Past Messages for Families School Year 2023-2024

American Sign Language (video)

Overview

This Family Update provides important information about summer school, Summer Meals, summer athletics programming, opportunities and support for high school students, and resources to support families in continuing to build reading skills all year long.

Summer School

Each May and June, New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) teachers assess students’ progress using multiple measures to determine if they are ready for the next grade level. Families of students who have not yet made sufficient progress will be notified via letter in mid-June.

If your student is in grade 3–8 and is not promoted in June, they will be required to attend summer school. If your student did not receive a Summer Rising seat, then they will attend the academic portion only. Detailed instructions on date and time will be on the letter. At the end of summer school, schools will make a final decision about students’ grade levels for next year. Students in grades K–2 and 9–12 may have the opportunity to attend summer school as well.

For more information, please visit schools.nyc.gov/summerschool.

Summer Meals

When school is out, students can still enjoy free breakfast and lunch through NYC Public Schools! Our 2024 Free Summer Meals Program is available all across New York City, and is totally free for anyone 18 years old or younger. From June 27 through August 30, you can find these meals at select NYC public schools, community pool centers, parks, and libraries. You don’t need to sign up in advance or provide identification to receive these meals. Just head to a Summer Meals location and enjoy a meal. For more information, please visit schools.nyc.gov/summermeals.

All dates, times, locations and menus are subject to change. 

• Dates of Operation: Thursday, June 27–Friday, August 30, 2024
• Breakfast Service Hours: 8–9:15 AM
• Lunch Service Hours: 11 AM–1:15 PM
• There is no service Thursday, July 4, 2024 (Independence Day)

Public Schools Athletic League (PSAL) High School Summer Program

Get ready for summer sports! This summer, NYC high school students can enjoy free athletic training, fitness and conditioning, sports-specific skill development, and recreation activities at select high school sites across the five boroughs. The Public Schools Athletic League (PSAL) High School Summer Sports, Fitness, and Recreation program will run daily Monday to Thursday from 3:00– 6:00 p.m., beginning July 10 and ending on August 13. To provide students choice of sports/activities throughout the summer, there will be two sessions: 

• Session 1: Wednesday, July 10 – Thursday, July 25   
• Session 2: Monday, July 29 – Tuesday, August 13 

This program is open to all NYC students entering grades 9–12 in the fall of 2024. Students do not need to attend school at their chosen school site during the regular school year to participate in a PSAL summer program at that site. Students can find program details and register for the summer 2024 program at psal.org/events-and-standings/summer.aspx beginning June 3. 

Space is limited at the individual sites. Please select only one site and one program for a given SESSION. Once registration has been submitted, the parent or guardian listed will be notified via email if the student is approved for the site and program selected. In the event that the chosen site and program are at capacity, students are encouraged to register for another site/program. 

Summer Learning Opportunities

CUNY College Now

For the 2024 summer semester, CUNY College Now will be offering a mix of online, hybrid, and in-person courses open to NYC public high school students entering grades 11 or 12 in September 2024. Participation is free. For more information, visit k16.cuny.edu/collegenow/summer-programs.

Summer Design Institute

High School students looking for a hands-on learning experience (with opportunity to earn a stipend) are invited to apply for NYCPS’ Summer Design Institute at one of our Career and Technical Education (CTE) sites. These six-week programs offer students the opportunity to work on projects alongside industry partners in fields like Computer Science, Engineering, Media Arts, Advertising and Digital Design, Game Design, and Fashion Design. Students who successfully complete their projects are eligible for stipends. CTE and non-CTE students are welcome. Please view the program flyer in English and translation for more information about each school’s programs and application process: bit.ly/4bX54NV

College and Career Advising

High school students can sign up for College and Career Advising Texts at schools.nyc.gov/choosing-the-right-path to receive text messages each week to help them plan and pursue their future. Texts include links to youth employment opportunities, scholarship information, access to workshops, and deadline reminders. For additional support, College and Career Advising can also connect students with access to free, one-on-one virtual meetings with expert advisors after school and on weekends. Students graduating in 2024 can use College and Career Advising Texts to connect with their College and Career Bridge Coach, a current college student trained to help recent graduates navigate the transition between high school and the next stages in their college and career pathways. Learn more at schools.nyc.gov/choosing-the-right-path.

Summer Reading

Reading is like any skill: it takes practice! Over the summer, reading together can help your child continue to develop their literacy skills and avoid any learning loss that might occur over their time outside of the classroom.

Our Summer Reading Guide—available online at schools.nyc.gov/LiteracyResources—is a great first step on your family’s next reading adventure. It contains tips for reading at home, recommended titles for students in all grade levels, resources where you can find books, and more. In addition to the guide, our Literacy Resources webpage also features at-home activities and other recommended reading lists that will help foster a lifelong love of reading and learning.

This summer, we also encourage you to use our Citywide Digital Library, Sora. Sora is the quickest and easiest way for NYC students to access thousands of e-books and audiobooks in multiple languages. You can log in to Sora using your NYC Public School credentials at soraapp.com/library/nycschools.

American Sign Language (video)

We are writing to inform you that on Monday, April 8, the New York City area will experience a partial solar eclipse beginning around 2:00 p.m. A solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the sun and earth. This casts a shadow that may make the sky dark for the eclipse's duration, as the sun will become approximately 90% covered in NYC during the peak coverage time, around 3:25 p.m. 

While this may overlap with school dismissal times, please know that there will be no changes to dismissal, and after-school programming will remain in effect. Please also be prepared for increased traffic throughout the area and consider using public transit instead of driving during this time.  

If you and your family are planning to view the eclipse, please make sure to do so safely by using proper, specialized eye protection. Regular sunglasses and other filters are not a safe replacement for solar eclipse glasses. Glasses are available at the Brooklyn Public Library, Queens Public Library, and New York Public Library while supplies last. It is recommended to call in advance to ensure supplies are available. Please take precautions, whether inside or out, as looking at the sun without protection can cause loss of the ability to see colors, loss of vision, or even permanent blindness. 

For more information on solar eclipse eye safety, please visit the New York City Department of Health guidance: nyc.gov/site/doh/about/press/pr2024/solar-eclipse-safety-precautions.page. 

American Sign Language (video)

Overview

New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) is looking forward to partnering with the Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) once again for Summer Rising 2024. Summer Rising connects elementary and middle school students to fun, culturally relevant, and hands-on experiences that strengthen their academic, social, and emotional skills. Summer Rising is free, and open to any NYC student currently in kindergarten through grade 8.

Grades K–5:

• The program will run from July 2, 2024 to August 16, 2024, and will run Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Grades 6–8:

• The program will run from July 2, 2024 to August 8, 2024, and will run Monday through Thursday, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Students will be provided with free breakfast and lunch. Programming will include academics led by NYCPS staff and enrichment activities held by DYCD Community Based Organizations (CBOs).

New MySchools Summer Rising Application

The application will open in early March, and close in late March. This year, for the first time, families can apply for Summer Rising online using MySchools, our online directory and application system.

To apply, log in or create a MySchools account at MySchools.nyc using your email address, your child’s 9-digit student ID number, and a MySchools account creation code, which you can get by contacting your child's school. If you have applied using MySchools before, your child will already be added to your account. For general support call 311.

Families can list as many programs as they would like on their application; we recommend families list as many programs as possible to increase the likelihood of being placed in a program of their choice.

This process is not first-come, first-served; all applications will be considered at the same time after the window ends. If families wish, they can make changes to their application at any point within the application window.

Offers will be released in mid-April. Log back into MySchools to view your results.

If you have any questions or need support with the application, please contact your school or email summer@schools.nyc.gov.

Students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and 504 Plans

Students attending 12-month/Extended School Year (ESY) special class or autism programs - Nest or Horizon Programs will receive the program and services recommended on their IEP at an Extended School year (ESY), District 75, or autism programs - Nest or Horizon Summer Program site. Families who wish to participate in IEP program and extended-day CBO-led enrichment through Summer Rising should use the application portal. Summer Rising for grades K–5 runs Monday–Friday until 6:00 p.m., and for grades 6–8 runs until 4:00 p.m. Monday–Thursday. These families will have priority for seats in Summer Rising and will choose from the CBO program(s) operating in connection with their IEP program.

If a family does not want extended day enrichment for their child, and their child will only be participating in Nest or Horizon programming (until 12:00 p.m.), D75 (until 2:30 p.m.), or ESY programming (until 2:00 p.m.), the family should contact their child’s school instead of using the application portal.

Students who require accommodations, such as a paraprofessional or nurse, to participate in Summer Rising will receive them based on their individual needs.

Connect With NYC Schools

To stay up to date with all NYC Public Schools and Summer Rising news, bookmark schools.nyc.gov, and follow us @nycschools and @doechancellor on Twitter/X. You can also find us on Facebook and Instagram at our official @nycschools accounts.

We are writing to make you aware that if you are a parent or guardian of a child who was enrolled in NYC Public Schools (NYCPS) in the 2021-2022 school year, Summer 2022 or Summer 2023, you are eligible for a food benefit card that you may not yet have accessed.

Parents/guardians of children who were enrolled in NYCPS in the 2021-2022 school year, Summer 2022 and Summer 2023 should have received a P-EBT food benefit card. These cards were issued to parents/guardians between May 2023 and December 2023 on a rolling basis.

The Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer Program (P-EBT) is a Federal program to provide food benefits to children who miss the opportunity to receive school meals due to pandemic-related school closures. These benefits take the form of funds on electronic benefit transfer (EBT cards) which can be used in the same manner as SNAP (food stamp) cards. While this is not a NYCPS program, we wanted to make you aware, as all children enrolled in NYCPS schools in those time periods are eligible.

At this time, many parents/guardians have not yet utilized these benefits, with millions of dollars currently unspent. These dollars can still be spent on food, and the first of these benefits may be expiring soon. Parents/guardians should call the benefits helpline (listed on the back of this letter) to determine their outstanding balance.

Benefits were automatically issued to families of all eligible students. For students whose households receive SNAP, Temporary Assistance, or Medicaid benefits, P-EBT benefits were loaded to those household accounts. For all other students, new cards have been issued to each student specifically for P-EBT benefits and mailed directly to students’ home addresses. Benefits were issued between May 2023 and December 2023 on a rolling basis.

If you have received the card, but do not know how to use it, please see more detailed directions on the back of this letter. If you did not receive a card but were a parent of a NYCPS student at those times, or lost your card and need to order a replacement card, please also follow the directions on the back.

This is not a NYCPS initiative, so if you have more questions, please utilize the resources below to find more information.

The following resources are available to you for additional support:

P-EBT Food Benefits Helpline

If a family has questions, they may call the P-EBT food benefits Helpline at 1-833-452-0096.

To order a replacement card

Families can order a replacement P-EBT Food Benefit card by calling 1-888-328-6399.

Do P-EBT food benefits expire?

P-EBT food benefits will remain available and accessible on your EBT or P-EBT Food Benefit card for 274 days from the date they were issued.

You can check your family’s P-EBT food benefit balance by visiting connectebt.com or by calling 1-888-328-6399.

For more information on the program

Please visit bit.ly/P-EBTfood

American Sign Language (video)

This Family Update provides important information about the 2023–24 school year calendar, admissions and enrollment deadlines, parent-teacher conferences, and how to get the latest news from New York City Public Schools.

School Year 2023–24 Calendar

Welcome to the new school year! You can view and download printable files of the calendar for the full 2023–24 school year in multiple languages and see important upcoming dates such as parent-teacher conferences and days when schools may be closed at schools.nyc.gov/calendar. Please note:

• On days when school buildings are closed due to severe weather or other emergency conditions, all students and families should plan to participate in remote learning.
• Under New York State law, public holidays (also referred to as legal or federal holidays) that fall on a Saturday are not observed on a weekday; where such holidays fall on a Sunday, they will be observed on the following Monday. Per New York City Public Schools’ policy, when non-public holidays fall on a weekend, schools remain open on the weekdays immediately preceding or following that holiday.

The following are non-public holidays observed by NYC Public Schools: Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Election Day, Diwali, the day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve, Lunar New Year, Good Friday, Eid al-Fitr, Passover (first two days), and Eid al-Adha.

This year, schools will remain open on the weekdays immediately preceding or following the non-public holidays noted, which fall on weekends during the 2023–24 school year: Rosh Hashanah (September 16–17), Veteran’s Day (November 11), Diwali (November 12), and Lunar New Year (February 10).

Please reach out to your school with any questions about the school calendar. To assist with future planning, calendars for the 2024–25 and 2025–26 school years are also available on our website.

Fall 2024 Admissions

Great news: the opening dates and deadlines for 3-K, Pre-K, Kindergarten, Gifted and Talented (G&T) programs, middle school, and high school (including Specialized High Schools) for fall 2024 admissions have already been announced! Here are resources to help you throughout your child’s application process:

• Learn about key admissions dates and more at schools.nyc.gov/enrollment. Each admissions process page includes the 2024 NYC Public Schools Admissions Guide and a video series to walk you through various stages of the application process. The guide is available in 10 languages at schools, early childhood programs, libraries, and other sites, and can also be downloaded from our website.
• Read the NYC Guide to the SHSAT for 2024 Admissions, which provides an overview of how to prepare for the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT) and includes practice tests. The guide is available in 10 languages and can be viewed at schools.nyc.gov/SHS under “Documents.”
• Explore schools and programs on MySchools.nyc, and attend open houses and information sessions to become familiar with your child’s options. You can find in-person and virtual events listed in the MySchools events calendar at MySchools.nyc/calendar.
• Sign up to receive the latest updates and reminders by email at schools.nyc.gov/SignUp.

Admissions dates in 2023:

• Tuesday, October 3, 2023: High School Application & SHSAT Registration Opens
• Wednesday, October 11, 2023: Middle School Application Opens
• Friday, October 27, 2023: SHSAT Registration Closes
• Friday, November 10, 2023: Deadline to register to test for Mark Twain I.S. 239 (21K239) and District 21 Talent Tests for Middle School
• Friday, December 1, 2023: High School Application Closes
• Friday, December 8, 2023: Middle School Application Closes

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Parent-teacher conferences (PTCs) are a great opportunity to speak directly with teachers about your child’s academic and social-emotional development and how you can support their growth outside the classroom. PTCs will be conducted remotely throughout the 2023–24 school year, though they can occur in-person upon request. Translation and interpretation services are also available—please let your child’s school know if you need services.

Upcoming PTCs:

• Thursday, November 2: Afternoon and Evening conferences for elementary schools.
• Thursday, November 9: Afternoon and evening conferences for middle schools and D-75 schools.
• Thursday, November 16: Evening PTCs for high school students, K–12, and 6–12 schools.
• Friday, November 17: Afternoon PTCs for high schools, K–12, and 6–12 schools.

To prepare for your PTC, ask your child some questions about their school experiences so that you can have a more informed discussion with their teachers. Here are some suggestions:

• How do you feel about school now? Do you have any questions or concerns that you’d like to talk to your teachers about?
• What are your favorite subjects in school right now? What’s your least favorite?
• What do you think about your teacher? Do you feel supported and welcome in your classroom?

For more PTC guidance, please visit schools.nyc.gov/ptc.

Stay Connected

We have an exciting school year ahead of us, and you won’t want to miss any information about what’s happening in NYC Public Schools. To make sure that we can reach you, be sure to update your contact information in your NYC Schools Account (NYCSA) online at schoolsaccount.nyc, or complete the emergency contact form provided by your school. Learn how to sign up for NYCSA at schools.nyc.gov/nycsa.

This year families and students can access information they need more conveniently than ever, thanks to our new NYCSA and mobile TeachHub applications! 

NYCSA Mobile Application: Parents/guardians who have an active NYCSA account can access their child’s grades, assignments, and attendance using the NYCSA mobile application, which can be downloaded on iOS and Android devices. Learn more at schools.nyc.gov/nycsamobile. 

TeachHub Mobile Application: Students can now use the TeachHub mobile application for iOS and Android devices to easily track their grades, assignments, schedule, and attendance information. Learn more about the app at schools.nyc.gov/teachhubmobile. Students must sign into the application with their NYCStudents.net username and password—to learn more about student accounts, visit schools.nyc.gov/studentaccounts.

To stay up to date with all NYC Public Schools news, bookmark schools.nyc.gov, and follow us @nycschools and @doechancellor on Twitter/X. You can also find us on Facebook and Instagram at our official @nycschools accounts.

This letter is also available in Simplified Chinese.

We hope this letter finds you well. With the 2023-2024 school year underway, we want to remind you that we are now in respiratory virus season. We are writing to encourage you to take steps to protect yourself, your children and your families from respiratory viruses, including COVID-19, flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). To learn more about these respiratory viruses, see on.nyc.gov/covid-flu-rsv-faq (available in multiple languages at nyc.gov/health/coronavirus under “Additional Resources”).

Here are some tips you, your children and your family can follow to stay healthy during this time:

• Stay up to date on all vaccines.
  • Vaccines are the best way to protect you, your children and your families from getting sick and spreading illness to others.
  • Many vaccines are required to attend school. To find out what vaccinations your child needs, contact your child’s health care provider. Your child may be sent home from school if they do not have required vaccinations. For more information on vaccinations required for school, visit schools.nyc.gov/school-life/health-and-wellness/immunizations.
  • Updated COVID-19 and flu vaccines are now available in New York City (NYC). The COVID-19 vaccines have been updated for the 2023-2024 season and are designed to protect against current COVID-19 variants. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone ages 6 months and older get both an updated COVID-19 vaccine and the flu vaccine, even if they have been vaccinated or had these viruses before.
    • Check with your provider to see if they offer vaccination. To find a site that offers the COVID-19 or flu vaccine, visit vaccinefinder.nyc.gov. For vaccination assistance, call 212-COVID-19 (212-268-4319).
  • Check with your provider to see if they offer vaccination. To find a site that offers the COVID-19 or flu vaccine, visit vaccinefinder.nyc.gov. For vaccination assistance, call 212-COVID-19 (212-268-4319).

• Stay home when sick.
  • Rest can help you and your child feel better sooner and prevent the spread of germs.
  • If children have a fever, they should stay home until they are fever-free for at least 24 hours or their provider says it is OK to go back to school.
  • If you or your child has fever or other COVID-19 or flu symptoms, get tested and follow your provider’s advice about staying home and away from others. COVID-19 at-home test kits are available at schools for those who need them.
    • If you or your child test positive for COVID-19, call your provider to ask about treatment.
    • People with COVID-19 should stay home and away from others (isolate) for at least five days (Day 1 is the day after symptoms began or, if the person has no symptoms, the day after their positive test date).
    • If symptoms are improving and no fever is present after five days, most children can return to school but should wear a mask until 10 days after their symptoms began (or test date, if no symptoms). People can stop wearing a mask sooner if they have two negative tests at least 48 hours apart. For more detailed guidance, visit cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/isolation.html.

• Wear a mask.
  • Wear a mask after leaving isolation due to COVID-19 (see “Stay home when sick” on the first page).
  • Wear a mask for 10 days after being exposed to someone with COVID-19.
  • Consider wearing a high-quality mask in crowded indoor settings, especially if you or your child has a medical condition that increases your risk for severe COVID-19 or if around others who are at increased risk.
  • The above aligns with CDC guidance. For more information about masks, visit cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/about-face-coverings.html.

• Cover your cough and sneezes.

  • Encourage your child to use a tissue to cover coughs and sneezes or sneeze and cough into their sleeve (not their hands).

• Wash your hands.
  • Washing hands often with soap and water helps prevent the spread of germs.
  • If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer.
  • Always wash your hands before meeting small children, touching food and eating, and after meeting small children using the bathroom, helping children use the toilet, wiping your or your child’s nose, coughing, sneezing, and changing a diaper.

Our students’ health and safety are very important to us, and we will continue to update families on any guidance developed by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. We wish all our families a happy and healthy fall and winter.

American Sign Language (video)

I’m thrilled to welcome you to the 2023-24 school year! Thank you for choosing New York City Public Schools. I hope you all are returning from the summer break refreshed and ready to jump into an exciting new year of learning.

For me, nothing compares to September and the first exhilarating week of classes—when I get to visit schools throughout the five boroughs, meet parents, and welcome students and teachers back. When I get to see the hope and promise in children's faces and feel that familiar nervous energy that charges the air with electricity. When I get to watch students tap into their curiosity and creativity, and experience awesome “aha” moments as they challenge themselves academically. When I get to see children’s brilliance and unique abilities, knowing that their families and teachers will inspire them to reach even greater heights with each passing day.

To ensure we set up our students for success, this September I am doubling down on our mission: to offer every child a bright start...and a clear pathway to a bold future. This means a year full of strong academics, enriching sports and arts programs, healthy and delicious school meals, safe, inclusive classrooms, and so much more.

NYC Reads, our groundbreaking initiative to ensure that all students are proficient readers, continues to lead the charge. This initiative features new, evidence-based curricula rooted in the “science of reading” and supplemented with phonics—the proven method for teaching children to be confident readers. Literacy truly is the foundation for all learning and is essential to clearing a path to our students’ bold futures.

Whether that future includes college, technical training, or an apprenticeship, we will make sure that all students graduate with a plan to achieve long-term economic security—and equipped with the tools, resources, and support they need to unlock their full potential and open every door of opportunity.

You can find important information and updates about academic policies, health and safety protocols, and more at schools.nyc.gov/bts2023. To download a printable Back to School checklist, please visit schools.nyc.gov/btschecklist.

September is just the beginning of what I know will be a truly exceptional school year. Thank you for your partnership. Thank you for entrusting your children’s education to us. I’m so excited about all the great things we’ll accomplish together this year!

Dear Families:

We are writing to inform you of a possible disruption in yellow bus service this fall. This may impact your child’s transportation to school if your child uses yellow bus service to get to school. In the event of a strike, our top priority remains ensuring that every student, especially our most vulnerable, can continue attending their schools without interruption.

This possible strike is due to a labor dispute between bus companies that provide yellow bus service to our schools and a union that represents bus drivers and attendants, and could impact as many as half of our bus routes. NYC Public Schools and the Mayor's Office are monitoring the situation closely and working with our partners across the city to support a resolution, with the goal of avoiding the substantial impact a strike would have on our students and families. However, since such a strike is a possibility, we want you to be aware and informed. Please review the information below and continue to visit our website — schools.nyc.gov/transportation — to ensure that you are aware of the latest developments and resources available.

• NYC Public Schools Online Resources: Bus service interruption resources for families will be available on our website at schools.nyc.gov/transportation. Here you will find information on emergency MetroCards, transportation alternatives for students and families, attendance procedures for your child, and other assistance available until yellow bus service fully resumes. Please visit this page frequently as we will be updating it with the latest information.
• Updates on Social Media: We will also be sharing updates through our social media accounts (@NYCSchools on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram).
• Additional information: You can also call our transportation call center at 718-392-8855, email us at transportation@schools.nyc.gov, or call 311 at any time for information and the latest updates on yellow bus service.
• Notifications in the Event of a Strike: If a strike does occur and your child will be impacted, you will receive an automated call, email, and text message from us, as well as a second set of notifications on the first morning of interrupted bus service. Notifications will go to the contact information provided to us by your school, so it is important to ensure your contact information is up-to-date with your school and on your NYC Schools Account (learn more at sschools.nyc.gov/NYCSA). Once bus service resumes, you will receive automated notifications again to inform you of this update.
• Alternative Transportation in the Event of a Strike: NYC Public Schools is actively working to arrange alternative transportation for impacted families. All families impacted by the strike will have the option of an emergency MetroCard for both the student and a caregiver. In addition, NYC Public Schools will provide pre-paid rideshare and offer reimbursement to Students with Disabilities who have transportation recommended on an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 Accommodation Plan (504); Students in Temporary Housing or Foster Care who receive yellow bus service; and Students with an approved transportation exception, as defined on our as defined on our exceptions to transportation eligibility web page. We will provide additional information in the coming days. In the event of a strike, your school’s transportation coordinator will work with you to evaluate the needs of your child so that your family can make the best possible arrangements for transportation to and from school during this service interruption.