June 2026

Bringing Science to Life

Following an initiative started last year by former PTA co-leader Michelle Magnus, our PTA has continued to support enrichment programming to enhance science education in our K–2 classrooms. In collaboration with the lead teachers in each grade, Ms. Robin, Mrs. Anderson, Mrs. Vega, and Ms. Summer, along with the classroom teachers in their respective grades, discussions centered around what experiences might best supplement the science learning already happening in the classroom.

In March, The Nature Company visited our Kindergarten classrooms, introducing our youngest learners to live animals through song and a puppet show. Students had the opportunity to observe and handle a chinchilla, chicken, turtle, and hermit crab!

In May, our first grade classes visited our community science lab, Urban STEAM Lab, where they explored early second grade concepts, including the different states of matter, how particles behave, and how slime fits into the mix.

Meanwhile, our second grade students built on their classroom learning about plants, animals, and ecosystems through a trip to the Staten Island Zoo. Through the zoo's Nature's Wardrobe program, students deepened their understanding of animal habitats and adaptations by learning how animals use features such as fur, feathers, and scales to survive in their environments, further connecting science to the world around them.

The end of the (fiscal) year is almost here! This is a particularly busy time of year for your treasurers, as we project where we expect to land this year, sift through participatory budgeting responses, and prepare next year’s budget to support your priorities.

We expect to end the 2025-26 year in good financial standing, with almost $55K in the bank – a full $36K more than anticipated in our original budget, and a tribute to the hard work of so many parent volunteers that helped us significantly overachieve our fundraising expectations (especially for Gala).

As a result, we’ll be able to continue to invest in our children and community next year at similar levels to this year – over $200K in expenses, focused on your priority areas of Enrichment, Academic Programs, and school improvements. A few callouts:

Enrichment (+$15K v. prior year), including funding to extend Project-Based Learning to 2nd Grade, for a school-wide Wellness initiative with in-class and afterschool components, and to purchase Book Club novels aligned to reading modules

School Supplies (+$9K), focused on significant infrastructure improvements that would not be funded by the DOE, including cafeteria noise reduction and partial funding of new, safer auditorium risers (with the rest of the $10K cost to be fundraised)

Academic Programs (-$20K): With admin, mutually removed PTA support for iReady; focusing investments on physical materials

More information can be found in the full monthly Treasurers’ report here, with detailed budget materials here.

Thank you to our guest contributors!

Diane Fazzorali: parent of third grader Evelyn
Dina Eski: parent of kindergartner Ryu
Lynette Roggenkamp: parent of fifth graders Clyde, Lexy May, and Lilly Belle
Maia Lynch: parent of third grader Margaret
Monique Elefterakis: parent of fifth grader Anastasios, fourth grader Penelope, and kindergartener Zoey
Tiffany Grant: parent of third grader Raegan and first grader Avery

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