PS 398Q Family Handbook   

About Our School

Mission Statement: Parents and the members in our community we will prepare our diverse population of students to become lifelong learners in a nurturing, and safe environment. compassionate citizens in today's global society.

Vision Statement: 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. Project-based learning encourages students to think critically, develop creativity, and collaborate.

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.

L- LEADER:   Learning happens when we challenge ourselves, through perseverance, and persistence. Our classrooms are a place for exploration, developing students’ critical thinking, creativity, and communication skills through team activities. We ALL lead! 

E- EMPOWER:  Every student comes to school with strengths. Our school recognizes children’s individual learning styles and brings out their unique strengths.   At P.S.398, we empower others and ourselves when we build on our strengths. We believe that when children are excited and motivated about their learning they will succeed and become self-motivated learners.  We ALL empower others! 

A- ACHIEVE:  Success is achieving our goals.  We set high expectations and goals for ourselves.  We monitor our learning and our progress to identify how we can take active measures to achieve them. As a learning community, everyone cares about each other and celebrates our achievements.  We ALL achieve success! 

R- RESPECT:  Respect our diverse community and value every member’s contribution to the classroom.  Children develop interpersonal skills and become responsible, respectful citizens.  We ALL respect our learning community! 

N- NURTURE: Fostering a trusting relationship to foster successful development of education, health and wellbeing.We ALL nurture our health!

Uniform Policy: We are a uniform school with "choice".  Our school colors are in our logo: Red (LEAD), Yellow (EMPOWER), Blue (ACHIEVE), Green (RESPECT), and Purple (NURTURE). 

Uniform (your choice of): School colors L.E.A.R.N. (polo or t-shirt), Gray bottoms (must wear leggings or tights under), (OPTIONAL) – Logo applications that are sold separately, students are strongly encouraged to wear sneakers daily or rubber soles.

Not Permitted: Open toed shoes, High heeled shoes, Shorts above the knee

School and District 30 Contact Information:

Bell Schedule

School Policies and Procedures

Arrival (Late Arrivals) Procedures: For security reasons, no parents will be allowed into the building before 8:20 am. After 8:30 AM, parents are allowed to visit the Main Office. Remember to bring Identification to show to the agent upon entrance. 

3K & Pre K Arrival Procedures: Please do not arrive before 8:30am and follow 3K & PreK entrance signs. Paraprofessionals will escort students to their classrooms. See email for first 2 days procedures.

Kindergarten and Above Arrival Procedures: Doors open at 7:30am 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-4 begins at 8:10am on 34th Avenue. Follow class labels on the trees and  ground.  Doors open at 8:15am. Instruction begins promptly at 8:20am. ​​

Late Arrival Procedures: Please arrive at school on time each day.  Students who arrive late are to be escorted by a parent or designee to the front safety desk. Students will then be escorted to their classrooms by school personnel.  

Dismissal Procedures: 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 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: 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. 

Attendance: How do students do well in school? They go every day! Students may miss school for illness, emergencies, or for religious reasons.

If a student is absent from class, parents/guardians should:

•  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 in session.

• Families make sure your phone numbers on Blue Cards are correct.

If a student misses 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. 

• 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.

Device Policy

• Cell phones and smart watches 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: Families are welcome to celebrate their child's birthday in their classroom, but must be notified at least one week in advance. Please keep in mind that some children may have allergies. Families can join in our classroom celebrations (no more than two visitors allowed).

Allowed:

• Cupcakes or Muffins
• Juice
• Goodie Bag
  

Not Allowed:

• Foods that require a knife
• Candles (or anything else with a spark or flame)

• Party Accessor
  

School Lunch: NYC schools offer free breakfast, lunch and afterschool meals to all students during the school year. Parents/guardians are still required to fill out a school lunch form at the beginning of each school year via 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. 

Family Communication:

Teachers will communicate with families by:

• phone 
• letter
• monthly calendar

• or digitally through Class Dojo or email
  

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 (ext. 2171/2172)

Parent Teacher Association (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, 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 must work collaboratively to ensure that all school-wide committees are working towards the same goals and that team members communicate effectively with their constituent groups.

Curriculum and Partnership Programs

Homework Policy

• 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

Safety Drills 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: 

• 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

• conducted throughout the school year to prepare students and staff for an emergency situation. 
• conducted a minimum of 8 times throughout the school year. 

• Students must remain quiet and follow teacher directions
• Students must walk quickly to exit the building to a safe location

Lockdown Drills

• 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 and Medication

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

• The DTaP (diphtheria- tetanus-pertussis)
• Poliovirus
• MMR (measles-mumps-rubella)
• Varicella 
• 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)
  
• 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 must be prescribed by a licensed healthcare provider and hand-delivered to the school in the original pharmacy container. The school nurse or school designee must maintain a medication log and other documentation for each student approved to receive medication in school.A health care provider 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. Utilize the DOE website in order to access the forms.