Dear BSI Families,

Welcome to a new and very different school year. I don’t know about yours, but my kids have never been more excited to return to school — even if it’s on a screen!

YOU, along with every other BSI parent or guardian and teacher, are automatically a member of the PTO. Our main goal is to advocate for the educational, emotional, and social needs of our children as we support the vision of our school leadership. Our mandate celebrates inclusion, openness, collaboration, and frequent forums for discussion. We hold many social events and fundraisers throughout the year. All of our activities are run by parent volunteers like you! 

Thank you to all who joined the PTO meeting on Monday evening. We are so glad so many parents and teachers were able to join. If you were at the meeting, you heard teachers express concerns about the schedule they were being asked to work. We are so thankful that our teachers care so deeply about teaching their students that they want to make sure that the schedules are sustainable for the best possible outcomes in this challenging system. The teachers felt so supported by the parents as they voiced these concerns. It is a great credit to the administration that they too were truly listening to the teachers’ concerns.

Yesterday, Mr. Havlik went around and spoke with the teachers at length about their concerns and made adjustments. We heard from Ms. Audrey, who was the first teacher to address the concerns during Monday’s meeting, that the teachers are much happier with the adjustments and excitement for the beginning of the new year has returned to Avenue P! This is a testament to the strength of our community.

Thank you to teachers, parents and administrators for hearing each other and working together for solutions! There are bound to be other bumps in the road this year and we will meet them together with strength and with compassion.Join Us!
As you heard on Monday, elections for the new PTO will be held at our October meeting. We have many current board members who are willing to serve again if re-elected but we also have many vacant positions. We encourage you to reach out to us if you are interested in running for the board at execbd@bsipto.org. The open positions that we need to fill are listed below.

• Co-President (1)
• Treasurer & asst. treasurer (especially book-keeping experience) (1 or 2)
• Parliamentarian (1)
• Co-VP of Fundraising Events (1)
• VP of Direct Appeal or co-VPs (1-2)
• Co-VPs of Community Building Events (2)
• Co-VP of Communications (1)

During this time of blended learning and distance learning, the PTO will be operating remotely, as you saw with Monday’s meeting. This also means our community-building events will need to be rethought. We need an events committee to help us think of new and exciting ways to bring our community together and to fundraise for our school. Please write to parentinvolvement@bsipto.org if you would like to help us with community building and/or fundraising.

As mentioned on Monday’s call we are looking into moving onto Konstella as a hub for everything you need to know from the PTO. If we make that shift, you will receive an invitation to join Konstella — please be sure to join to stay in the loop!

In the meantime, here are the various ways to get PTO information:

1. This website, BSIPTO.org (This is separate from the school website which is https://brooklynschoolofinquiry.org.)
2. You can contact the entire Executive Board by emailing execbd@bsipto.org or individual board members by looking for their email on this page http://www.bsipto.org/about/
3. BSI PTO has a FaceBook page at https://www.facebook.com/bsipto/

If your questions are about school schedules, curriculum, or other in-school matters please address those to the administration. You can reach parent coordinator Kareem Knights at pc[at] bsi686.org.

Here’s to a GREAT school year ahead!

Tania Kirkman

PTO President, on behalf of the entire Executive Board

First BSI PTO Meeting of 2020-2021 academic year will be held on Monday, September 14th at 7:00-8:30 PM via Zoom. Please check your emails for the link and join us for the discussion of the upcoming events.

There a few unsold items from the auction that are now on sale so grab yourself a great deal now. Sale ends on June 30th, 2020!

This is the last week to participate in the Rock by Rock and BSI Fundraiser. 10% of the proceeds will be donated to the BSI PTO. 

An Amazing At-Home Learning Opportunity

The Rock by Rock Changemaker Series is a monthly subscription box for elementary school students that provides robust, fun, hands-on projects for kids delivered right to your door.

One Box, Many Activities, Tons of Benefits! 

Each weekly project: 

• Is self-directed and off-line so kids can learn while parents work

• Provides hours of hands-on engagement
• Builds leadership skills and life habits
• Promotes giving back
• Allows kids to have fun and learn at the same time
• Engages kids in a real-world monthly mission (Save the elephants, Save rainforests, End food waste & hunger) 
• Includes numerous activities and crafts that foster critical thinking 

How do I Sign-up? 

1. Purchase your subscription at www.rockbyrock.com 
2. Use coupon code BSI at check-out to be sure your purchase counts towards the fundraiser.  
3. Be sure to purchase by June 30, 2020.

Only two days left till the end of the fiscal year! Do not forget to contribute to BSI PTO to support our exciting programs with a tax-deductible donation before the end of the FI on June 30th, 2020.  Many of you mentioned your pledged to donate $420 “School Lunch Money” (Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) Food Benefits) to BSI. If you’re one of them, please let us know at donate@bsipto.org, so we can count on your plan to donate.

Ways to contribute:

• Pledge (let us know that you plan) to contribute $420 “School Lunch Money” (Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) Food Benefits
• Have your kids learn and have fun by purchasing your subscription at www.rockbyrock.com with coupon code BSI at check-out by June 30, 2020.
• Donate online at www.bsipto.org/donate
  • Make a one time donation or set up a recurring donation and become a sustained supporter
• Ask family and friends to contribute – you can do it through a Facebook fundraiser for BSI PTO, too!
• Submit a matching gift form to your employer (how? ask treasurer@bsipto.org)
• Donate through Zelle or Paypal to treasurer@bsipto.org, make sure to include your child’s name and class. 
• Email donate@bsipto.org to donate by check so we can provide you with a mailing address (no access to the mailbox at school – please do not mail anything there).