News and Notes: Building Cleared to Re-Open for In-Person, Blended Learning on Monday, January 11th

Dear PS 15 Families,

Before I begin this week’s letter to you all, please know the investigation and building closure process for PS 15 is complete and we are cleared to re-open the building for in-person learning on Monday, January 11, 2021 for students who are enrolled in blended learning.  You will find two letters that accompany this one.  One outlines the guidelines for returning to school after an individual has had a positive test, symptoms or exposure and the other outlines the conclusion of the investigation and the clearance to re-open our building. 

I look forward to seeing cohort A and target cohort students in-person on Monday, January 11th and cohort B and target cohort students on Thursday, January 14th.  All students and staff remain fully remote on Wednesdays.  We ask all families to adhere to the health screening procedures and all New Yorkers are encouraged to participate in regular testing to help control the spread of the virus.  If your family receives a positive covid test result, please notify Ms. Cavanagh immediately.   Finally, the window has opened for public school educators to sign up for the vaccination program, and many of our staff already have appointments.  We are doing all we can to keep our community safe and look forward to the weeks ahead as we begin to see some light at the end of this long, dark tunnel.  

In other news…

Nearly every week it seems we are bombarded with historic events and news that continue to accelerate.  It is important to acknowledge the deep, deep pain the events of this week have caused for many Americans, but particularly black Americans.  To collectively witness the extreme disparity in tactics and force with which insurrectionists were met with compared to the treatment black citizens are met with on a daily basis as well as during Black Lives Matter protests and events, is painful and once again clearly illuminates the injustice and inequity that remains in our country and communities. 

At PS 15, it is our mission to grow informed, responsive, and engaged citizens of the world.  We believe diversity is our strength.  Equity, Justice and Joy are central to our mission.  It is vital we lean in to the discomfort of complicated events and truths in order to ensure our union continues to thrive; the study of civics, our history, and questions and issues of social justice are evermore important in our schools.  PS 15 will launch our next unit of the year next week, and the content is timely.  All grades have developed an informational unit that will explore civics, history and social justice minded themes in concert with this year’s Black Lives Matter at Schools Coalition.  Chancellor Carranza has created a page, Together for Justice, to further offer resources and supports for our children and for families.  I look forward to seeing the learning and thoughtful work our children will engage in and create in the coming weeks.  If you have any questions, concerns, or ideas please never hesitate to reach out to me.  

Finally, I would like to close this on a positive note.  As we pause in the coming weeks to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, it is important to celebrate some of the good in what was a very difficult week for our nation.  Georgia elected its first black senator, Senator Warnock.  Senator Warnock is a pastor at the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Dr. King’s church.  Senator Warnock was Representative John Lewis’ pastor.  Senator Warnock shared in his victory speech this week, “...the 82 year old hands that picked someone else’s cotton, picked her youngest son to be a United States Senator…” referring, of course, to his mother.  

As Dr. King told us, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.”  How fitting that in a week where we witnessed an insurrection driven by divisions fueled by racism, fear and otherness we recognize, regardless of political beliefs and persuasion, the historic election of Senator Warnock.  

We are all in this together, striving for the promise of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, for ALL. I am so thankful to be a part of, and to serve, a school community that recognizes strength in diversity and strives for equity, joy and justice.  

My very best to everyone as we continue to endure together.  Please never hesitate to reach out to me, Ms. Johnson and/or your child’s teacher(s); we are here.

Be well and be safe,

Julie Cavanagh

Interim Acting Principal, PS 15 Patrick F. Daly

Spanish: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Usa2xzEICCNtM49UvuNw9gje4Ur-WYBwinUXTECi768/edit?usp=sharing

Chinese: https://docs.google.com/document/d/14ItslkDLbh6_UhDrrsEfKHx8WZMk1MJgRGOAAiQyAsc/edit?usp=sharing

Arabic: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1z5GF0COHWFRsbhHzJDV_-dTfKO3Rv6wcK-kDeNbnZQA/edit?usp=sharing

"The hope of a secure and livable world lies with disciplined nonconformists who are dedicated to Justice, Peace and Brotherhood."

~ Martin Luther King Jr.