WELCOME TO BOOKER T MIDDLE SCHOOL

To parents new to Booker T, we are excited to have you join our amazing school community. To the rest of you, welcome back from summer break.

Starting in September, Dr. Elster will host a series of in-person meetings for New Parent Orientation. Please attend if you can, as these talks help alleviate new-parent anxiety and set the tone for the school year.

What sets MS54 apart from many other NYC middle schools is the engagement of our parent community. Some of you will decide to give your free time to the school, whether that means chaperoning a field trip or hosting a class party. Others may decide to give money. We truly appreciate anything you can do to support your kids and their teachers.

Middle school brings dramatic changes that often create new stresses for parents and children alike. We have all been there. In our experience, establishing a predictable morning routine can go a long way in offsetting the challenges of acclimating to a new school, especially early on. Lean on each other. Look out for those class invites and take advantage of opportunities to connect with other parents. There is comfort that comes from a sense of community. We are looking forward to meeting you and your child.

Enjoy the new coming year!

About your PTA

Who are we?
The PTA is ALL parents and guardians of Booker T students. The Executive Board and committee volunteers are a group of parents who welcome parents like you to help enhance and strengthen/enrich our school community. We coordinate many projects during the year and, according to the principal, we are “the essential parent body committed to ensuring that the school has the resources it needs”.

What we fund:
Teachers’ classroom supplies
A full-time librarian
A high school articulation specialist
A technology coordinator, printers and copy machines
Equipment for the science lab
Guest speakers in the classrooms
An ever expanding collection of books in the library
We also cover the cost of classroom furniture, teacher requests such as a faculty refrigerator, musical instruments and a thermometer for the nurse’s office, and much more.

We make up committees that are important to us/you and lead them with pride :).

Wellness Committee (led by Alison Gardy): Get/share good wellness tips as well as help navigating being a good support for your kid. We touch on environmental, physical, social, self-growth and development.
Equity committee (with Nildania Perez): Help create an equitable and inclusive learning environment for all students, families, and school faculty. Kids are welcome to attend one or all of the three Affinity Groups, the Asian American Association, Shades, and the Gender Alliance, each led by one or more school faculty.

We support our teachers with care and for this we have created Class Parents and Grade Representatives to help out. Please consider becoming a class parent as we need at least a couple in every class. Keeping our teachers happy is a high priority so they can focus on delivering to our kids without extra worries. With support from your grade rep, help create a support system within your class.

Meet your PTA Executive Board
CO-PRESIDENTS, Spyridoula Ntella & Peter Singh
TREASURERS, Jennifer Wang, Tomomi Friedman & Stacey Ingebritson Shapiro
CO-ASSISTANT TREASURERS, Lamonique Bates & TBD (Election in September – nominate yourself here)
CO-FUNDRAISING VPS, Dorine Grollman & Sara Kennedy
CO-COMMUNICATIONS VPS, Russell Adams & Amie Ray
RECORDING SECRETARY, Sabrina Stratton
8TH GRADE REP, Veronica Hlibczuk
7TH GRADE REP, Liz Bazini
6TH GRADE REP, TBD (Election in September – nominate yourself here)
EQUITY LEAD, Nildania Perez
WELLNESS LEAD, Alison Gardy

We are all PTA members who hold the power of voting on decisions that affect our school.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

Volunteer your time: A big THANK YOU to all the volunteers who support this school! We hope to have you join us as we work together building upon equality, unity and strengthen our school’s education. EMail us if you are interested in helping out in any way.

Donate: We kindly ask you to provide for your school. Your children being the direct beneficiaries of your generosity.
Every provision is tax deductible and if you are an employer at a firm that could match your gift please feel free to contact us. Our target is to reach $1,000/kid donation this year to cover our costs, Donate by monthly payment, one payment upfront at the beginning of the year or in three intervals.

Every contribution is needed to support our wonderful school.

Thank you in advance for your support,
Spyridoula Ntella and Peter Singh, Co-Presidents MS 54 PTA Executive Board