a 1st precinct community council meeting to learn more about what is going on in our precinct. Meetings are held at 6:30PM on the last Thursday of each month at the First Precinct (16 Ericsson Pl) in Tribeca. This month is April 30th.

NY International Children’s Film Festival 
Thank you for supporting this festival in March. All tickets purchased through the website yielded $3/ticket for Spruce PTA.

Soul Cycle
The parents of Spruce are eligible for a free 2 week membership at Soul Cycle in FiDi from April 15-April 30th. Pick up a flyer in the school office or print this flyer. Create an account at Soul Cycle to participate:
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School

New Cell Phone Policy
The school has an updated cell phone policy please read with your child here

Front Desk Sign-In
To help with school safety everyone must sign-in at the front desk with a photo ID. Fill out all information completely (signing "address on file" is no longer acceptable). If you are going to an area of the school different than your stated location, please notify security at the front desk.

School Survey
The survey that is due April 2nd helps school leaders understand what key members of the school community say about the learning environment at each school. The information captured by the survey is designed to support a dialogue among all members of the school community about how to make the school a better place to learn.  

The 2014-2015 version of the NYC School Survey is aligned to the DOE’s Framework for Great Schools. The survey will collect vital information about a school’s capacity to improve student achievement by measuring the extent to which each school incorporates the six essential elements...
  1. rigorous instruction
  2. supportive environment
  3. collaborative teachers
  4. effective school leadership
  5. strong family and community ties
  6. trust
...that drive school improvement and develop students to compete in the 21st century.  The survey will be one of multiple measures used to help the DOE assess the six essential elements. For more information about the research behind the Framework for Great Schools, see here.

Thank you for reading!
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PTA News - March 2015

3/1/2015

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What is going on in the PTA?

From the EB
Despite a shortened month due to 'Mid-Winter Recess', February was action packed with Music shares, committee meetings and finalizing a date for the Spring Gala (May 9th)! March looks to be just as active. It is March 1st and currently snowing as I write. This makes it even harder to believe that soon we will be turning our clocks forward, navigating the NYC sidewalk traffic on St. Patrick's Day and welcoming Spring later this month. While the snow is beautiful, it continues to be a cold winter and I hope March brings some warmer weather...soon. 
-David Tunstall pr@sprucestreetnyc.org

General PTA Meeting
Come to the next General PTA Meeting on Wednesday March 18th at 8:45am in the cafeteria. At this meeting, Nancy will continue her discussion of Equity in the school in her Principal’s report as well as update on other goings on at the school, the PTA will announce open positions for the 2015-2016 PTA Executive Board, nominations will be taken for a special election for a VP of Fundraising, and there will be a special guest presenter.

PTA Executive Board Meetings (2 in March)
  • Friday, March 6, 2015 | 8:15am - 10:15am in Room 351 - PTA Room 
  • Monday, March 30, 2015 | 8:15am - 10:15am in Room 351 - PTA Room 

SLT Meeting
  • Tuesday, March 24, 2015 | 4:00pm - 5:30pm in the Library

Events
Big props to Marie Ursitti-Collins and Shelley Grams for organizing and pulling off a fun community building event, the Winter Carnival. Thanks also go to all the sponsors, volunteers and everyone who came out to make it a great success.

The notable events coming up in March are :
  • Project Cicero. For more information click here
    To volunteer click here
  • Movie Night at Spruce. Fun for the whole family! Please join your fellow Spruce families for our PTA Sponsored movie night on Friday, March 13th at 6:15pm featuring "How To Train Your Dragon." Tickets cost $5.00. Snacks will be available for purchase during the movie. All children must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Proceeds from this PTA fundraiser are used to support Spruce enrichment programs among other PTA initiatives. For more information, contact Laetitia Damiani.
  • Family Picture Fundraiser. Memories for a lifetime! Sign up quick for Family Photo Day at Spruce Street School. You have to sign up in advance to secure your photo session appointment and spots are limited!!! Family Photo Day will take place on Saturday, March 14th from 9 am to 5 pm at the Cool for School Photo Pop-Up Photo Studio conveniently located in our very own Spruce Street School! Please click on link for all the details: Family Photo Day Spruce Street School. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Spruce PTA. For more info please check the calendar. For more information, contact Laetitia Damiani.
  • City Harvest Canned Food Drive. Pick up some extra cans or mac 'n cheese on your next trip to Trader Joe's, Whole Foods or your favorite supermarket. Spruce is aiming to deliver 2,000 cans this year to City Harvest. City Harvest collects cans and delivers them to more than 500 soup kitchens and food pantries across NYC's five boroughs. The drive goes from from Monday, March 9th to Friday, March 20th. Cans of food can be given to your child and dropped off in the boxes outside of your child's classroom. There will also be a box in the lobby. The most needed items:
    • canned fruit
    • canned vegetables
    • peanut butter (plastic jars)
    • mac and cheese (packaged)
    • hot and cold cereal (packaged, family-sized)
  • Spruce Library Coins. Coins will be collected in each classroom to support our own Spruce Library to purchase current and new release books.  This collection runs from Monday, March 9th to Friday, March 20th.
Of course, just beyond the horizon is our Annual Spring Gala on May 9th. Preparations are already being made.

There will be delicious things to eat and drink and a fabulous assortment of goods and services to bid on, both at the Silent Auction and the engaging Live Auction. We also have an exciting raffle, the winner will be announced just prior to the live auction. Most importantly, the auction is the PTA’s largest fundraising event. Last year, it accounted for 41 percent of the entire PTA Budget. 

Early bird tickets are only $60 each! This price only lasts through Friday, March 20th, after that the price goes up to $75 per ticket.

If you have the time, talent and/or treasure to contribute to this 80s Night Gala Event please reach out to Liz Chen or Danielle Solomon. None of this is possible without the participation and support of our Spruce Street Community. Thank you for all of your continued dedication and support. We are looking forward to another wonderful event with friends. 

If you would like to design the Class Art project, kindly contact Beth Goldoff & Caitlin Mies

Treasury
The PTA filed the FY14 Tax Return on Feb. 15, 2015. As a public non-profit, our filing will be posted on the Foundation Center website once it is processed. 

Merchandise
We have a great line-up of Spruce branded apparel and accessories thanks to our active volunteers in design and sourcing quality products. Check out the Store to see all the Spruce Merchandise.

Fundraising
The PTA is looking to fill a V.P. of Fundraising position at the March General PTA Meeting. This position will involve creatively seeking ways for greater participation in the Direct Appeal, as well as other fundraising initiatives to further strengthen our already strong financial support for the PTA.

Website
Since moving away from eChalk, the website has been a work-in-process that is starting to take shape. Recently we've been working on getting our new calendar app, calendarwiz, embedded in the website on both public and classroom pages.

In March, we'd like to continue to empower the teachers/class parents to update the classroom pages. Since each classroom page is password protected, the PTA will be providing each parent a username and password to access your child's classroom page(s). Look for an email coming soon.

PR
February was the first full month of having a V.P. of Public Relations (PR)  on the Spruce PTA Executive Board. Some of the areas being addressed are:
  • Formatting and sourcing content for this newsletter, now and going forward.
  • Embedding the calendar on the website and making it the source for ALL events related to Spruce.
  • Social Media Posts
  • Email communications

For March the focus will be on the emails sent from both the School and the PTA. We'd like to continue working on figuring out the best way to deliver relevant, needed information in a timely fashion without being overwhelming. Tough task, indeed, but we'll work on it.
New Programs Committee
This committee has been active during Feb. The NPC (a hybrid of SLT and PTA New Programs Committee) sent a survey to teachers (and received great, usable feedback) about areas outside the Common Core curriculum where teachers in our school can assist with enrichment programs. The committee has also received a bunch of proposals in the areas of languages, technology, music, theater, art and coding.

For March, the NPC hopes to review and take steps towards approving an 8-week language pilot program for the lower grades scheduled to start soon. The NPC also hopes to follow up on the other enrichment proposals and possibly work with fundraising on creating a wish list of enrichment programs to be funded.

Inclusion Committee - SLT
Please note the name change, the Inclusion Committee is the former Special Education Committee.

They met in February and will also meet in March. Please see the calendar for more details.

Communications Committee - SLT
The Communications Committee met in February and will also meet in March. For more info please check the calendar.

Middle School Committee - SLT
Next year Spruce will add a Middle School (in case you haven't heard). There is much to be discussed and planned. Contact Laetitia if you'd like to contribute to this committee. For more info please check the calendar.

Art Committee - PTA
The Art Committee is a bold initiative involving art partnerships with Spruce. The committee met in Feb. and will meet in March.  For more info please check the calendar.

Wellness and Green Team - PTA
  • Spruce classrooms are now supplied with non-toxic, bio-friendly hand soap, cleaning wipes and hand sanitizer. We will encourage the children to KEEP CALM AND WASH YOUR HANDS as recommended by the CDC (Center for Disease Control) 
  • Spruce’s partnership with Battery Urban Farm continues to evolve as the first graders embark on their Story of Food Unit. Farmer Anna visits the classroom and the kids will make visits to the farm. We will continue to support by transporting produce from the farm to the cafeteria to host EAT WHAT YOU GROW days for the kids. We are hoping to plan a Harvest Day in the cafeteria hosted by the DOE’s Garden to School Cafe program.
  • We continue to supply the cafeteria with compostable plates to replace the styrofoam trays. The children are encouraged to separate their trash from recyclables and organics as we are included on the Sanitation Department's organics collection pilot program. Watch for the city wide rollout in the coming years!

We encourage everyone to send their kids to school with the new Spruce Kleen Kanteen water bottle. Our bodies are made up of 70% water and it is important for kids to stay hydrated during the day.

Nominations
Calling all dedicated Spruce parents! Please consider nominating yourself or others for one of the vacant positions on the PTA Executive Board for our next school year 2015-2016!!! Our search for nominations begins now for the elections that will take place later this year. The PTA pools our collective talent to create, coordinate, and collaborate on some of the most fantastic fundraisers and community building events in lower Manhattan. We put the fun in fundraising but all that fun can’t happen without you!!! Open positions will be announced at the next PTA meeting to take place on Wednesday March 18th at 8:45am in the cafeteria. For more information contact Hilda Bergman at ptapresident@sprucestreetnyc.org.  
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PTA News - January 2015

1/27/2015

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Reminder! 
BIGTIME WINTER FUN COMING SOON!!! 

The Spruce Street School PTA is hosting our first Winter Carnival.  All events and activities are indoors and include fun carnival games, a bouncy carousel, clowns, face painting, arts and crafts and more. We will also be selling fantastic food and delicious home-baked desserts. It’s a true community event and not to be missed. Proceeds go to the Spruce Street PTA! Lots of help is needed for an event this big! To volunteer visit our volunteer site. To donate to the carnival wish list visit http://amzn.com/w/TAJK9KUZN33K . To donate prizes needed to award gaming participants visit http://amzn.com/w/TJKUGMNOMJAX . For more information contact Shelley at ptavp2@sprucestreetnyc.org.

Reminder! 
HELP PROVIDE VALUABLE RESOURCES TO YOUR CHILD’S SCHOOL!!!

Visit the direct appeal link to donate directly to the school PTA. This year the PTA is funding initiatives including dance programs offered by National Dance Institute (1st-5th grades) and Arts Connection (Pre-K and K) which brings art and movement into the school day; our librarian to foster a love of reading, trained recess staff to help keep kids safe and happy while they play; green hand soap and lice checks to promote health and wellness; and professional development programs to keep Spruce teachers and staff in the forefront of education. 
The suggested donation is $900 per child, but we encourage you to give any amount your family is able to give. All donation sizes are appreciated and work toward our school-wide goal of 100% participation. All donations to Spruce Direct Appeal are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. To donate visit direct appeal. For more information contact Charlie at ptatreasurer@sprucestreetnyc.org.

Community Event! 
Pace University is hosting: A Conversation with NYC Police Commissioner William J. Bratton

Community Event! Pace University is hosting: A Conversation with NYC Police Commissioner William J. Bratton at Pace University on Feb 2nd from 6-7pm at the Schimmel Center at 3 Spruce Street. To RSVP please visit:  www.pace.edu/insidetrack. For other information contact Stacey Kurylo at ptapresident@sprucestreetnyc.org.

New date! 
LOVE ART? LOVE SPRUCE? JOIN THE ART COMMITTEE!!! 

The art committee is meeting February 9th @8:20 am in the art classroom. You are welcome to join. It's an opportunity to get to know one of our cluster teachers and support their leadership. For more information contact Saida at ptasecretary@sprucestreetnyc.org.

New date! SWOOSH!!!

Join your fellow amateur athletes to have some fun playing basketball on February 17th from 6:15-7:40 ($5). For more information contact Saida at ptasecretary@sprucestreetnyc.org.

Department of Education Event! 
NEW YORK CITY EDUCATION COUNCIL IS CALLING SPRUCE PARENTS!

 2015 gives you the opportunity to be more engaged in every aspect of your children’s school life. Education Councils offer parents an opportunity for District and Citywide Leadership with a strong voice in education policy. For more information visit nycparentleaders.org and run for 2015 NYC Education Councils.

Community event!! 
New York-Presbyterian/Lower Manhattan Hospital is hosting a blood drive. 

The New York Blood Center Bus will be located nearby at Gold Street Entrance (between Beekman & Spruce Streets) on Monday, February 2nd, 10:00am-4:00pm. To make an appointment please call (800) 933-2566. For medical and travel related questions, please call (800) 688-0900. For other information contact Stacey Kurylo at ptapresident@sprucestreetnyc.org.

Reminder!! 
KEEP UP TO DATE WITH THE SPRUCE STREET SCHOOL COMMUNITY on Social Media!!! 

Follow the PTA on Twitter!! https://twitter.com/PS397PTA/status/559043682385399808

Like us on Facebook!! 
https://www.facebook.com/SpruceStSchoolPS397PTA

Check us out on Instagram!!
http://instagram.com/sprucestreetps397pta/

Got a picture or a story to share about Spruce? Contact David at PR@sprucestreetnyc.org about getting your content into our social media feeds.

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    Spruce Street PTA Newsletter

    A monthly post from the PTA to keep you up to date on what is happening in the school, the PTA , the SLT and the community.


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Spruce Street School - PS 397
12 Spruce Street
New York, NY 10038
212-266-4800
​(Fax) 212-266-4805

Nancy Harris, Principal
Kara Levin, Assistant Principal

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