News and Shout Outs!

• Graduates - Time to take care of your ESMS Email. Deadline is July 6th.

  *** IMPORTANT TECH NEWS FROM ESMS ***

  Starting July 6, the ESMS email account given to 8th-grade students at the @esmsnyc.net domain will be terminated.

  Once it is terminated, everything associated with the account is permanently deleted - students will lose access to all emails, documents, sites and other resources accessed by the @esmsnyc.net login. NO information associated with these accounts will be preserved or recoverable after it is terminated.

  Parents/Guardians - This week, please help your children take the time to save anything connected to their school email address to external hard drives or outside Gmail accounts. 

  Here are some helpful tutorials for how to save/share any files that they would like to keep. 

  • Download your datahttps://support.google.com/accounts/answer/3024190
  • Copying content from your school account to another account  https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/6386856
  • Make someone else the owner of your file  https://support.google.com/drive/answer/2494892?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform=Desktop

  MS114 (02M114) - East Side Middle School

• Activate Amazon Smile on your Android Phone and Support ESMS

  AmazonSmile is now available in the Amazon Shopping app on your Android phone.  Also available on iPhone.
  
  On Android: Under Settings, choose Amazon Smile and then "Turn on Amazon Smile". 
  
  You are currently supporting: East Side Middle School PTA, New York, NY

  Amazon Smile will donate 0.5% of all your eligible purchases to ESMS.  Remember to keep it active on your phone.   When ordering from your desktop/laptop, be sure to start all your purchases at http://smile.amazon.com

   

  MS114 (02M114) - East Side Middle School

• Tiger Times - Issue #13 (Summer Issue) is hot off the presses!

  
  (New!)
  The Tiger Times (Issue #13)
  ** Summer Issue **
  is hot off the presses!
  Read it HERE
  Prior issues can be found HERE

   

  MS114 (02M114) - East Side Middle School

• Plans for Next Week (from Mr. Getz)

  June 18, 2020

  Dear Friends and Families,

  Some end of the year notes. 

  As we wind down this year, I want to let you know that our last week of school will be non-academic. Homeroom teachers will hold get-togethers for students and teachers to say goodbye to each other for the year.

  Students will be invited to participate in online activities similar to what we did over spring break and the last two Chancellor's days.  

  Attendance still counts for that last week. Students should still sign in.

  And June 26th is officially a half day. 

  I don't know what a "half day" means anymore, but June 26th is one of them. Report cards will be available in your child's NYC Student Account at mystudent.nyc.

  Teachers will spend most of this week planning for the various permutations of school openings this fall: a return to school with social distancing, a hybrid return to school and remote learning and complete remote learning. 

  We will be looking at what we learned from parent surveys, student surveys and our own work to plan for a richly engaging school year that addresses not only our students academic needs, but their health, emotional and social needs. 

  We will also begin our work on anti racism.

  It will be a busy week and a busy summer.

  Graduation

  We are completing our graduation video, which was made by our staff. This will include a speech by this year's student graduation speaker, along with the announcement of the graduation awards. There will also be a segment with the faces of all of our graduates, with their names. 

  We are quite saddened by our inability to have a physical graduation this June. We are planning on holding a reunion for this year's graduates in the spring of 2021. We imagine by then we will be safe from COVID; will be able to hug each other; and we will  celebrate together.  We are making sure we have email contacts for all of our graduating students so we can reach out to them to invite them back. 

  Rosa Morales

  Rosa, our wonderful supervising school aide is retiring. Rosa has worked at ESMS for 13 years and has been an integral part in making our school a warm and nurturing community. We will all miss her. And again, we will plan a party for her as soon as we can have a party.

  Jay Lyons

  COVID-19 also put on hold our tribute for our wonderful humanities teacher, Mr. Lyons, who died earlier this year. We will also postpone that tribute until the spring of next year when it is safe to have a celebration of his life and work at our school. 

  Amanda and I will continue to be around this summer, working with our staff to plan. We will continue to send out information on the upcoming school year.

  And if you haven't already, please fill out our brief end of the year survey. We are using your thoughts and ideas to inform our planning. You can find the survey here: forms.gle/a2iKveM8TGiuDWQy6

  Best,
  David

  MS114 (02M114) - East Side Middle School

• Jun 19, 2020 - Parenting in Support of Black Lives: How to Build a Just Future For Kids (from Mr. Getz)

  Happy Juneteenth! 

  As we begin our work to become an actively anti racist community, it's a pleasure to share this video "Parenting in Support of Black Lives: How to Build a Just Future For Kids (And How Media Can Help)".  

  The link is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTJyC8fO4mI&feature=youtu.be

  I found the talk to be highly informative, provocative and very valuable.

  Best,
  David

  MS114 (02M114) - East Side Middle School

• Return to School Survey for Parents and Students. Please respond now!

  Take the DOE Return to School 2020 Survey!

  The DOE would like family and student feedback regarding the 2020-21 school year, as they explore various options for re-opening school buildings. In order to move forward with our community’s interests and concerns in mind, they would like to incorporate your thoughts as they explore options based on available guidance from public health experts.   More information is online HERE.

  Click HERE to take the Parent/Guardian Survey

  Click HERE to take the Student Survey

  MS114 (02M114) - East Side Middle School

• June 7, 2020 - Student Safety at Marches and Other Public Actions (from Mr. Getz)

  June 7, 2020

  I thought this recent article from the New York Times might be useful to the students and families who are currently participating in public actions, memorials and demonstrations.

  Have a Teenager Joining a Protest? Talk About Safety First

  For teens and young adults who join demonstrations, experts suggest measures that can reduce the potential for harm.

  (If link does not open the article, a text-only PDF is attached HERE.)

   

  MS114 (02M114) - East Side Middle School

• June 3, 20020 - June 4th revised: anti-racism work for students (from Mr. Getz)

  Dear Friends and Families,

  On Thursday, June 4, our students will need to sign in for attendance and they will do assignments that are due the following day. They will be receiving an assignment which leads them through an exploration of the killing of George Floyd and how that killing functions as a lens on racism and its impact on our country. 

  The purpose of the lesson is two-fold. First, we would like to give our students the opportunity to learn more about what has happened and what is happening in our country. Secondly, we would like to help ESMS become more actively engaged in anti-racist education. This killing and these protests have reminded me of all that we have done and how much more we need to do to develop a school identity that is explicitly anti-racist. Similarly, we will be providing students with additional anti-racist lessons on Tuesday, June 9. Those lessons are currently being developed; students should sign in for attendance. I welcome you to participate in these lessons with your children.

  When I speak of anti-racism, I find the following definition useful:

  Anti-racism is the practice of identifying, challenging, and changing the values, structures and behaviors that perpetuate systemic racism. (Ontario Anti-Racism Secretariat)

  Clearly, this is not something we achieve just by offering two student-directed lessons on two days of remote learning. We are committed as a school to being much more purposeful and systematic in our learning and our teaching about racism and in our work to making anti-racism part of our identity as ESMS.

  With that in mind, I welcome your thoughts and ideas, and if you are eager, your involvement. If you are interested in being part of a parent committee to help us work on this, please let me know.

  Best,
  David

  Assignment for June 4: https://forms.gle/AZkJ7rSWNsAhjVoUA. 

  MS114 (02M114) - East Side Middle School

• June 1, 2020 - Letter From Our Teachers and Administration

  June 1, 2020 

  Dear Friends and Family of East Side Middle School,

  Each morning at East Side Middle School, the morning announcements end with a reminder to "Be kind to each other, Roar."  The first statement is a reminder to have empathy, to have compassion, to care.  The second is a mark of our grit, our determination, and the strength of our voice.

  In this moment of great national pain, we as a school can come together behind these two ideas of compassion and strength.  We can use our kindness and compassion to support those in pain and suffering, especially those who are facing violence and injustice.  We can use our voices to break the silence and use our grit to face the discomfort in addressing that violence and injustice.  And we can be determined in our support and allyship of the black community and communities of color who face systemic discrimination and violence, with an aim to form a more just and equal society.

  We grieve the death of George Floyd, and condemn the racism that fuels such targeted harm against our black community members, neighbors, and family members.  We stand together as a community against such racism, against such suffering, and we commit to practicing compassion, kindness, and grace, so that this, plus our determination and grit, will carry us to learn how to fight it better each day.   

  In the coming days, we plan as a community to provide resources and opportunities for students to come together, learn more and discover how we can join to make our world a better place.  We invite your ideas.  You will hear more from us in the coming days about resources and conversations.  

  Kindly, 

  Your Teachers and Administration at East Side Middle School

  MS114 (02M114) - East Side Middle School

• NYC SCHOOL BUILDINGS ARE CLOSED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE ACADEMIC SCHOOL YEAR!

  ===== Update 5-1-2020 ====

  Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that all New York State schools  will stay closed for the remainder of the academic school year.

  ==== UPDATE 4-23-20 ====

  Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on April 16th that schools and nonessential businesses will stay closed through May 15th.

  ==== UPDATE 4-6-20 ====

  Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that all New York State schools and non-essential businesses will remain closed through April 29.

  ===========================================

  NYC Public Schools Closed - Monday, March 16th thru Sunday, April 19th.
  Schools currently targeted for reopening on Monday, April 20th.

  Mayor Bill de Blasio and Schools Chancellor Richard A. Carranza today announced the City will move towards a new Remote Learning Model for all school days until Spring Recess. Students will not report to school buildings for instruction during this time. School buildings are scheduled to reopen to students following Spring Recess on Monday, April 20, 2020. 

  Tomorrow, March 16, there will be a one-day full system closure, however breakfast and lunch will be available at every building through grab-and-go meals. 

  The remainder of the announcement can be found at:

  https://www.schools.nyc.gov/alerts/nyc-public-schools-will-close-starting-monday-march-16-2020

  MS114 (02M114) - East Side Middle School

• ESMS Merchandise Available for Sale Online!

  ESMS Merchandise Available for Sale Online!  
  Temporarily, we have moved sales online.
  You can order at
  https://www.cafepress.com/esmsnyc
  
   
  
  Show us your school spirit, Tigers!

  Questions? Contact PTA@esms.org

  MS114 (02M114) - East Side Middle School

• Census 2020 is Here! Your Participation Matters!

  The Census 2020 count begins this week, and all communities need to get counted!

  The more of us who fill out our Census forms, the more money New York will get for schools, hospitals, roads, bridges, senior centers and more. 

  Please fill out your Census form and encourage your family, friends and colleagues to do so, too. Every person who lives in your home should be counted, including children. Starting on March 12, you can even complete the Census online or over the phone (844-330-2020) in just a few minutes.  The Census does not ask about your immigration or citizenship status, your job or for your Social Security number. Census Bureau employees are sworn to protect confidentiality; violations are a federal crime with severe penalties. 
  
  New York State receives approximately $73 billion every year in funds from federal programs that use Census data. In 2010, New York City had a Census response rate of 61.6%, far below the national average of 74%. The undercount translated into billions of dollars in lost federal funding. Let's all get counted!

  Beth Servetar
  Parent Coordinator
  esms.bethservetar@gmail.com

  MS114 (02M114) - East Side Middle School

• Growing Up NYC After School Programs Database

  Did you know that New York City provides a database of free & low cost after school programs in NYC, searchable by program type, borough, and age.

  For more information, visit - https://growingupnyc.cityofnewyork.us/afterschool/?ages=pre-teen&ages=teen&page=2

  For future reference, this link has been added to our Activities and Opportunities for Students 2019-2020 page on our website under 'After School' on the navigation bar.

  MS114 (02M114) - East Side Middle School

• Free Microsoft Office 365 For Your Family

  The DOE provides free Microsoft 365 ProPlus to students and families. Much of this software has education-specific content that supports our students’ academic improvement. In addition, familiarity with these tools will help prepare students for college and careers. 

  Visit nycstudents.net to download Microsoft Office 365. You will need to enter the student's OSIS number, last name, and date of birth, or the student's username.

   

  MS114 (02M114) - East Side Middle School

• Make Your Amazon Purchases Work For ESMS!

  Amazon will donate 0.5% of the purchase price from your eligible purchases to the ESMS PTA when you shop via  Amazon Smile.  If not signed up, register at the Amazon Smile Page: smile.amazon.com, select:
  East Side Middle School PTA
  Location: New York, NY

  Once selected, start all your Amazon purchases via http://smile.amazon.com

  Thank you for your support!

  MS114 (02M114) - East Side Middle School