August 2026

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Dear P.S. 48 Mapleton Families,

I hope you have all had a restful summer. We are so excited to welcome you and your children back to school on September 10, 2026. Our staff has been working hard to prepare the building and planning for learning. Our PS 48 core values are kindness, pride, excellence, and joyful learning. This year we plan to bring these things to life with the theme, “We Can Do Hard Things” by:

• Celebrating our students who work towards independence with grade level tasks
• Supporting our students with tools to advocate for themselves academically, socially, and emotionally
• Supporting all learners with targeted supports in small groups
• Partnering with families to bridge school and home

We need your help in making this a reality and hope you will join us in our classrooms, at parent workshops, for performances, and for various events throughout the year. Below is some important information that will support our community in the first weeks of school.

Start and End Time: Our school day will be 8:10 am- 2:30 pm. (FIAO Compass begins September 16) Children in grades K-5 that would like breakfast can come to school through the main entrance starting at 7:45 to eat before going upstairs to their classrooms. The breakfast program will start on Monday, September 13, 2026. Students that enter the school building after 8:10 will be marked late. They should be in their classrooms no later than 8:15 ready to get their day of learning started. The doors will remain open from 7:45-8:10 so students can enter early even if they are not eating breakfast. K-5 Students will enter in the front of the building and exit from their designated location each day. For the first two days of school only, all students will line up on the school yard for arrival. Dismissal will be in the designated locations below. Starting on September 13, 2026 all students in Kindergarten-5th Grade will enter through the front entrance. Pre-K students will enter through the door on 60th Street closest to the school yard.

Pre-K- The first two days of school will have a later start to support our youngest students’ transition.

• September 10th: Families will meet on the schoolyard by the entrance on 60th Street at 9:00. One adult may come up to the classroom with their student to support them as needed. Children will be dismissed at 2:00 at the same spot.
• September 11th: Families will meet on the schoolyard by the entrance on 60th Street at 8:30. Students will go up to the classroom alone with their teacher. Children will be dismissed at 2:15 in the same spot.

Starting September 13, 2026, Pre-K students will start at 8:10 and be dismissed at the door on 60th Street by the school yard at 2:15 every day. They have breakfast in the classroom together and cannot be dropped off earlier than 8:10.

Kindergarten - The first day of school will be 8:30-2:00 to support their transition. Starting September 11th, they will have a full day from 8:10-2:20. They will arrive and leave from the school yard by the 60th Street entrance. There will be signs and staff available to assist you.

School Supplies- All grades have posted a welcome letter and supply list on our school website www.ps48mapletonschool.org

Open School Night- We will be hosting a Welcome Back to School Night on Monday, September 28, 2026 in person from 4:00-6:30. You will have the opportunity to hear about our new PS 48 Student Pledge and Family Compact, see your child’s classroom, meet their teacher, learn about the expectations for their grade, and get set up for technology. I will also be hosting an information session about school goals and look forward to meeting with as many of you as possible.

PS 48 Cell Phone Policy: Governor Holchel signed a law last year that prohibits Internet enabled devices to be on in school during school hours. Any student who brings a cell phone or smart watch in school will be required to turn it off and lock it up for the school day. All families can reach the school at 718-232-3873 ext 0 if they need to reach their child. A copy of our policy is included in our PS 48 Family Handbook that will be shared on Remind and available on the school website.

Family-School Communication: Our main source of communication will continue to be the Remind App. This App provides translation to support communication with ALL families. You will receive an invitation from your child’s teacher the first week of school. Please accept it so you can receive their class information. You will also receive an invitation from the PS 48 Mapleton account which provides school wide information and direct contact to myself. Our PTA and Parent Coordinator also have accounts. This will be where all communication is sent in addition to the DOE Messenger text messages. We will not be sending home paper copies of notices again this year unless it is time sensitive.

*** Please be mindful that all urgent or time sensitive messages should be given to the main office at 718-232-3783 between the hours of 8:00 am and 2:30 pm. This includes a change in dismissal plans or reporting an absence. Teachers will NOT be able to see and respond to messages when they are with children.***

Some other ways we communicate will be using our school website www.ps48mapletonschool.org, Twitter, and Instagram @mshoganps48.

Lastly, you will be receiving a call from the school on September 8th with important reminders about the first days of school and information about your child’s classroom teacher. Enjoy the rest of the summer break and we look forward to welcoming you on September 10th at 8:10 am on the school yard! Breakfast will start on Monday, September 13, 2026 at 7:45 am.

In Partnership,

Colleen Hogan, Principal

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