Use this for shopping online with Amazon.com and PS 163 benefits!

The annual P.S. 163 Spring Fair takes place on Saturday, May 18, from 12pm-4pm. Make sure you don’t miss out on the fun! Help make it the best Fair ever!

Sign up to volunteer: VolunteerSpot sign-up

Buy tickets ahead of time: TICKET ORDER FORM Spring Fair 2013

Let your neighbors know about the Fair: ps163 spring fair auction poster 2013 alt color 8.5x11b outline

Plan on bringing in rummage for the 2-day rummage sale: Rummage flyer Spring Fair 2013

The PTA has lots going on at P.S. 163. Don’t miss out on any of the fun! Volunteer and be a part of our team!

Movie Night – Friday, April 26, 6:30pm
Celebrate the last day of statewide tests with a movie night at P.S. 163! Enjoy popcorn and a fun show. All proceeds benefit the gardening efforts at 163. Details to come!

Spring Fair – Saturday, May 18, 12-4pm
The big Kahuna! Enjoy rides, food from the grill, activity tables, bargains at
the rummage sale, and more. The PS163 Spring Fair has it all—and we need
you all to help! Contact: Paul Guido, paulguido216@gmail.com

9th Annual Winetasting Fundraiser for the P.S. 163 Chess Program — Friday, May 31, 7pm
Invitations will be sent by email in late April. Look for yours, and support chess at 163!

Around the World in One Day — Friday, June 7, 10am-2pm
Help our students learn about our world. More details to come!

New Student Orientation — Tuesday, June 11 (tentative date), 9-10:15am
Welcome new students to P.S. 163!

It’s never too late to show some love! Come to our Noche de Amor/Valentine’s Party–rescheduled after the blizzard–Friday, Feb. 15, 6:30-8:30pm.

Tours for the school year commencing in September, 2013, will be held on the following eight Thursdays in January and February, 2013:
January 10, 17, 24, 31
February 7, 14, 21, 28

To register for a tour, please cut and paste the following link
starting Monday, December 10:

http://bpt.me/303792

It is our first time using this system so please be patient!

Please note that you will be visiting classrooms representing all of our programs –general education, gifted and talented, dual language and integrated co-teaching. If you are interested in any of these programs, you should attend one of the January or February tours, as we will not be offering program-specific tours in the spring.

Dear Families of PS 163,

My hope is that this email finds you and your children safe and in good health in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. The damages our city has encountered have been seriously detrimental.

I hope that you are taking all the necessary precautions as you navigate through your day. As the mayor has reiterated, please do not leave your home unless necessary. Rain and wind are still lingering and could present a danger for elements left weakened from the impact of the storm.

My immediate concern is the safety of you and your children, but I also realize the storm may have impacted the homes and personal belongings of some members of the 163 community. Upon our return to school, please keep me informed of any pressing news regarding your situation.

Take care of yourself and please monitor official channels for updates on the reopening of schools.

Best,

Donny Lopez
Principal, I.A.

The Innisbrook catalog sale has begun and runs through October 19! Support arts enrichment and other programs at P.S. 163 by purchasing giftwrap, candy and other items from Innisbrook.

Innisbrook giftwrap is especially nice–the rolls are extra long, with attractive designs, and they don’t rip while you’re wrapping. Many of them are made from recycled paper.

Ask your friends, family and co-workers to place an order, too!

Here’s how to order (it’s EASY!!):

ONLINE ORDERS (shipped to the school):
1. Go to the Innisbrook Web site by clicking here Innisbrook
2. Press EZ
3. Enter our school code–104767 (Friends of PS 163 Inc). You will be asked to create a password and to identify your child’s classroom. In this way, your child earns prize credits for all items purchased.
4. Enter the products you want to buy.
5. Print a receipt that will tally up all your purchases.
6. Send the receipt and a check made payable to Friends of P.S. 163 back to school. Please put your telephone number on the check, thanks!

BY HAND (NOT COMPUTER): Don’t have easy access to a computer? Simply fill out the order worksheet and send it to your child’s teacher with a check for the amount due, made payable to Friends of P.S. 163. Remember to include a phone number! All orders will be shipped to the school.

CREDIT CARD ORDERS (shipped to home): Want to buy by credit card, or do you have family/friends ordering from out of town? Go to www.innisbrook.com and select “Shop the Innisbrook Online Store” on the right side of the page. Your order will NOT ship to the school, and shipping and applicable sales tax will be added (free shipping on orders above $85).

Please click on Admissions to see the DOE calendar of application deadlines and notifications.

The first day of school will be Thursday, September 6, 2012. School begins at 8:40am and ends at 3:00pm.

Sept. 6 will be a half-day (noon pick-up) for kindergartners ONLY.

For information on joining the school “listserv” or Yahoo group and stay in touch with other parents, click here. how to join the listserve (short)

See also the School Supply lists in the pages at left.

Arts at PS 163

PTA fundraising covers the cost of numerous arts residencies at PS 163. During a 10-week residency on the Harlem Renaissance (which was made possible by a grant from Verizon), teach­ing artists from Young Audiences New York taught our second-graders jazz singing and tap dancing. The children learned such songs as “Take the A Train” and all about creative geniuses like Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong. They did such a great job that they were selected to perform at the annual YA benefit at at Cipriani’s restaurant. Watch the video to see our kids in action, and to learn why arts education is so important at our school!

Arts & Learning Flourish through Innovative Leadership at PS 163
An interview with Principal Dr. Virginia Pepe, champion of arts in education.

NDI’s partnership with PS 163 began in 2005 as a full-year program on the 4th grade. Under the leadership of Principal Dr. Virginia Pepe and Assistant Principal Andrea Woodhouse-Spence, NDI has become a central facet of school life.

Read more: http://nationaldance.edublogs.org

Let the PTA know your volunteer interests and sign up to receive occasional news about PS 163. To participate and let us know your interests, click here.

See attached Donation forms (in Spanish) and remember you can donate online by going to: http://ps163pta.org/backup/donate.htm.

Dear P.S. 163 Families,

Do you care about your child’s future? Do you want to MAKE A DIFFERENCE in your child’s education? Do you want to FEEL GOOD?
Make a contribution to the Annual Appeal! Doing so will allow the P.S. 163 PTA to continue to fund great arts programs.

More (English and Spanish) >>>