2nd Graders Get A Visit From Local Librarians

Children's Librarian Morgan Boyle and Library Manager Vianela Rivas visit scholars in Ms. Lennon's Class.

Scholars in 2nd grade received a visit from the librarians at the Washington Heights Branch of the NY public library! Ms. Vianela Rivas (Library Manager) and Ms. Morgan Boyle (Children's Librarian) reminded scholars that the library is a great place to go! "When you go to the library, who do you go with?", asked Ms. Rivas. Many scholars visit with their parents, siblings and even their grandparents. One 2nd grader says he sometimes goes by himself!  Although, that is not recommended, Ms. Rivas told students that the library is a safe place with many great activities, programs, computers and of course...books!

Did you know that children can get their own library card? A parent or guardian does not need to be present for children to receive a  library cards. After signing a child’s application, parents or guardians can determine whether their child may borrow all library materials or only juvenile materials.  Once the application is turned in, children may use the card!  However, parents/guardians are responsible for their childrens’ lost or damaged materials.

Ms. Rivas and Ms. Boyle ended their visit by distributing library card applications and told the scholars that they are invited to visit the library in two weeks where they will get special treatment by having a section of the library all to themselves!  For more information about programs and activities at the Washington Heights Branch, click here! To apply for a library card online (you must be 13 years old or older), click here!

Scholars from class 201 and paraprofessional (top right) Ms. Nuñez pose with Washington Heights Librarians.

2nd Grade Scholars Go To The Farm

Second grade students, from Ms. Lennon's class, choose a pumpkin from Green Acres Farms in Queens.

Have you ever milked a cow!  Scholars in second grade have been learning about their community and recently took a trip to Green Meadows Farm where there enjoyed riding ponies, petting goats and milking cows! On this trip, scholars learned about cows, sheep, chickens, pigs, rabbits, goats, turkeys, calves, alpacas and more. They were able to visit the reptile barn to see turtles. And since it was the Fall season, everyone got a free pumpkin!

For the past few weeks, second grade students have been exploring characteristics of communities, the reasons people live in communities, and different kinds of communities. The unit begins with a review of the concept of family and explores the question, "Why do families live in communities?" Students then investigate common characteristics of a community including location, physical characteristics, history, government, people, and businesses. Students explore two reasons people live in a community and are introduced to the concept of government. Using a variety of resources, including photographs and illustrations from picture books, students then examine different kinds of communities and explore how communities differ in size and geography. Using a Venn Diagram, students identify similarities and differences between two communities. Finally, students begin to create a profile of their local community and what makes their community special.

Angel rides a pony at the farm.

Scholars took the opportunity to pet chickens.

Green Meadows Farm is located in Floral Park, New York (Queens). For more information and to see videos, click here!

P.R.I.D.E. Day Celebration (VIDEOS)

Ms. Mercedes Ellington (center - rear) poses with her fellow musicians, Principal Stevens, staff and students from PS4.

The Duke Ellington P.R.I.D.E. Day Celebration event was a success with support from Dr. Montanez and the Turn2 Us Staff at Columbia Presbyterian, featuring performances from The Ellington Poets Society, The Jazz and Democracy Project, The Duke Ellington Center for the Arts and with special guest speaker Ms. Mercedes Ellington; Granddaughter of Duke Ellington!

Ms. Mercedes Ellington, granddaughter of Duke Ellington, poses with host and Technology Teacher, Ms. Lennon.

During this special assembly, we celebrated the tenets of The Duke Ellington School; Positivity, Respect, Integrity, Determination and Excellence and honor the American icon that our school is named after; Duke Ellington.  Click here to to read an article about Duke Ellington's granddaughter!  Then take a look at the videos below to see Ms. Ellington show her skills in ballroom dancing and watch an excerpt from a poem by The Ellington Poets Society. 


Ms. Mercedes Ellington Ballroom Dancing from PS4M on Vimeo.


Ellington P.R.I.D.E. Poem (Excerpt) by The Ellington Poets Society from PS4M on Vimeo.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Assembly (VIDEO)

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said his 'I Have A Dream' speech on August 28, 1963.

"I have a dream that little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character" is what Dr. King told an audience of millions in August of the year 1963.  As America continues to struggle with racism, students at PS4 honored the great man by listening to presentations by our students and inducting fifteen new members of our National Elementary Honor Society.  Hosted by our Social Studies Teacher, Mr. Harris, this celebration included students reading excerpts from Dr. King's most famous speeches:

• Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech (December 10, 1964)
• Montgomery Bus Boycott Speech (December 5, 1955)
• I've Been to the Mountaintop Speech (April 3, 1968)
• Letters From A Birmingham Jail (April 16, 1963)

After learning about the meaning of each speech, Mr. Harris spoke about why we celebrate Dr. King and encouraged students to learn more about his life by doing some research.  Here are some kid-friendly websites about the life of this great man;

• Brainpop.com - Martin Luther King, Jr. (VIDEO)
• Time For Kids - Honoring King's Dream (VIDEO)
• Social Studies for Kids - Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Our assembly to honor Dr. King also included a candle-lighting, induction ceremony for the fifteen new members of PS4's National Elementary Honor Society (advised by Ms. Lennon), a great vocal performance of Estelle's song 'Conqueror' from Kasiyah O. (class 502) and a poem from the Ellington Poets (directed by Mr. Cantu).  To see their performance, click the video below.

Ms. Lennon with the new members of the National Elementary Honor Society.

Kasiyah O. (502) sings 'Conqueror' by Estelle.

MLK Jr. Celebration - Ellington Poets from PS4M on Vimeo.

Book Fair - 2015

A 5th grade class visits the book fair.  (Photo taken by Ms. Lennon)

Did you know that reading at home on a daily basis can impact a child's success in school and in life.  A home library is an idea space where children expand their knowledge and vocabulary, and develop stronger thinking skills.  The best way to build a great home-library is to be involved. Learn about your children's interests and preferences.  Help them build a space filled with books they can read alone...and with you.

The theme for this Scholastic Book Fair was Under The Sea!  Although many of the books available were about ocean life, the top sellers were books from animated shows and video games that PS4 students love.  Here are the top 5 books that were sold at the book fair.

1. Minecraft
2. Barbie in Princess Power
3. Owl Diaries: Eva's Treetop Festival
4. Lego: Ningago
5. Disney Frozen: The Essential Guide

Special thanks to Book Fair Crew members Cindy M. (502), Justin N. (502) and Nathan M. (501).  If you still need books, click here for our Online Book Fair!   To order books from a Scholastic Reading Club, click here!  See the slideshow below to see how PS4 runs a book fair!

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Book Fair Oasis - 2013

Students visiting the book fair.

The Scholastic Book Fair was once again at PS4!  From the Diary of a Wimpy Kid to Pete the Cat, students could not wait to see what new books were available!  This season the Book Fair's theme was a Book Fair Oasis where hot books flying off of the shelves.

Special thanks to Scholastic Book Fair's Field Representative David Perry for hand delivering decorations, Student Crew Members Yasmely, Anderson and Dashira (Class 521) and to the many parents, teachers and students that supported this event.

If you missed last week's book fair and would still like to purchase a book, click here to visit our online book fair!  Take a look at the slideshow below for some photos from the event!

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2013 Talent Show

Congratulations to all the students who performed at the 2013 Talent Show!  Thanks to all the parents, family members and teachers who saw the show!  Principal Bonnie D. White-Jones would like to give special thanks to Mr. Harris (host), Mr. Means (sound/video engineer) and Ms. Lennon (show director) who, along with the following VERY important people, produced a very successful show:

• Ms. Torres - Backstage Director/Decorations
• Ms. Salce - Talent Coach/Decorations
• Mr. Theodore - Talent Coach/Spotlight/Budget
• Mr. Cantu - Talent Coach (Ellington Poets)
• Ms. Cabral - Decorations
• Mr. Conrad - Stage Props/Decorations
• Ms. Martin (Assistant Principal) - Front House Manager/Tickets
• Lucy Perez (Parent Coordinator) - Snacks & Water
• Morena (School Aide) - Snacks & Water
• Officer Rosario - School Safety
• Sergio Larios & Clave Azul - House Band
• Kayla Morales & Elizabeth's Modeling Agency - Fashion Show
• Custodial Staff - Building Maintenance

Check out the slideshow below for backstage photos from the show!

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PS4 Improves Recycling Efforts

Student Government members Adrianna H. and Leslie V. recycle.

Members of PS4's Honor Society have joined forces with members of the Student Government to improve recycling efforts in classrooms throughout the school!  With new recycling bins, funded by a grant from DonorsChoose.org, each classroom now has a blue bin for recycling paper and a brown bin for trash.  Tall blue bins for plastic and another for paper have been placed near the elevator on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th floor.  Offices have also had their bins replaced! 


Honor Society students created presentations for students in first and second grade to teach them how to recycle.  "They are in the process of visiting lower grade classrooms to show students what to do," said Ms. Lennon (adviser of both the Student Government and Honor Society).  "They've been instrumental in making our recycling program a success and have been encouraging students to recycle at home." 

Honor Society Members give a recycling presentation.

Student Government members have the very important job of placing all recyclable materials in the blue bins in the hallway.  Our students are doing their part to save the Earth!

New Members of PS4's Honor Society

Twenty-five 4th and 5th grade students have officially been inducted into PS4's Epsilon Chapter of the National Elementary Honor Society.  Parents, friends and teachers were invited to a ceremony hosted by Honor Society Adviser, Ms. Lennon.

Guest Speaker, Candece Tarpley discussed the importance of service.  "Helping people builds character", she said to audience members in the school's auditorium.  Ms. Tarpley is an actress, poet-writer, artist, dancer, singer, craft person and educator who currents works with LOTUS Music & Dance as a resident instructor teaching our 4th grade students about Native American Dance.  She is a World Champion Eastern Blanket Dancer who has dedicated her life to service.   Click here for more information about Ms. Tarpley.

During the event, Principal Delois White-Jones and Mr. Cantu (Co-Adviser of the Honor Society) lit candles to represent the main characteristics of every Honor Society Member:

1. scholarship
2. service
3. leadership
4. character
5. citizenship

Congratulations to our new members who were chosen based on those characteristics as well as high scores on the NYS Math and ELA exams.  Click here to learn more about the NEHS and see the slideshow below for some highlights from the ceremony.

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Spring Concert Highlights

Yesterday, the talented boys and girls of the Guitar Program and PS4 Choir showed their skills to a full audience in the school's auditorium.  Sponsored by Midori & Friends, these two clubs entertained more than 250 guests!  In the very beginning of the show, an awesome collaboration of singers and guitar players took place as the audience heard the song I Got A Feelin', by the Black Eyed Peas.  The highlight of the evening was a performance from a talented violist named Tobias Roth who simply wanted to share his love of classical music with the Washington Heights community.  To find out more about the viola, click here!

Special thanks to Tobias Roth (violist), Nick Russo (guitarist), Ms. Lennon (host), and all who supported our Spring Concert.  Congratulations to the boys and girls who performed and had a successful show.

Guitar Club & Choir collaboration.

Violist, Tobias Roth (left).

Author Peter Murray Visits PS4

Author Peter Murray on stage at the Apollo Theatre on 125th Street.

Essay winner Jared R. with Peter J. Murray

Happy readers from class 401

Peter Murray with Ms. Salce and class 422

Peter Murray and with class 501

Book signing in the PS4 library.

Author Peter J. Murray (from England) made a special appearance at our school's library, this past Friday.  He signed copies of his latest book, Mokee Joe: Mutant Resurrection.  During a special celebration at the famous Apollo Theater in Harlem, the author unveiled the cover of the latest edition of his book, handed certificates to winners of Mokee Joe contests (including Jared R. from Ms. Wilson's class) and read a passage from his 7th book in the series to more than 1,500 fans!  Three classes from PS4 attended both the celebration at the Apollo Theatre and the book signing in our library.  Each student was given the new book and the opportunity to have their book signed by the author.  "When authors visit our school, they are like Rock Stars", said Ms. Lennon, our school's librarian.  The author also took the time to speak with each student and share his personal words of encouragement.

On behalf of the students and staff of PS4, thank you for visiting, Mr. Murray!  We can't wait to see you back in NYC later on this year! We would also like to extend a special thanks to Tommy Parker and the Carmel Hill Fund for bringing Mokee Joe and Peter J. Murray to NYC!

To go to Peter J. Murray's official website, click here.  For a copy of a Mokee Joe book, see your teacher or contact Ms. Lennon.

Visit Our School Store

The school store has new items just in time for Valentine's Day!  Money raised from our store helps pay for performances and special programs held in our school's auditorium.  Take a look at the items currently on sale:

Honor Society President Jared R. with Feliz P.

School Planners - NOW $2
School Folders - NOW $1
Pencils - 25 cents
Valentine's Day Erasers - 25 cents
NEW Valentine's Day Smencils - $2

The PS4 school store is only open at the beginning of each lunch period and it is located in the cafeteria.  Please see any member of the National Honor Society or Ms. Lennon for more information.

The School Store is Open for Business!

The PS4 Planners are going fast!

Have you visited PS4's new school store?  It's located in the cafeteria and is open during student lunch periods.  Managed by members of the National Elementary Honor Society, students are able to purchase the following items:

• wallets for $3
• planners for $4
• PS4 folders for $2
• pencils for 25 cents each
• erasers for 25 cents each

Members of the Honor Society with a customer.

For more information about this on-going school fundraiser, contact Ms. Lennon.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever

The most popular book at the Book Fair was Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever! The sixth book in Jeff Kinney's series came out on November 15th! "There were more requests for that book weeks before the Book Fair than any other book", said Scholastic Book Fair Chairperson, Book Fair Customer Advisory Board Member and school librarian Ms. Lennon, "students couldn't wait for it to get here".

In this book, Greg Heffley is in big trouble. School property has been damaged, and Greg is the prime suspect. But the crazy thing is, he’s innocent...or at least sort of.  The authorities are closing in, but when a surprise blizzard hits, the Heffley family is trapped indoors. Greg knows that when the snow melts, he’s going to have to face the music.  But could any punishment be worse than being stuck inside with your family for the holidays?  Read Cabin Fever to find out!  If you've already read the book, tell us what you think by clicking the word 'comment' below!

Click here for more information about all of Jeff Kinney's books.  To purchase this book from our school's book fair, click here or the icon below (until December 4th)!

The Book Fair is Here!!

Ms. Lennon helps a student select a book.

Three times during the year, the PS4 community is invited to shop at the Scholastic Book Fair.  More than 200 selections of books are available for parents, teachers and students to purchase in the library.  This year, many students have been asking about the latest in the Diary of a Wimpy series (available on Tuesday, November 15th).  Last year, we raised more than $2,000 for a new sound system in our auditorium.  We were also able to put new books in classrooms through the One For Books Program!  Please visit our Book Fair from November 14-18, from 9am-2pm.  To see some of the books that you can buy, click here.

If you are unable to visit the Book Fair, you can shop online!  Click here for times and details and click here to shop online!

Classroom Recycling

Have you seen this symbol?  Do you know what it means?

It is the recycling symbol.   It was created in 1970!  The artist who created it won a contest celebrating the first Earth Day!  The arrows represent the three steps used in the recycling process; collecting, processing and manufacturing.

This week PS4 will begin a new way of recycling.  Each classroom will have a new brown box that will hold paper (i.e. loose leaf paper, copy paper, notebooks and worksheets-NO PAPER TOWELS).  Classrooms will also have a grey bin for garbage.  Members of the Students Government will be visiting classrooms to explain the new routine to teachers and students.

For more information about recycling in our school see our Sustainability Coordinator, Ms. Lennon, or click here.  Watch this great video for ways to reuse, recycle and reduce!

PS 4's Got Talent!

On June 24th, PS4 will host its fourth annual talent show! "We have a good mix of performers. This year's talent show will have singers, dancers, comedians, acrobatics and even Shakespeare monologues." Says Ms. Lennon, the school librarian who is helping to produce this year's talent show, "I think people are going to be quite surprised at the type of talent that we have here at PS4." The show will be hosted by Mr. Harris, the school's social studies teacher, and will take place in the school's auditorium.

Jazz is the Roots!

On Thursday, April 15th, all after-school programs were treated to a free jazz concert sponsored by Jazz at Lincoln Center and Midori & Friends. Students, teachers and parents enjoyed a lively performance by Lafrae Sci and the Scenic Route Band. Lafrae is a very talented drummer who educated members of the audience on how jazz music works. "Jazz music is like the roots of a plant", she announced. She went on to explain that all other types of music stem from jazz. Everyone had a good time learning, clapping, singing and dancing! Students from our Guitar Program even got a chance to play a popular Duke Ellington song (click play) with the band!

Take a look at a slide show of photographs from the performance!

Joke of the Week!

Question: What did the pencil say to the math book?

Answer: You have a lot of problems!

Special thanks to 5th grader Brianna T. for this joke! Click here for jokes about astronomy! If you would like to share a joke, post it in the comment box.

Another Successful Scholastic Book Fair!

From March 15-18, the parents, students and staff of PS4 enjoyed another Scholastic Book Fair. This year's theme: Book Fair Carnival! Students in first and second grade were especially excited about the book fair after seeing a performance of the Chinese Acrobats a week before the fair. "I can only do one of those tricks", said Horacio N. from Ms. Hodge's class. Books with a carnival theme, like Olivia and the School Carnival, were sold at the fair.

This year was especially exciting for PS4, because according to Ms. Lennon (librarian and Book Fair Chairperson), "we exceeded our goal in book sales". "With each book fair", she said, "we are able to purchase books for classroom libraries".

A special thanks goes out to the following Book Fair Student Jr. Crew Members for their help assisting parents and students during the week of the fair: Adja C., Seleny P. and Franklin S. from class 501 and Rafael M. and Alex G. from class 521.