Kindergarten Registration Support, Thursday, 1/21

Kindergarten registration is open for all children born in the year 2016. The Kindergarten registration period closes on Friday, January 22, 2021. PS 503 will be offering assistance tomorrow, Thursday, January 21 to our families. Our Parent Coordinator Team will be available to assist you with any questions or concerns regarding the online Kindergarten Application Process. The assistance will be available in Spanish, Chinese & Arabic.

The information to join the meeting is as follows:
Time: 9:30-10:30am
Zoom meeting
Meeting ID: 926 3971 1463
Passcode: 123456

Please feel free to contact us at 1-646-476-1633 (Tilcia) and (Betty) 718-439-5962 with any questions or to schedule an appointment at a different time. You can also email info@ps503online.org.

Middle School Admissions Workshop for Families, Thursday, 1/21, 6pm

PS 503 will be having a Middle School Workshop for 5th Grade families on Thursday, January 21, at 6pm via Zoom. At this meeting, you will learn about the application and admission process for 2021-2022 as well as learn about how we can provide you technical support. We hope to see you there!

Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/95748239812?pwd=YU55MXAxcWxubzB3QnoyaTIwRlY1UT09
Meeting ID: 957 4823 9812
Passcode: 4357m2

School Building REOPENING Monday 1/25

At this time we would like to inform you that the Situation Room / Department of Education has determined that PS 503 will remain closed through January 23. Although not being in person with students and teachers is a difficult reality, the Situation Room makes this decision to ensure the health and safety of the community.

As school reopens on Monday, January 25, we will welcome Week A Cohort 1 blended learning students for in-person instruction.

We would like to remind you that Monday, January 18 is Martin Luther King Jr. Day and a holiday. There is no remote learning on Monday. Students resume remote learning on Tuesday, January 19.

Please see the letter from the NYC DOE explaining our Building Closure.

Blended Learning January 2020 Calendar

Wondering what day your child has in-person learning? Please refer to the January Calendar for your child’s cohort schedule for in person as well as remote blended learning.

If you have any questions or need support, you can also email us at info@ps503online.org or call the school at 718-439-5962.

COVID Testing Consent Forms

Blended Learning students are required to have one of the following forms on file:

There is no change for students who are in 100% remote learning. Remote Learning students will continue with their Zoom schedule and Google Classroom.

If you have any questions, please email info@ps503online.org.

PTA Meeting Updates

Thank you staff and families who joined the PTA meeting on Wednesday, December 16th. Please review the slides below for the content that was discussed.

PTA Elections

Thank you to all the families who attended the PTA meeting last night! We have elected new officers to the PTA Executive Board. The officers are as follows:

President- Ana Maria Aguilar
Vice President- Crystal Rosario
Secretary- Jenny Santin & Jasmine Franco
Treasurer- Tracy Lin & Shirley Lin

Congratulations to them and we look forward to working with them to support our families! To contact the PTA Executive Board, please email ptaexecutiveboard@ps503online.org.

COVID Testing In Schools Video

In school COVID-19 testing has begun for staff and students. The testing consent forms have been sent home to all students in blended learning. Please watch this in-school COVID-19 testing video below if you would like to see exactly how the testing procedure will go. You will be notified on the day of testing if your child has been selected for random testing. Your child will not be tested without parental consent. Testing is recommended but not required.

Please email info@ps503online.org if you have any questions or concerns and we will respond within 2 business days.

Requesting a Learning Device from the DOE

If your child is in need of a device for remote learning, please complete this DOE Remote Learning Device Request form to request a device and access to internet, if needed.

PS 503 has devices available for students who are in need. Upon completion of the DOE Remote Learning Device Request Form, we will be in contact with you soon to support with device distribution.

PS 503 School Forms

If you have not yet completed school forms for your child, please complete the following forms below:

Emergency Contact Card
Emergency Pick up Form
Photo Consent Form
Walk Home Alone Permission Form (OPTIONAL – only if you want your child to have permission to walk home alone from school)

DOE Health Screening Form

As we discussed at the meeting, each family whose children are in Blended Learning must complete the DOE Health Screening for their children prior to coming into the school building EVERY TIME. Children will not be permitted to enter the building without a completed Health Screening.

To support families with this online tool, here are some videos that show how to complete the DOE Health Screening Form:

DOE Learning Preference Form for 100% Remote Learning

If you would like your child to learn 100% remotely, you can complete the DOE Learning Preference Form at any time to sign up for 100% remote learning. Please email us at info@ps503online.org with any questions.

iPad Update for Internet

Your child may be experiencing difficulty with the internet on their DOE iPad. In order to improve security on iPads, the DOE has installed a new App called Zscaler. You need to click on the App to install it. Students need to be signed in with their NYC DOE Student email when they do so. The internet will not work until you have done this.

In order to obtain your NYC DOE Student email you will need your child’s ID number (OSIS). This can be found on your child’s report card next to their name. Please go to the Student account self service to set up your child’s account using your child’s ID number (OSIS) and date of birth. You can go to Steps for Creating NYC Student Accounts for additional instructions.

Please see the DOE’s iPad Update August 13, 2020 Message to Families for more information about preparing your child’s iPad for learning in September. If you need additional support please email info@ps503online.org and someone will respond to you within 2 business days.

Equity in Education

Please read this June 25, 2020 Letter to Families about how PS 503 has been working to promote equity and enrich our culturally relevant curriculum.

For more information visit: https://www.schools.nyc.gov/coronavirus

PS 503: The School of Discovery and Exploration is safe place where all members of our diverse community learn side by side with one another. Habits of mind are taught, practiced, valued, and infused into our culture. It is our mission to welcome and celebrate all peoples and to nurture them to be more reflective, cooperative, and kindhearted.
It is our expectation that all P.S. 503 members: staff, families, and students, will grow academically and gain the skills to help solve social, environmental, economic, and political world problems.

Statement on Accessibility: We are working to make this website easier to access for people with disabilities, and will follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0. If you need assistance with a particular page or document on our current site, please contact amartelli@ps503online.org to request assistance.

Respect for All (RFA) Liaison: Yesen Jimenez