Family Corner

Students in 3-K & 4-K

• Students and one adult enter through the gate on Amsterdam and 61st Street. Please line up, single file, on 61st Street facing east. The gate opens at 8:24 am and closes at 8:30 am. After 8:30 am, caregivers must drop children off at the main entrance and a staff member will escort your child to their classroom. 
• 3K: Please escort your child to their classroom door (down Stairwell 2 to Ground Floor, right down the hall to Room G4 (on your left) and then exit by walking to the end of the hall (opposite the classroom door), past the Safety Agent’s desk and out the door on 61st Street
• 4K: Please escort your child to their classroom door and then exit by walking to the end of the hall (opposite the classroom door), down the stairs, and out the main entrance door on 61st Street.
• Strollers are not permitted in the building and must be left outside the gate. At times, staff will be present, but we can't ensure that someone will always be able to wait with your items so please plan accordingly.

Students in Kindergarten

• Students enter through the gate on Amsterdam and 61st Street and walk to their classroom. Please line up, single file, on 61st Street facing east. The gate opens at 8:24 and close at 8:30. (School staff will be present in the hallways to assist students.) After 8:35 am, caregivers must drop children off at the main entrance and children will walk upstairs to their classroom.
• Strollers are not permitted in the building and must be left outside the gate. At times, staff will be present, but we can't ensure that someone will always be able to wait with your items so please plan accordingly.

Students in Grades 1-5

• Beginning at 8:23 am, students enter through the gates on Amsterdam between 60th and 61st Street, walk down the stairs and line up in the yard to wait for their teacher(s). School staff will be in the yard to support students. The gate closes at 8:27 am. After 8:27 am, caregivers must drop children off at the main entrance and children will walk upstairs independently to their classroom. 
• Scooter parking is available for students who can manage their scooter independently. (This includes carrying it down the stairs and walking it to the other side of the yard. Scooters may not be ridden on school grounds.)

Bus Students

• Students are escorted to the cafeteria after they arrive (they may eat or sit calmly with their peers), and then to their classroom or line up spot.

Late Arrival

• Please do your very best to not be late to school. In the event that you are late, please enter the building at the main entrance, 61st Street and a staff member will escort your child to their classroom, when needed. 

Breakfast

Breakfast is free for ALL students. Breakfast is served to students in 3-K & 4-K in their classroom after arrival. Breakfast is served for students in K-5 from 8:05 am - 8:25 am.  Early morning drop off is available for children in K-5th grade only. Please arrive between 8:05 am and 8:10 am if your child intends to eat breakfast. Students in grades K-5 who would like to eat breakfast at school should line up outside the 61st Street Main Entrance beginning at 8:00 am. A staff member will be available at 8:05 am outside the main entrance to greet children in K-5th grade for early morning arrival / breakfast. During breakfast, students are supervised by school staff. Please arrive before 8:10am if you are planning to eat breakfast at school.

Lunch

School lunch is free for all students. K-5 students eat lunch in the cafeteria. 3-K and 4-K students eat in their classrooms. Children may bring their lunch or have school lunch. A variety of healthy options are served, and PS 452 is part of the Wellness in the Schools program. Please, remember to discuss any dietary restrictions or allergies with the staff. Children are encouraged but never forced to eat. Please send children with a refillable bottle of water labeled with their name. Children need to hydrate throughout the day and especially when they play outside in hot weather. No glass bottles, jars or containers are allowed in school. 

All families must complete a school lunch application whether your child eats school lunch or brings it from home. The Dept. of Education uses the information from these applications to provide funding to our school. 

Recess

Students have 25 minutes of recess time prior to or after lunch. Recess and lunch are separated by grade (K/1, 2/3, 4/5). Kindergarten students also have additional playground time three days per week. Pre-K students have a dedicated playground.

Per the Department of Education's recommendation, children go outside for recess every day except in severe weather conditions. Children benefit from vigorous exercise and are given the opportunity to play outside whenever possible. Unless conditions are hazardous, such as heavy ice on the playground, or other winter weather advisory conditions are in effect, temperature alone will not be a barrier to outdoor play. PS 452 recommends that children have proper attire to go out (sweaters, jackets and hats, gloves etc.) when it gets colder. Work with your child to practice how to properly put on their winter garments. Remind them to cover exposed skin in the winter and use multiple layers to maintain warmth. Remember to label these items with your child’s name. On very cold days, we take precautions to keep students warm and ensure that they are properly dressed in the winter garments that you provide.

Please communicate your child’s regular dismissal plan with your classroom teacher and notify them in writing of any changes.

Students in 3-K, 4-K, & K 

• At 2:40 one adult enters through the gate on Amsterdam and 61st Street and walk to their child’s classroom door for pick up. Students and caregivers exit by walking to the end of the hall (opposite the entrance door), down the stairs, and out the door on 61st Street (near the Safety Agent’s desk). After 2:45pm, caregivers must pick up children from the main entrance.
• Strollers, scooters, bikes etc. are not permitted into the building and must be left outside the gate. At times, staff will be present, but we cannot ensure that someone will always be able to wait with your items so please plan accordingly. Please note, dogs are not permitted inside the building. If needed, a staff member will escort your child to you. 

Students in 3-K, 4-K, & Kindergarten

• Students will be picked up at the classroom door and exit out the main entrance by the school safety agent. 
• Siblings of 4K & K students may arrange to be picked up outside the 4K or K classroom door. Please coordinate with your classroom teachers. 
• Siblings of 3K students must be picked up in the yard and then families may enter the door in the middle of the yard across from the gate on 61st (Exit 4) to pick up their 3K student from the classroom and exit out the main entrance by the school safety agent. 

Students in Grades 1-5

• Beginning at 2:40, caregivers enter through the gates on Amsterdam between 60th and 61st Street and walk towards the child's designated location. Please exit using the same entrance stairs. After 2:45pm, caregivers must pick up children from the main entrance.
• If you are picking up with a stroller, please coordinate with your child’s teacher to meet at the top of the stairs on Amsterdam Avenue at the end of dismissal. (Please be patient. Students who are picked up by someone with a stroller will be dismissed last. This allows the teacher and caregiver to connect and ensures a safe transition at the end of the school day). 

Bus Students

• Students are escorted to the auditorium by staff and supervised until their bus arrives.

After School Students

• Students attending After School are escorted and dismissed to the cafeteria where they are greeted and supervised by After School staff.

Late Pick Up

• In the event that you are late (after the Amsterdam Avenue gates have closed), please enter the building at the main entrance, 61st Street, stop at the Safety Agent's desk, and then meet your child in the auditorium. Students who are waiting to be picked up will be supervised in the auditorium or office by school staff.

It is our top priority to ensure that every child learns in a safe, supportive, and inclusive school. To do this, we use preventive approaches that address the real causes of a conflict as well as reinforcing positive behaviors through teachable moments. PS 452 follows the New York City Department of Education Citywide Behavioral Expectations. All members of the school community—students, staff, and parents—must know and understand the standards of behavior to which all students are expected to live up, as well as the appropriate responses, if these standards are not met. We encourage you to become familiar with these standards and discuss them at home.

PS 452 also has its own Community Standards that our staff and students adhere to when in school and out and about in our community.

Consistent communication contributes to student’s success in school. Forms and notices come home from many sources. Please take advantage of the avenues of communication below.

Teacher Communication

For questions and concerns about your child, please speak with your child’s teacher first before contacting others in the building. The classroom teacher spends the most time with your child and should always be your first contact. They should be kept informed of your concerns. During classroom hours, teachers are not available to speak with parents. All discussions with teachers, in person or by phone, must be scheduled for the teacher’s preparation period. 

The best way to do this is to send the teacher a note in your child’s backpack or leave a message with the school secretary in the main office (212-259-6222). Please do not use dismissal time for conferences with your child’s teacher. Teachers are responsible for the students in their class and cannot discuss your child with you at this time. Please keep in mind that even if your child’s teacher encourages e-mail communication, most messages will not be checked during the school day so you will not receive a response until after dismissal or later.

Please do not use the arrival or dismissal times for conversations with your child's teacher. Teachers are responsible for their classes at these times and will not be able to discuss important matters with you. 

Parent-teacher conferences are scheduled multiple times per year. All families are encouraged to make use of these informative sessions to discuss their child’s progress with teachers. Back to School Night is typically held mid-September every year. This is an opportunity for parents/guardians as a group to meet with the classroom teacher to learn about the specifics of that coming year.  If you feel that there is an additional need to meet with your child’s teacher, please call the school to make an appointment or e-mail the teacher. You will get specific details about the schedule from the classroom teachers.

Report Cards & Progress Reports

All students receive reports for families. There are two marking periods, one ends in January and the other in June. All grades receive progress reports to families that correspond with the dates of parent–teacher conferences in November and March. Parents are asked to read these reports carefully and discuss your child’s progress at the parent-teacher conference. When your child’s report is given to you in June, however, it is yours to keep and the Department of Education does not keep copies of these documents, which include teacher comments. It is highly recommended that parents/guardians keep the reports in a safe place in case you will need it for future reference, including school admissions. 

Backpack Mail (Kid Mail folder)

Backpack mail is the most direct communication between parents and teachers. There will be a designated purple folder that your child uses to bring home mail that will be distributed in the beginning of school from your child’s teacher.

After school every day parents should get into the routine of checking that folder for any notes from the teacher or school. Most teachers will send weekly and/or monthly letters. Families should use the folder to send notes to the teacher with dismissal routines, meeting requests or other questions or concerns. It is important to teach your child to bring home all notes and give them to your promptly. If you check with your child daily, you will receive all notices on a timely basis. 

Classroom Parents

Every class has a classroom parent who helps distribute information from the teacher and coordinate family involvement for class projects, trips, etc. Classroom parents create and distribute a contact list for the class.  If you are interested in becoming a classroom parent, email your teacher at the beginning of the school year as they are typically chosen in September for that school year. 

Newsletters

There are several avenues of communication from the school. It is essential for at least one parent per family to read the newsletter in order to stay well informed. In an effort to use less paper, most announcements are now sent only via email. If you are not receiving the newsletter, you can sign up to receive it (PS 452 families only). School newsletters are sent bi-monthly, with additional news sent when necessary. 

Illness

Keeping your child home from school when they are ill is very important and greatly reduces the risk of spreading illness and infection to others. Do NOT send your child to school if he/she has any of the following symptoms: evidence of infection; sore throat and swollen, tender, painful neck glands; fever of 100 degrees or higher; vomiting; earache; diarrhea; persistent cough; body rash; ringworm; lice.

For additional resources and requirements regarding immunization, medication, injuries, and disabilities, please visit our Medical Needs and Information page.

School Nurse

To contact the school nurse, call 212-595-7193 x1292. If your child has any medical issues, please notify the nurse as well as your child’s teacher. Teachers are not allowed to dispense medication. Minor mishaps are treated with soap, water, ice packs, band-aids and TLC. If a child becomes ill or is injured during the school day, the nurse will contact the family. It is therefore extremely important to make sure that the Emergency Contact Form is filled out with correct information. You will receive this card at the beginning of every school year and must complete it and return it to school promptly. If information changes throughout the school year, please update the school immediately by calling the main office at 212-259-6222 or emailing Parent Coordinator Sharon Lustig at slustig3@schools.nyc.gov. Only the guardian can update the Emergency Contact Form. You may stop in the main office during school hours to update your child's individual card or ask to fill out a new one. 

Without written medical consent it is prohibited for the school to dispense medication to a child.  If your child needs medication during the day and can't administer it themselves, please contact that school nurse. 

Absence

If your child is absent, please send an email to absentps452@gmail.com or call the school at the main number 212-259-6222 even if you have not visited the doctor. All absences must be documented. If your child has been ill for 5 days or more, please send in a doctor’s note of explanation to your child’s teachers upon his/her return to school. Lateness and absences must be permanently recorded by the NYC DOE. If your child is absent, you will receive a call from our Automated Global Connect System.

Good Attendance is important for a student to do well, and a missed school day is a lost opportunity for students to learn. Find out more about the NY Department of Education's rules for attendance. 

Should a longer absence be anticipated, please call or email Parent Coordinator Sharon Lustig at slustig3@schools.nyc.gov so that the teacher may be notified. Should your child contract any communicable disease, such as chicken pox, ringworm, or strep, please call the office immediately. A doctor’s note is required upon return after an extended absence.

Interested in connecting with another PS 452 family? Our Buddy Program partners new PS 452 students and their families with a returning family.

Contact parent coordinator Sharon Lustig at slustig3@schools.nyc.gov for more information.