Principal's Corner

Dear P.S. 131 Families,

Welcome to the 2022-2023 school year! I am thrilled to be welcoming your children back to school! This year we recommit to a balanced approach of academic rigor and social emotional wellness. It is our core belief, that when we teach to the whole child, we ensure our students grow to be productive, confident, and compassionate members of a global society.

Our curriculum fosters critical thinking and collaboration across content areas. Through the school-wide implementation of Scholastic Literacy, students are immersed in high-interest, thematic units while targeting standards-based reading and writing skills. Using Zearn, students build deep understanding of mathematical concepts and flexible problem solving skills. We work diligently to meet the diverse needs of our students through small group instruction and meaningful, timely feedback to help students work towards academic mastery.

Students engage in school-wide mindfulness moments throughout the day in which they participate in social emotional learning (SEL) activities from Empowering Education, a research-based SEL curriculum. This deliberate work instills tools for self-regulation and emotional wellness that will carry on through lessons by our counselor, teachers and staff. Practices such as naming emotions, communicating needs, self-advocacy and breathing exercises help students have ownership over their responses to their emotions. Additional resources such as music therapy, sensory room, and lunch bunch compliment this work.

Tiered academic and emotional support is available to students across all grade levels. We use a team approach to learning the personal narratives of each student while working in partnership with their respective families to determine how best to meet the needs of our students.

To stay informed of all that is taking place at P.S 131, please visit our website on a regular basis for current news and upcoming events. If you have not done so already, please be sure to sign up for our communication program Operoo. You will receive all messages from our school via email and text.

My door is always open. Please feel free to call or email me to discuss any concerns you might have throughout the school year. I look forward to working with you and helping each student at P.S. 131 meet his or her goals and have a successful school year! I look forward to an amazing year!

Sincerely,

Ms. Tina Hatzimichalis