Weekly Update from the P.S./I.S. 217 (Roosevelt Island School) PTA

Please join us for our first PTA General Meeting for ALL parents of PS/IS 217! Date: Thursday, September 22nd Time: 5:30 pm - Open House Mingle with Refreshments; 6 - 7pm - Meeting Place: School Library - 2nd floor, towards the back of the school An agenda will be sent out prior to the PTA meeting, however an overview of the meeting is as follows: Updates given by the Principal, PTA President & members of the PTA Executive Board Voting upon two positions that were left with vacancies during the summer months: Vice-President, Public Relations & Events - Nomination for Susan Arcelay Fundraising Officer - Nomination for Ann Roth. How the PTA can work with parents and the school to accomplish goals stated in the PTA Bylaws Financial Report given and 2011-2012 Budget to be voted upon Announcements of upcoming PTA events! Volunteer positions open for sub-committees on the PTA Board Thank you for your support & we look forward to our first meeting together! Summer Lord, PTA President psis217info@gmail.com The 5th grade and Middle School students are participating in a _World's Finest Chocolate Sale _ to help with their Field Trip expenses for this school year. We are asking - and need - support from all P.S./I.S. 217 families for this fundraiser! The students will be selling chocolate bars and candy for $1/each from Monday, Sept. 12th until Wednesday, Sept. 28th. There are 50 bars/candies in each box - a complete box costs $50 for 50 items. A letter & permission form for this fundraiser went home with students on Friday. This form includes a permission slip which MUST be signed by a parent who takes responsibility for the $50 cost of the box, in order for the student to take possession of the candy to start selling. A box will not be issued until a permission form is signed and turned in. The forms can be turned in and candy boxes picked up from Shirley Payne, VP of Middle School Affairs Times: MONDAY - WEDNESDAY this week from 2:50pm - 3:15pm each day in the Art Room (1st floor of the school; back left corner). Also, during Curriculum Night on Thursday (9/15), outside the Auditorium. BONUS! The top 3 sellers will receive a 25.00 dollar Visa Gift Card! The class with the most sales will receive a pizza party! We look forward to school-wide support for this event, which will help provide needed Field Trip funds for these older students. For any questions, please contact Shirley Payne, VP of Middle School Affairs, at paynekidz@gmail. com Thank you to those families who have paid for their School Supply Packets. We appreciate those that have been patient with our Credit Card issues - the new system did arrive this weekend, and therefore we have additional times this next week that we will be at school to accept payment. We will be accepting your payment during any of the following times: CHECK & CREDIT CARDS ONLY! Tuesday - 8:20am - 8:45am AND 2:30 - 3pm (1st floor in the back - across from the cafeteria} Wednesday - 8:20am - 8:45am (same location as above) AND during Curriculum Night - 5:15pm - 7pm (2nd floor/outside the Auditorium) Curriculum Night will be Thursday, Sept. 15 - starting at 5:30pm. Please visit the PTA table to be added to the newsletter list for PTA updates to 217 families. PTA is having a big Tag Sale on Saturday, October 8. This is an opportunity for you to help our school and organize your apartments at the same time. Please donate unwanted itimes (clothes, shoes, books, kitchen supplies, decorations - anything you think might be a treasure for the other person). Donation bins will be placed in the school lobby. Then come on October 8th and have fun shopping for the bargains! Please contact Dawn Price (dawn@dacrib.net) or Natalia Starkova (natalia.n.starkova@gmail.com) if you have any questions. Message from Cari Bak, Parent Liaison I want to extend a warm thank you to all who participated in this past week's coffee hour. I can honestly say, we've never had such a big turn out. If you missed it, don't worry, we will make another one for you next month...keep your eyes peeled for the next date. Coffee hour is such a great time to get in a quick word with your child's classmates' parents, or ask PTA members questions, not to mention get a drink and something to eat before your busy day. I look forward to seeing you all next time, spread the word to anyone who missed out. So for the next coffee hour, if you promise to come, I promise to make more coffee.

Save the Date! Join together with our International Families and Community of PS/IS 217 for a big welcome to the school year with our International Dinner at the School Cafeteria from 6:30pm - 9pm, October 14th. We are looking for families to share their delicious food from their countries! If you are interested in cooking please contact Nikki Leopold at nikkipta@gmail.com. We also are looking for MORE entertainment than last year and ask that you or someone you know from your country display a talent: dancing, singing, an art/craft or something easy to make at the event. Please contact Summer Lord at psis217info@gmail.com to sign-up to share something from your culture. We also will have the Children's Parade and musical number. If you would like your child to participate you MUST sign up via email or in person with Summer Lord by Friday, Sept. 16th.

We hope all our families plan to attend to enjoy a night of wonderful company and food together! For any questions regarding the event, please email psis217info@gmail.com or go to the PTA website (ps217pta.org We want you to know about a wonderful opportunity for families with children ages birth to 5 years. Please share with family and friends.... The NYC Imagination Library is an initiative of the NYC Dept. of Education. The goal is to promote the development of emergent literacy and language skills that are important for every child's success in school by encouraging all NYC parents to read aloud to their children from birth until age five. Just enroll your preschool child (age 0 to 5 yrs) in the NYC Imagination Library and a new, carefully selected, age-appropriate book will be mailed each month in your child's name directly to your home. Books will begin arriving at your home six to eight weeks after your registration form has been received, and will continue every month until your child turns five. You can download the application form from: http://www.nyc.gov/html/nycha/downloads/pdf/NYC_Imagination_Library_application.pdf Have a great week!

©2011 PS/IS 217 PTA | Roosevelt Island School