August 1, 2017
Greetings PS/IS 191 Riverside Families,
I hope you are enjoying your summer! We are working hard to prepare for the upcoming school year, and we have many exciting things planned for you and your child. We experienced a lot of success this past school year, and I look forward to building on those successes in the year to come. In order to ensure that your child is prepared for September, please read below about some of our policies and expectations. Feel free to reach out with any questions; my door is open to you.
New School Name and Location
We are now officially PS/IS 191 - The Riverside School for Makers and Artists (RSMA). We are excited to take on our new name and move into our brand new state-of-the-art building! Our new address is 300 West 61st Street (on the corner of West End Avenue). We have one main entrance on 61st St right below West End Avenue, which will be used for entry and dismissal for all students. We will move into the new building in mid-late August, so please check our website for updates www.ps191nyc.com. In the meantime our current school building is closed this summer. If you need to reach us please email Parent Coordinator Damaris Carrion at dcarrion@schools.nyc.gov or call her at (347)569-2638. You can reach me, Principal Lauren Keville, at lkevill@schools.nyc.gov.
Summer Packets
Each returning student has a summer packet that is to be completed by the first day of school. Hopefully your child has started this work, and if not please get them started right away to prepare for the upcoming school year. Please have your child read or read to your child for 20-30 minutes every day. This short amount of time spent on reading will prepare your child for the upcoming school year. We want all of our students to be successful, and reading will make that difference!
Supply List(s)
Your child’s teacher has created a supply list so that you have plenty of time to gather your school supplies for September. This list is posted on our information page and was sent home on the last day of school, and is included in this packet.
Cell Phone Policy
Students will have the opportunity to check their cell phone in at the beginning of the day. If a cell phone is out or heard and a staff member confiscates it, it will be returned at the end of the day. However, if the student refuses to turn in the cell phone or argues with the staff member, administration will step in and the phone will be confiscated by administration and will only be returned to the parent or guardian. This policy is in place to ensure that our students are focused on their studies, and not on their cell phones. If your child needs to reach you or you need to reach your child, the school phones must be used.
Uniform Policy
After hearing from multiple stakeholders in the community, we have decided that we are no longer going to require our students to wear a uniform, but we do have guidelines for what is appropriate school attire. Please see below for the dress code policy, which aligns with NYCDOE Chancellor’s Regulations.
Updated Student Dress Code
In order to provide an environment conducive to promoting educational excellence with minimum distractions and disruptions of the learning environment, we expect you and your child’s cooperation in complying with the following dress code. All students, both male and female, are expected to dress appropriately for school and school functions. A student’s dress, grooming, and appearance, including hair style/color, jewelry, make-up and nails, shall:
- Recognize that extremely brief garments such as tube tops, net tops, halter tops, tank tops, spaghetti straps, plunging necklines (front and/or back), clothing that exposes mid-section of the body, mini skirts, and see-through garments are NOT appropriate for school. Ripped clothing (shirts or pants) are not appropriate for school.
- Ensure that all underwear is completely covered by outer garments.
- Include footwear at all times.
- Not include the wearing of hats, hoods, scarves, etc. in the building, except for acceptable documentation of medical or religious purpose.
- Not include items that are vulgar, obscene, and libelous, or denigrate others on account of race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or disability.
- Not promote or endorse the use of alcohol, tobacco, or illegal drugs, and/or encourage other illegal or violent activities.
Students who violate the dress code shall be required to modify their appearance by covering or removing the offending item, or, if necessary or practical, replacing it with an acceptable item. Any student who refuses to cooperate may face disciplinary action in alignment to the NYCDOE Code of Discipline. We ask that you please respect and abide by our dress code.
Entry and Dismissal
**The main entrance/exit is located on 61st street below West End Avenue – 300 West 61st Street.
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Grade Level/Class
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Drop-off Location
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Dismissal Location
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Pre-K
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Main entrance – Parents will escort their child to the classroom
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Main entrance - library
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Kindergarten
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Main entrance – Parents will escort their child to the classroom
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Main entrance - library
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Grades 1-2
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Main entrance - cafe
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Main entrance - library
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Grades 3-5
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Main entrance - cafe
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Main entrance - cafe
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Grades 6-8
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Main entrance - library
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Main entrance – students dismiss on their own
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Breakfast
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Grade Level
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Breakfast Program and Location
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PreK
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Breakfast in the classroom during morning meeting
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Kindergarten
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Breakfast in the classroom during morning meeting
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Grades 1-2
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Breakfast in the cafe
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Grades 3-5
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Breakfast in the cafe
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Grades 6-8
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Breakfast to go
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School Hours
Our school hours are 8:20-2:40, with breakfast starting at 7:45. Our afterschool program ends at 6:00 with pick-up beginning at 5:30. All afterschool programs will be at parent orientation and will be available the first week of school for registration.
Curriculum Night
Please mark your calendars now so that you are able to attend our Curriculum Night, which will be held on Thursday, September 14, 2017 from 5:00pm-7:00pm.
First Day of School
The first day of school is Thursday, September 7th, so we look forward to seeing you then. Thank you for all of your support. As always, my door is open to you, so feel free to reach out with questions or concerns. Enjoy the rest of your summer!
Your child’s teacher will have a big sign on the first day of school so he/she will be easy to locate. All Pre-K and K students will meet their teachers in their respective classroom.
All my best,
Lauren Keville
Principal, PS/IS 191 – The Riverside School for Makers and Artists
