Family Corner

2022-2023 PS 398Q Family Handbook   

Mission: The mission of P.S. 398 Queens is to partner with parents and the members in our community to prepare our diverse population of students to become lifelong learners in a nurturing, and safe environment with high expectations developing independent, responsible, confident, and compassionate citizens in today's global society.

Vision: At P.S. 398 Queens, our students learn in a nurturing environment to develop their own academic and artistic abilities. Our students respect diversity and understand that they each have strengths that empower them to strive in the real world and achieve life goals. Students take intellectual risks through a project-based approach to learning that encourages students to think critically, develop creatively and collaborate daily. Students make connections between everyday classroom experiences that prepare them to be successful in the ever-changing world of the 21st century.

Core Values and Beliefs: At P.S. 398Q we believe every child can L.E.A.R.N.  Our school is an inclusive place where children feel safe and are nurtured into their highest potential.  We believe that P.S. 398Q students gain the exceptional skills that "stand out" and are desirable in successful, confident and independent young adults.

School Contact Information

District 30 Contact Information

School Policies and Procedures: 

Window of Security

Arrival: For security reasons, no parents will be allowed into the building prior to 8:20 am. Once doors close at 8:30 AM and the school day begins, to visit the Main Office, please enter the building through the Main Entrance on 34th Avenue after 8:40 AM 

3K & Pre K Arrival Procedures: Enter through the Main Entrance.  Doors open at 8:30am for parents. Paraprofessionals will escort students to their classrooms.  Please do not arrive before 8:30am and follow 3K & PreK entrance signs.  Please see email for first 2 days procedures.

Kindergarten-3rd Grade Arrival Procedures: Doors open at 7:50am for early arrivals for hot breakfast. Students may enter the building through aisle A.  Doors close at 8:00am. Morning line up for students K-3 begins at 8:10am on 34th Avenue. Please line up according to class labels on the trees and  ground.  Doors open at 8:15am. Instruction begins promptly at 8:20am. 

**Late Arrivals: Please arrive to school on time each day. Students who arrive late are to be escorted by a parent or designee to the front safety desk. The student will be signed into the late book and escorted to their classroom by a school staff personnel.

Dismissal: Again, for security reasons, no parents will be allowed into the building before 2:40 PM. If you need to pick up your child earlier than regular dismissal time, please send a written note or a ClassDojo message  to your child's classroom teacher or call the Main Office.  We ask that you pick up your child before 2:30 PM so that you do not disrupt regular dismissal procedures. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter. 

All Grades: Students will be dismissed from their classrooms by their teacher to their morning line up spots at 2:40 pm .  Parents will wait on 34th Avenue.  Students staying for afterschool programs will be taken to their after school program classroom by their paraprofessional by 2:40 pm. Students that are not picked up by 2:40 pm will remain in the Main Entrance. After 2:40 PM parents/guardians must sign at the security desk, to pick their child.

Inclement Weather (Snow Days): In the case of inclement weather, the Mayor will announce whether schools will be open or not. The Department of Education will post this information on their website home page www.schools.nyc.gov, and on the following Twitter handle: @nycmayorsoffice. 

Zoning: Families living within our school zone are given priority during registration. 

Attendance: How do students do well in school? They go every day! Students may miss school for illness, emergencies, or for religious reasons, but we want to see every student in school every day!

If a student is absent from class, parents/guardians should do one of the following within two days of returning to school:  bring a note to the attendance office from a parent or doctor stating the date(s) of the absence and the reason(s) for the absence OR call the main office and give the date(s) of the absence and the reason(s) for the absence. We will excuse absences when a student misses school for religious, medical or emergency reasons, but the excused absences are a legal part of the student's record. Excused absences will not count against a student for school awards or participation in school activities.

• Families do not plan vacations when school is not in session.
• Families make sure your phone numbers on Blue Cards are correct.

Does your student miss school because of health issues?

• The school nurse may be able to help. Speak with him/her to see if a 504 accommodation can help. 
• Also, The Medical Administration Form allows the school to administer medication if your student needs it.
• There are mental health services for students with emotional or behavior issues

There is Home or Hospital Instruction for students who cannot attend school because of a medical or physical condition, or emotional or psychological disability.

Bell Schedule

Uniform Policy:  We are a uniform school with "choice".  What that means is that students choose their color polo shirt. The idea is that students get to choose the color top they will wear every day that represents our core beliefs. Our school colors are in our logo: Red (LEAD), Yellow (EMPOWER), Blue (ACHIEVE), Green (RESPECT), and Purple (NURTURE). 

Uniform (your choice of):

• Any color polo or t-shirt (from the colors above: L.E.A.R.N.)
• Black skirt (but must wear leggings or tights under)
• Black pants
• Black sweatpants
• Black skooters
• (OPTIONAL) – Logo applications that are sold separately
• Students are strongly encouraged to wear sneakers daily or rubber soles.

Not Permitted:

• Flip flops 
• Open toed shoes 
• High heeled shoes 
• Shorts above the knee

Device Policy

• Cell phones are not allowed to be used during instructional time. 
• Students will be responsible for keeping their cell phone on silent during the school day and out of sight.

Birthdays: We welcome families to celebrate their child’s birthday in their classroom. However, teachers and school staff must be notified at least one week in advance, so as not to interfere with instructional time. Please keep in mind that some children may have allergies, so it is critical to reach out to your child’s teacher to see if any children in the class have food allergies. It is the family’s responsibility to be inclusive and accommodate all children in the class. Only individual baked goods such as cupcakes will be allowed. Baked goods requiring a knife will not be allowed. Goodie bags, candles, party accessories are also not allowed. 

Allowed

• Cupcakes
• Muffins
• Juice

Not Allowed

• Foods containing allergens
• Foods that require a knife
• Goodie Bags
• Candles (or anything else with a spark or flame)
• Party Accessories

School Lunch: Our school offers free breakfast, lunch and afterschool meals to all students during the school year. Although school lunch is now free for all students, parents/guardians are still required to fill out a school lunch form at the beginning of each school year. This may be done in paper format or online. For paper application: please contact the Main Office. For the online application: https://www.myschoolapps.com/Application

Families: If you prefer to send lunch from home, please note that we take allergies, food safety, and student health very seriously. Here are some rules below to ensure the safety of all our children:

Food Rules

• Students are not allowed to share lunch or snacks. 
• If bringing lunch from home, no food that needs to be heated is allowed, as there is no access to an oven or microwave. 
• Choose healthy, nutritious food for your child. 

Family Communication

Family Contact: Teachers will communicate with families by: phone, letter, or digitally through Class Dojo. 

Making an Appointment with Your Child’s Teacher: to contact your child’s teacher or make an appointment:

• Please send a note in the homework folder or email him/her at the address above, or
• You can also leave a message for him/her in the main office

PTA 

The objectives of the PTA are to:

• Develop parent leadership and build capacity for greater involvement 
• Foster and encourage parent participation on all levels
• Develop a cooperative working relationship between parents and school staff
• Provide opportunities and training for parents to participate in school governance and decision-making
• Provide support and resources to the school for the benefit and educational growth of the students

Membership is open to any guardian of a student currently enrolled at PS 398Q.

Official PTA roles are: President, Recording Secretary, and Treasurer

School Leadership Team (SLT)

The SLT is responsible for developing an annual school Comprehensive Educational Plan (CEP) that is aligned with the school-based budget for the ensuing school year. The school-based budget provides the fiscal parameters within which the SLT will develop the goals and objectives to meet the needs of students and the school’s educational program. The SLT shall provide an annual assessment to the Community Superintendent of the Principal’s Record of developing an effective shared decision-making relationship with the SLT members during the year. The SLT will coordinate with the Parent Teacher Association to ensure that all school-wide committees are working toward the same goals set forth in the CEP. Team members must work collaboratively by sharing their ideas and concerns and listening to the ideas and concerns of others; engaging in collaborative problem-solving and solution-seeking that will lead to consensus-based decisions. Team members must communicate effectively with their constituent groups and share the views of their constituencies with the team. 

Partnerships and Special Programs

Homework Policy:

Homework will be: assigned nightly, differentiated to meet the needs of the student, checked daily, between 15-30 minutes each night

Homework will not be: assigned on holidays and weekends

Health and Safety Policies and Procedures

EMERGENCY CARDS (BLUE CARDS): It is the parent/guardian’s responsibility to ensure that school has an updated blue card for each child enrolled in the school. 

Blue Cards MUST: 

• Be up to date
• Include at least two contact numbers to reach the child’s parents/guardians
• Include an email (if available)
• List all adults (over 18 years of age) that your child can be released to
• Include any court orders relating to the child

Fire Drills:

Fire drills are: conducted throughout the school year to prepare students and staff for an emergency situation and conducted at least 8 times throughout the school year. During a fire drill: students must remain quiet, students must follow teacher directions, students must walk quickly to exit the building to a safe location

Parents:

• Please stress to your child the importance of these rules and review them at home. 
• Please speak with your child’s teacher if s/he has any sensory needs and might have difficulty with the loud noises of the fire drill. 

Lockdown Drills

Lockdown drills are: conducted throughout the school year, conducted at least two times every year, conducted to prepare students and staff for a threat within the school building. 

During a lockdown drill, all students and staff are required to: be in a locked location, remain quiet , be out of view

Health: In order to best serve all children’s needs, parents/guardians must immediately notify the school of any serious health conditions such as: allergies, respiratory illnesses, any condition that limits activity, any illness for which medication must be administered by a licensed healthcare provider

For the protection of your child and others, please DO NOT send your child to school with any of the following: upset stomach, runny nose with a cold, sore throat, fever, rash, swollen glands, diarrhea, earache, persistent cough, conjunctivitis (pink-eye), lice, any other communicable disease.

Immunizations

All students in child care through grade 12 must receive vaccinations for:

• The DTaP (diphtheria- tetanus-pertussis),
• Poliovirus,
• MMR (measles-mumps-rubella),
• Varicella, and
• Hepatitis B. 

Children under age five who are enrolled in child care and pre-kindergarten (pre-K) must receive vaccinations for:

• Hib (Haemophilus influenza type b),
• PCV (pneumococcal conjugate), and
• Influenza (flu).
  • Children must receive the flu vaccine by December 31, 2019. It is best to vaccinate your child as soon as the vaccine becomes available. It becomes available in early fall.

Medication: Medication may be administered in school if it is needed to permit the student to participate in his/her educational program. A health care provider (physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant with physician signoff) licensed to prescribe in New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut must complete a Medication Administration Form (MAF), prescribing the medications to be administered during the school day. This form may be obtained by parents at their child’s schools or on the DOE website. Any changes to the MAF must be in writing and signed by a licensed healthcare provider. A new MAF must be supplied at the start of the school year. All medications must be hand-delivered to the school in the original pharmacy container. The school nurse will store the medication in a locked cabinet or refrigerator. The nurse or school designee will maintain a medication log (and other documentation as indicated) for each student approved to receive medication in school. 

Our school offers free breakfast, lunch and after school meals to all students during the school year. Although school lunch is now free for all students, parents/guardians are still required to fill out a school lunch form at the beginning of each school year. This may be done in paper format or online.  

 For paper application: please contact the Main Office. 

For the online application: https://www.myschoolapps.com/Application 

2022-2023 Lunch Menu

Home Lunch: If you prefer to send lunch from home, please note that we take allergies, food safety, and student health very seriously. Here are some rules below to ensure the safety of all our children: 

 Food Rules 

• Students are not allowed to share lunch or snacks.  
• If bringing lunch from home, no food that needs to be heated is allowed, as there is no access to an oven or microwave.  
• Choose healthy, nutritious food for your child.  

Teachers will communicate with families by: 

• Class Dojo
• phone  
• letter  
• email

 Please email the teacher if you have any questions regarding accessing ClassDojo or to schedule an appointment. 

Making an Appointment with Your Child’s Teacher

To contact your child’s teacher or make an appointment: 

• Please send a note in the homework folder or email him/her at the address above, or 
• You can also leave a message for him/her in the main office