Family Newsletter - 5-27-25

• Please see the link below (available in all languages) from DOE. The letter features important information for families regarding the end of the 2024–25 school year, Summer Rising, summer school, summer meals, Public School Athletic League (PSAL) summer programs, and resources to support summer reading.

• What a wonderful time we had last week coming together as a Cav family with Take Your Child to Work Day.  With open arms we welcomed our extended Cav fam to the building. Our SGO reps were so excited to help out with the day’s events. It was beautiful to see everyone come together to celebrate our giant family with their kids. The cutest part about it was to see all of the “mini me” faces between the parents and their kids. ♥ A special shout out to Ms. Napoli, Ms. Cardazone, Ms. Dougherty, Ms. Pappalardo, Mrs. Verdi and Ms. Chris for organizing and managing the day’s events. To Ms. Simoes and Ms. Novini for providing the extra support, and to Mr. Gulino, Ms. Chen, Ms. Singer, and our PE teachers for opening their classrooms with activities and fun to entertain our guests. A very special thank you to Ms. Smith’s son, who donated his time to give the kids something special to do and take home as they all created their own artistic masterpieces. So many of our family visitors helped out with the younger kids, as well as served as teacher assistants in the classroom. All in all, I want to extend my sincerest thanks – again, I continue to beam with pride when I think about the beautiful family we have cultivated here at Cavallaro.
• When you “Google” what is the meaning of cultural diversity, it says, “cultural diversity is about bringing people together from a diverse set of backgrounds and cultures, then creating an environment that not only recognizes the differences between those cultures and backgrounds, but celebrates them. It helps to create a space for people to be authentically themselves.” I believe as a school community we collectively do an incredible job at achieving this goal. I always say, the beauty of who we are is our diversity. Thank you to our IS 281 staff for being the catalysts and motivators for our students, enabling them to feel comfortable and supported in expressing their cultural pride and uniqueness in their own individual traditions and beliefs during this years National Cultural Diversity Day last week.
• Our NIA 281 Dance Team performed at the 19th Annual Dance Parade in Manhattan. Over 500 NIA youth participants proudly joined the NYC Dance Parade to celebrate the joy and power of dance. NIA founder, Mike Bove, joined the NIA supervisors and directors to cheer for the talented participants as they danced up the streets. Our NIA 281 Dance Team performed on the main stage in front of hundreds of people and, as always, did an amazing job. Big shout out to Ms. Rubin for working with our NIA participants and helping them shine like the stars that they are.
• The G.E.M Club recently hosted a charming tea party for its participating members- a celebration of grace, growth, and genuine connection. The event emphasized the importance of tea party traditions and etiquette, encouraging each young lady to savor every sip and moment with intention. Accompanied by light refreshments and elegant decor, the party fostered meaningful dialogue through a fun activity called "Spilling the Tea" - guided conversations using specially curated cue cards promoted self-awareness, confidence, self-love, and self-care, offering a supportive space for open and healthy conversations
• Several 7th and 8th Grade Students enjoyed a day out at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens for a backpacked experience themed, “Plants of the Caribbean and Power of Trees”, where students visited featured plants like Agave, noting how it could be used as a sugar substitute. Students worked in groups completing a scavenger hunt, as they navigate through the fully bloomed garden in light rain
• NIA participants participated in an NIA Leadership Day this week at DYCD headquarters. They spent the day working with the DYCD higher ups, toured City Hall, and participated in career panels, youth challenges, leadership recognition & social media interviews. They even got to meet some of the NYC Council members such as Justin Brannan and Althea Stevens. All our NIA participants received a DYCD certificate for emerging leaders. Our very own student, Ersiana G., received the distinction of “Commissioner of the Day” due to her writing a letter to DYCD about the importance of learning the behind scenes of how after-schools are funded & how important they are to the community.
• This evening, May 27th, is the final performance of Ms. Rubin’s Dance Talent for the year from 5:30-7:30pm. 

• Important Exam Information:
  ThinkCERCA ELA: May 19^th to May 30th
  Final Exams: Social Studies & Science May 19^th to May 30^th 
  iReady EOY Assessment: May 28th
  iReady EOY Assessment: June 2nd
  ELA Field Test (Grade 8 Only): June 3rd
  NYS Biology Regents (Grade 8 select classes): June 10th
  NYS Algebra I Regents (Grade 8 select classes): June 18^th 

Academic Vocabulary Word of the Week: 

5/272025 – Deny, Critical

Spanish: Negar, criticar

Chinese: 否認、批評

Russian: Отрицать, критично

Urdu: انکار کرنا، تنقید کرنا

Social Emotional Focus Week 35:

6th Grade – Confidence: Plan actionable steps to practice confidence; test the character strength of confidence

7th Grade – Forgiveness: Create a unique activity based on the characters; discuss forgiveness in a school setting

8th Grade – Patience: Discuss the importance of patience in academic settings; practice patience in collaborative settings

Ms. Bender’s Quote of the Week:

“Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty.” - John F. Kennedy