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School Meals 

It is possible for all students to have breakfast and lunch in school every day. A federally funded universal meals programis provided for all students. Meals are provided at no cost to our parents through federal funds. If you choose to send in lunch with your child, please contact the school administrator for protocols. If your child has food allergies, please advise your teacher immediately and indicate it on the blue card.  

 

 

Medication Policy

During school hours, students may have their medication given to themby the school nurse. However, their Medication Administration Record must be filled out and signed by the doctor and parent. All medication must be in appropriate containers and properly labeled by the pharmacy or physician and the dosage schedule. Please make sure that you renew your child’s prescription before it runs out.

 

 

Immunization Requirements 

The New York State Department of Education and the Board of Health requires that documentation be secured proving that all children who come to school are fully immunized. We are required to exclude children that are not immunized and do not have documentation froma physician indicating the reason.

 

 

If your child becomes sick in school… 

The school will contact you immediately. It is your responsibility to come to school and pick up your child. If you are unavailable, the person listed on the emergency blue card will be contacted. 

 

 

To protect your child’s health, don’t send to school if he/she has… 

If Your Child Has: - He/She Must Be Kept out of School:

• Chicken Pox - 6 days after appearance of rash 
• Rubella (German Measles) - Until rash has disappeared 
• Measles - 5 days after appearance of rash 
• Mumps - Until all the swelling of the glands has disappeared 
• Whooping Cough - 14 days after whoop begins 
• Hepatitis - Until temperature has become normal 
• Meningitis - Until temperature has become normal 
• Streptococcal - Sore Throat Until temperature has become normal (including Scarlet Fever)

By keeping him/her home, you are not only helping him/her to get well faster, you are also preventing the illness fromspreading to other members of the class. Let the school know as soon as possible that your child is ill. When your child returns to school, give him/her a note for the teacher/nurse explaining the absence.

Fever 100°C or higher, Ear ache, Infected skin patches, Sore Throat, Swollen glands, Head lice, Unusual spots or rashes, Persistent cough, Upset Stomach, “Pink Eye” (Conjunctivitis), Vomiting or Diarrhea

If you have more questions about medicine/your child’s health during school hours contact the school nurse. 

Our School Nurse –

 

Emergency Blue Cards 

Emergency blue cards are sent home with students during the first week of school. Parents must keep the school informed of any changes in the original information that was entered on the card. When a child becomes ill or injured, it is very important that the school have the current address and phone numbers in order to contact that parent or guardian. 

 

 

Emergency Drills

Fire and shelter drills are held periodically throughout the school year to ensure that our students and staff are familiar with the procedures in case of an emergency. We also have lock down drills.

 

 

Inclement Weather /Storm Day Procedures

In the event of emergency conditions such as weather emergencies or school wide emergencies please tune in to local radio or television stations such as, WINS (1010 AM), NY1 (Cable TV) and Fox 5, to gain information about school closings. Most local television stations have information beginning at 6:30 AM. Or you can check the Department of Education website www.schools.nyc.gov.

 

Parent Communication

In addition to the school website ps48mapletonschool.org, the P.S. 48 staff utilizes 3 main communication platforms: Remind, DOE Messaging, and back packed letters (only when urgent). You can sign up for multiple groups within the Remind APP (examples: Parent Coordinator and teacher/class group.) These platforms are a quick and easy way to communicate with families and staff. These communication applications are a free, safe messaging app that keeps families up to date with what is happening in the school community and in the classroom. Be sure to speak with the Parent Coordinator and your child’s teacher to learn how to join. This year flyers and letters will be sent on Remind and posted on our website. Not everything will be sent home on paper.

Any change in dismissal plans should be communicated with the main office if the school day has already started. Teachers may not see it on Remind if they are teaching and have 24 hours to respond to any Remind messages.

 

Family Engagement

P.S. 48 takes great pride in the quality of its teachers and staff and the level of commitment they offer the students of the school. Setting up a good line of communication between parents and teachers helps make a successful school year. Teachers work cooperatively across grade levels and meet regularly to discuss curriculum and share teaching methods and materials and want parents to be aware of their work as well. Teachers have 55 minutes a week dedicated to Family Engagement time which includes the following at a mutually agreed upon time:

• Meetings with parents or guardians (in person or remote per your request)
• Telephone conversations with parents or guardians
• Written correspondence with parents or guardians

If you have any questions/concerns/suggestions about a school related issue, please go to the contact page:

 

Student Sign In-Out Procedures 

Students not arriving on the school bus must be signed in by their parent or guardian. 

Sometimes it is necessary for a family member to pick up a child at school before dismissal. Please try to let your child’s school know in advance if you are planning to pick him/her up early. Students can only be released to a designated adult, and only with written permission (with signature) from the parent. 

Anyone who picks up a student must be 18 years of age or older and have valid identification. Students arriving late on public transportation should report to the main office for a late pass.

 

Lost or Stolen Student Items – Property Reimbursement forms 

The lost and found area is located in the School Aide’s Office- Room 404D. Please label all items with your child’s first and last name so that lost items may be returned. Please visit the lost and found to look for missing items. Every month, unclaimed items in the lost and found are discarded or donated.

For more information, visit the comptroller website 

 

Birthday/Celebrations

Birthday celebrations for students should be a celebration of the child. We would like the focus to be on the student and getting to know him/her in a more meaningful way on their special day. We all know that birthdays are important to every child and that kids like to celebrate with their classmates. Please reach out to your child’s teacher to make arrangements at least one week in advance.

 

School Attire

Students participate in Physical Education or movement throughout the school year. Please make sure your child is dressed comfortably on these days, and should always wear sneakers. Students go outside for recess, so please ensure students are dressed comfortably and appropriately for the weather.

 

Holidays and Days Off

There are holidays and staff development sessions that are designated by the Department of Education as non-attendance days for the students. Please keep track of these days and mark your calendar in advance. You can always find these dates on the calendar on our website at www.ps48mapletonschool.org or on the New York City Department of Education website http://schools.nyc.gov/Calendar/default.htm

 

School Closing and Weather Information

By 6:00 am on days with severe or unusual weather conditions, the Chancellor will decide to close or delay the opening of New York City public schools. School information will be announced on the following radio stations: WINS (1010 AM), WCBS (880 AM), as well as television- NY1 (Channel 1 on Time Warner Cable). In case of a two hour opening delay, all students who arrive at the two hour delay time will be considered punctual and will not be marked late. On delayed days, regular school buses will run two hours later in the a.m. Regular dismissal time will be the same for that day. Neither individual schools or school districts can independently dismiss students early. Only the Chancellor can make that decision through radio and television announcements. Students will receive remote instruction through Google Classroom during snow days.

 

The Shoolyard

P.S. 48 is a community playground from 6:00 AM to Dusk on Monday through Friday and Sunrise to Dusk on Saturday and Sunday when school is not in session. The FIAO Compass Afterschool Program utilizes the schoolyard for recess and activities from 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm. We ask that families give this space for the students in the program.

Community Playground Agreements

• Use the jungle gym safely.
• Be courteous to our neighborhood and neighbors.
• Throw all garbage in surrounding receptacles
• Pets will remain outside the gates of the schoolyard.
• BALL PLAYING will be paused when school doors are open.
• When playing ball, be mindful of others in the yard.

We need to work together to make P.S. 48 a safe environment for every member of our community

Respect for All

Respect for All provides a safe and inclusive environment in which teaching and learning takes place each day. It provides a positive school culture and climate that promotes respect for diversity among students and between students and staff. It provides all students with a supportive and safe environment in which to grow and thrive both academically and socially. Respect For All Coordinator is Nicole McConnell, Guidance Counselor.

All students should feel safe when in school. Please see the NYC Public Schools’ FAQ document on how to report incidences of bullying here: https://www.schools.nyc.gov/docs/default-source/default-document-library/student-to-student-discrimination-sexual-and-o ther-harassment-intimidation-bullying-faq You can:

● Report it directly to the teacher or call the main office to speak with Ms. Magenta

● File a report online using the link in the FAQ You will be notified of next steps once it is reported and investigated. All reports are confidential. For a full overview of the process, you can refer to Chancellor’s Regulations A-831 and A-832

Promotional Policy

The dedicated staff at PS 48 is deeply involved in furthering their instructional practices and continuing their own learning, which in turn provides a real- life model for our students to do the same. Student learning experiences emphasize literacy, numeracy and higher-order thinking skills. Through the combined efforts of the home, school and community, each child unleashes his/her potential and develops a lifelong love of learning. Together, we empower students to take ownership over their own learning.

In accordance with Chancellor’s Regulation A-501 and the NYCDOE Promotion Implementation Guide, PS 48 has defined benchmarks and multiple measures that students must achieve in order to be promoted to the next grade level. Each measure, and its benchmark, represents the content and skills students need to master, or show sufficient progress towards, in order to be ready for and successful in the next grade. These grade-level benchmarks, established in September of each school-year, will be communicated to students and families to ensure a mutual understanding of what students need to accomplish throughout the year, in order to be ready for the next grade level. The Promotion Policy is designed to ensure that all students in a given grade are held to the same promotion benchmarks and enter the next grade with the same level of readiness.

For promotion purposes, students must evidence mastery of content and readiness for the next grade, by performance at or above the levels indicated. Multiple Measures have been established separate and apart from the “Course Mark” measure, however, Multiple Measures also live inside the “Course Mark” measure.

Grades PreK-2: students must meet the Course Mark (Report Card Grades) measure in Reading, Writing, and Math; if not, then students must make one year’s worth of progress in Reading, Writing and Math.

Grades 3-5: students must meet either the Course Mark (Report Card Grades) measure in Reading, Writing, and Math; if not, then students must make one year’s worth of progress in Reading, Writing, and Math.

• Grades PreK-2: students must meet the Course Mark (Report Card Grades) measure in Reading, Writing, and Math; if not, then students must make one year’s worth of progress in Reading, Writing and Math.
• Grades 3-5: students must meet either the Course Mark (Report Card Grades) measure in Reading, Writing, and Math; if not, then students must make one year’s worth of progress in Reading, Writing, and Math.

Unless otherwise indicated on a student’s IEP, students with disabilities must meet the standard promotional criteria for their grade.

Please note, students at risk of not being promoted for grades PreK-5 are considered in January. Promotion in Doubt letters are generated in February of each school-year and sent to students and families who may be at risk of not meeting the promotion benchmarks for their grade level in their Course Mark. Final Promotion decisions are made the second week of June.

Report Card Grading Policy

District Grading Policy: District 20 collected feedback from various stakeholders this fall to determine a new district-wide grading policy. Grades 2-5 will have numeric averages on their report cards. A score of 65-100 is a Pass Grade and a score of 55-64 is a Fail grade. Kindergarten-5th Grade will receive their grade based on the following category weights:

• Classroom Exams/Quizzes: 45%
• Class Assignments: 25%
• Class Projects: 25%
• Homework: 5%

Cell Phone Policy

PS48 follows the NYCDOE Cell Phone Policy. Along with policy below, P.S. 48 also adds the following rules: Students must secure phones all day in their backpack between the hours of 8:10 AM and 2:30 PM including when using the bathroom, at lunch, recess and during fire drills, unless they have teacher permission.

• If a student turns on their phone at any of the above mentioned times or in any part of the school building without teacher permission, the student will receive a warning for the first offense only.
• If a student turns on the phone a second time, the phone will be confiscated by the teacher and will be returned to the student at the end of the school day.
• If a student turns on their phone during the school day a third time, the student’s phone must be picked up by a parent or guardian.
• If a student turns on their phone a fourth time, the student will no longer be permitted to bring a phone to school and if they must bring their phone, the student must sign it in with administration at the beginning of the day and sign out before leaving for the day, each day.
• PLEASE NOTE THAT PS 48 IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF ANY TECHNOLOGY DEVICES BROUGHT TO SCHOOL. (i.e. cell phones, iPads, nooks, gaming devices, etc.)
• Please also note that P.S. 48 is fortunate enough to have plenty of devices for student learning and a device is not needed during the school day.

Parent/Teacher Meetings and Conferences

Parent/Teacher conferences are ongoing throughout the year with an Open School Night in September and a minimum of two formal dates and virtually unless a parent requests an in person meeting. The dates are November 2, 2023 and March 7, 2024. At these conferences, student achievement and social emotional behaviors will be discussed. Report cards will not yet be available as these dates do not align with the trimester schedule. Teachers will have data from reading and math assessments to discuss. The school will send out an online scheduling tool to sign up for a meeting time. Scheduled times will be either in the afternoon or evening and on Zoom unless it is otherwise requested.

If more time is necessary, parents may contact the teacher for a meeting or telephone conference to discuss a particular issue by sending a note in your child’s backpack or messaging them on Remind. Teachers have 55 minutes of time dedicated to family engagement every week and that time is based on a mutual agreement between the teacher and the family.

Parent Involvement

Along with all the essential components that make a public school successful, it is extremely important to have a motivated and involved parent body. Parent involvement at P.S. 48 is a key to its success.

There are many opportunities for parents to become involved at P.S. 48, such as:

• Contact your child’s teacher via email, Remind or Google Classroom with any questions or concerns you may have. You may also call the main office and leave a message for your child’s teacher.
• PTA – There are many different levels of the PTA in which you can get involved. There are various events, meetings, and activities that are held at different times of the day. There is never anything too small that you can help with!
• Community Planned Events – Watch for community-based events in and around our school neighborhood and join in with your family.
• Mystery Storyteller- Join your child’s class to tell or read a story (in any language).
• Family Fun Day- Families will be invited into their child’s classroom once a month to join in on an activity.