NYC DOE Respect For All
RESPECT FOR ALL
The NYC DOE and P.S. 232Q are committed to maintaining a safe and supportive learning environment that is free from harassment, intimidation and/or bullying and from discrimination of any kind. The goal of our work is to ensure that every student is provided with a learning environment where all children feel safe, valued and respected. Our school has been recognized as a RESPECT FOR ALL school in 2014-2015 and 2012-2013. If at any time, you know of someone who is being bullied, intimidated or discriminated against, please contact any administrator, teacher, guidance counselor, or our parent coordinator. Click here https://www.schools.nyc.gov/school-life/policies-for-all/respect-for-all.
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT AT PS 232Q
As a means of developing positive characteristics in our student body, we highlight students who demonstrate a particular virtue. The virtues that have monthly concentration are those from “The Virtues of Core Knowledge”. We are a Core Knowledge School. Our teachers select individual students who display certain positive traits, and they are recognized at the end of each month with a “Student of the Month” Certificate, a “Student of the Month” pin, and public acknowledgement from our administrators, staff, parents, and peers, and a free ice cream coupon. They also get their photograph taken and it is hung in our school lobby on our “Student of the Month” bulletin board. The monthly winners are also the subject of our “Good News” announcements on Friday afternoons. As a way of connecting academics with social issues, each year the literacy coaches and the principal select new literature, that concentrate on virtues, such as honesty, respect, citizenship, tolerance, and responsibility. The literature chosen by the literacy coaches and principal also focuses on principles and life lessons which includes; bullying, ethnic and cultural diversity, care of the elderly, diverse families, recognition of veterans, acceptance of others, positive self-concept, self-respect, and self-worth. After each lesson, students respond to the literature by connecting their experiences using varied media, i.e. poster campaign, written response, writing contest, and video diary. Often our coaches will enter exceptional writing samples in citywide competitions.
Our Guidance Counselors
We have two guidance counselors - Ms. Falcone in grades 3K - 4 and Ms. Black in grades 5 - 8. Our guidance counselors engage students in classroom lessons that allow students to role-play, problem solve, and provide positive feedback to one another. Discussions are facilitated as a means to guide students to solutions that are realistic and useful. Some of the workshops that are conducted in the classrooms are anti-bullying, HIV/AIDS, diversity, and what it means to be a friend.
Our guidance counselors also serve as mentors for peer mediation. When an argument between two students takes place, our guidance counselors are able to meet with students and mediate solutions.
Click here for student support - http://schools.nyc.gov/StudentSupport/GuidanceandCounseling/default.htm
Cultural Arts and Influence
Thanks to a grant from Councilman Eric Ulrich, our students are also exposed to different cultures when the Midori & Friends organization sends professional musicians from around the world to perform for our students. Midori centers on art, customs, music, dances, and traditional dress of many nations. This exposure allows students to appreciate the differences of others. There are class workshops, concerts, and afterschool programs that teach music appreciation of cultures, instrumental, dancing, and creative self-expression. We also have two art programs that take place for a 14 week residency in both first and fifth grades. The residencies are sponsored by "Studio in a School", an organization that sends two professional artists to work with our students on content-area supported projects that both the teachers and artists plan together.
Click here for Midori & Friends, Inc. http://www.midoriandfriends.org/
Click here for Studio in a School http://www.studioinaschool.org/
Principal's Monthly Breakfasts
Ms Josephson, our school principal, in conjunction with the parent coordinator and guidance counselors, host “Breakfast with the Principal”. Our breakfast meetings will resume as soon as our entire staff and student members return to school. At our monthly meetings, topics relative to our students, parents, and community are discussed in a relaxed open forum. This is an opportunity for information to be dispersed to parents as well as gathered from the community in order to create a better learning environment. One topic from last year's discussion was “What Parents Can Do to Help Their Child Deal with a Bully!" For this 2020-2021 school year, all meetings and office hours with parents will take place remotely.
Spirit Month - February
In order to build morale and create positive school spirit, administrators and students and staff celebrate during Spirit Month. Students celebrate their culture, pride in their country, their career goals, their similarities as well as their differences. Spirit month has always been fun for our students and our staff during the month of February, and it has given us the opportunity to show off our school spirit! We will recognize our spirit on Mondays and Fridays during the entire month of February, but this will be done remotely. The schedule is as follows:
- February 1 - Crazy Hat Day
- February 5 - Color Day
- February 8 - Disney/Universal Day
- February 22 - Red, White and Blue Day
- February 26 - Celebrate Your Culture Day
Sports Program
P.S. 232Q prides itself on the inclusion of all students regardless of athletic and academic abilities. Our school clubs such as Volleyball, Flag Rugby, Basketball, Cheerleading, Flag Football, Debate Team, and Runners Club, encourage participation in extra- curricular activities. In addition to our middle school clubs, we are fortunate to have as a partner CHAMPS. They support us with programs in flag football, flag rugby, girls volleyball, developmental basketball, and a BOKS 5th grade fitness program. Click here for CHAMPS https://www.schools.nyc.gov/school-life/health-and-wellness/sports-and-staying-active/champs. As soon as school resumes full-time, our sports program will resume!
