(Frequently Asked Questions about P.S. 166)
Please also refer to:
What time does school start in the morning?
Where should my child go in the morning?
Where and when do I pick my child up after school?
Speaking With Your Teacher Or Other Staff
Communicating with your child's teacher
Report Cards/Teacher Conferences
What if I still have questions?
What if I have answers to often asked questions?
The school day times change from year to year. This web page doesn't.
School starts at 8:20am. Doors open at 8:00(?).
To be sure, go to the NYCDOE website and search for calendar.
The current calendar (at least for 2007-8) is HERE.
Breakfast is available in the cafeteria from 8:00(?)-8:30.
Kindergarteners should be taken directly to their classrooms.
First graders meet in the cafeteria, each class at a designated table.
Grades 2-5 meet in the playground, or in the auditorium in rainy/cold weather.
Kindergarteners should be picked up at 2:40 in front of their classrooms.
First graders should be picked up in the Reading Garden on the East side of the building.
Grades 2-3 can be picked up at 2:40 on the main steps on the school.
Grades 4-5 can be picked up at 2:40 near the west gate (closer to Amsterdam Ave).
If your child is being picked up by someone different than normal (including playdates) you must write a note informing your child's teacher.
If you are late for pickup, your child will be sent to the office. Please make every effort to pick up your child on time.
P.S. 166 has a full time school nurse. Please make sure your emergency information card is on file should the school need to contact you because of illness or injury. A child with a fever should be kept home until the fever has been gone for 24 hours. Please call the office if your child is going to be absent because of illness.
If you
have general questions about school policies, schedules, or to report your
child's absence, you can call the school office at 212-678-2829. You can also request
an appointment with your teacher by calling the office. If you have an
educational or other issue regarding your child, please try to resolve it with
your child's teacher first before bringing the problem to the administration.
To communicate with your child's teacher, you can call the office and request a return call, send a note in your child's homework notebook, or post a note on the bulletin board in the office. Teacher conferences, scheduled twice a year, are also a good time to bring up any issues or concerns you may have. During classroom hours teachers are generally not available to speak with parents, though they may be able to call during prep periods.
Report
cards are issued twice a year in kindergarten and three times per year in
grades 1-5. The report card is a document issued by the Department of
Education; the teachers fill it out according to DOE guidelines. Report cards
are given out during parent/teacher conferences in the fall and spring. All
parents should attend these conferences, even though they are only ten minutes
long. If you want to speak further to your child's teacher, you may schedule a
separate appointment. Report cards
are not mailed home. You must pick up
the report card from your child's teacher at the school.
Children in grades K-2 eat a midmorning snack which is usually brought in by parents, on a schedule agreed to by the teacher and parents.
A hot lunch is offered every day in the cafeteria. Currently all children at P.S. 166 are entitled to a free lunch (Universal Meals Program). Peanut butter and
jelly sandwiches are offered as an alternative if a child does not like what's
on the menu. The lunchroom has some rules set by the Department of Education, such as that children may not bring lunch from home and take single items, such as milk or fruit, from the cafeteria. However, any child may take a full lunch consisting of a minimum of three items. Parents have formed a nutrition committee to address food-related concerns.
Parents are invited and encouraged to get involved with the school! Many studies have shown that parental involvement has a direct relationship to a child's performance in school. Start by showing interest in your child's school day. Talk with your child about school and pay attention to her schoolwork.
Talk to your child's teacher about coming to class to share a particular interest or talent, help with a class project, accompany a field trip, or just to read a book out loud.
All parents are encouraged to attend monthly PTA meetings to find out what issues the parents are trying to resolve, improve, or celebrate. Childcare and ample supper are provided at these meetings. All parents should attend Back-To-School Night and Parent-Teacher Conferences. Notices about events will be sent home in your child's backpack. There are also periodic workshops for parents on curriculum and parenting topics.
Join one of the many parent committees, according to your interests and abilities. Committees range from safety to nutrition, from the spring auction to grants. There is also Parent representation on the School Leadership Team, which updates the school's educational plan each year and participates in school governance. P.S. 166 welcomes parent participation and hopes that every parent will get involved.
The PTA
relies on parent financial support for many programs in the school. There is no
set amount for this support—each parent is asked to give according to his or
her ability. Sometimes parents are asked directly for contributions, such as
for classroom funds, classroom assistants, and the annual fund (If possible,
parents especially in the lower grades give about $1700 to classroom assistant/aide funds,
$50 or more to teacher funds for the classroom, and a few hundred to the annual
pledge drive.) The Fall Fest and Spring auction are the two big annual
event-based fundraisers for the school. There is also a fall candy sale (this is the school's primary fund raiser – not PTA).
In the 2006/7 school year the PTA raised about $120,000 to spend on many
programs ranging from teacher grants to classroom supplies to arts program
support to tutoring. Checks to be spent via the PTA should be made out to
Friends of P.S. 166.
All children need to follow a basic dress code
(for example, shorts and skirts no shorter than fingertips, no disruptive
graphics on T-shirts). You can find the detailed dress code at
http://ps166.org/flyer166/dresscode.htm.
All children at P.S. 166 who live a mile or more away from school can receive a student metrocard. (kindergarteners usually do not require a student metrocard as bus transportation is free until a child is six years old), first graders qualify if they live .5 mile away. There is bussing for students who came to the school through 'No Child Left Behind' school choice. To request bus service please contact the school office at the beginning of the school year. Students may not be issued both a metrocard and a school bus seat; they must choose one or the other.
Attendance at school is closely watched at the District and Citywide level. If your child is absent from school, you may receive a recorded message from the Chancellor's office. Attendance also counts on your child's report card.
P.S. 166 offers a wide range of support services for students needing extra help. Barbara LaRocca is the coordinator of school-based support services. Hyacinth Brea is the school guidance counselor. Support services range from physical and occupational therapy to remedial reading, tutoring, and psychological support as well as service referrals. If you feel that your child needs services outside of the classroom please contact your teacher or Barbara LaRocca through the school office. Outside services may also be recommended by a child's teacher.
Get in touch with someone from the PTA or email the contact person at the bottom of this page.
Email the contact person at the bottom of this page to offer what you have for posting here.
Last Updated: 29 Aug 2007 Questions?