Please help us meet our fundraising goals for the 2020-2021 school year so that we may continue to provide so many of the essential programs that go beyond the school’s general DOE budget, including:
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● Teaching Assistants (TAs) for the younger grades
● STEM and Singapore Math in curriculum
● Music program for K-4 plus 7th grade
● Enrichment coordinators, PE and recess support for all grades
● Middle School Debate team
● Magazine subscriptions
● Chess in curriculum for grades K-7
● Math Club for grades 4-8
● Field Day for grades K-8
● Chess Team for grades K-8
● Graduation celebrations for 5th & 8th grades
● Senior package for 8th grade

Each class to achieve 50% donation and/or volunteering participation of all families by February 7, 2020 wins a Dress Down Day!

Each class to achieve 75% donation and/or volunteering participation of families by February 7, 2020 wins a Dress Down Day AND a Pizza Party!!

Each class to achieve 90% donation and/or volunteering participation of families by February 7, 2020 wins a Dress Down Day AND a Pizza Party AND Ice Cream!!! 

Together, let’s raise $400,000 this school year for our Scholars' TAG experience!

In 1993, parents sued New York State for severely under funding public schools (Campaign for Fiscal Equity "CFE") and parents won!

In 2006, The New York State Court of Appeals ruled that NYS is violating students constitutional right to a "sound and basic education" by not properly funding the schools as needed. NYS committed to paying a 5.5 billion (BILLION with a "B") to public schools statewide over a 4 year course from 2007 to 2011 (using a formula called Foundation Aid). Between 2007 and 2009, $2.4 billion was paid out to various districts state-wide, under the then current NYS Governor, Eliot Spitzer.

Then we experienced a recession, and all funds were frozen. Our new and now current Governor Cuomo made deep cuts to the the education budget.

13 years later, our public schools still need this money. We are still fighting for this money and we need everyone's help. Below are links to documents to give you all further information about this. The documents also give the website for the organization, AQE formed from this lawsuit. Go on their website to join this fight. You can look up your school to see how much money NYS owes your school, you can send emails, mail letters and make phone calls to your elected officials to let them know you know about this money NYS owes our public schools and we want them to fight for this money. Please print these attachments and distribute to your community members. Help us spread the word about this, bring it to your PTA/PA, SLT and other parent meetings. The Senate is in session now, they are proposing, discussing, voting and passing bills and will finalize the NYS budget by the end of March. We need to make sure the budget includes the Foundation Aid to fully fund our schools as NYS was ordered to do!

Just for our knowledge as District 4 schools, D4 stretches across Senate & Assembly districts. Below are the Senators and Assembly persons and the MONEY their schools are owed in their districts.

Senator Brian Benjamin NY Senate District 30 is owed 36 million
Senator Josè Serrano NY Senate District 29 is owed 17 million
Assemblyman Robert Rodriguez Assembly District 68 is owed 58 million
Assemblywoman Inez Dickens Assembly District 70 is owed 22 million

NYS OWES TAG $862,199!

The PTA Secretary went to Albany on Wednesday February 12 to fight for this money and met with the New York State Assembly Speaker, Carl Heastie to discuss funding our schools in New York City and met with Senator Jose Serrano to discuss funding our schools in District 4 specifically!

The following are links to the above-mentioned documents:

• CFE_one pager (2 sided) information sheet - this provides detailed information about the money NYS owes our public schools (English)

• CFE_one pager (2 sided) information sheet - this provides detailed information about the money NYS owes our public schools (Spanish)

• Fully Fund our School Template letter - this is a script, you may edit and personalize as you see fit, this is what you will say when you call your elected officials, you may read this as the message to give to your elected official when calling, you may print this out, sign it and mail it to your elected official, you may copy and paste this message and email it to your elected officials and you may copy and paste and "submit" as a message directly on each elected official's website

• Last but CERTAINLY not least. There is an Advocacy Letter. This letter needs to be completed and signed by you. We need all parents, school admin and all community members to complete and sign one of these. The letter is default addressed to Cuomo, you may leave his name and add more names. I need this letter returned to me, you can call or text me and I will meet with you to retrieve it from you or you may scan and email it to the PTA Secretary.

Please visit AQE's website for more information, subscribe to receive notifications, follow them on social media and click to find out who your elected officials are and HOW MUCH MONEY your school is owed!

Do not hesitate to contact the PTA Secretary to discuss further.

Santa is coming to District 4!  There will be lot's of fun activities for families which include FREE pictures with Santa! Each child will receive a FREE toy from Santa (WHILE SUPPLIES LAST).  CHILD MUST BE PRESENT TO RECEIVE THEIR FREE TOY!

We look forward to seeing you there!

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Buenas Tardes Familias!

¡Papá Noel viene al Distrito 4!  ¡Habrá muchas actividades divertidas para familias que incluyen fotos GRATIS con Santa!  Cada niño recibirá un juguete GRATUITO de Santa (DURANTE EL SUMINISTRO).  EL NIÑO DEBE ESTAR PRESENTE PARA RECIBIR SU JUGUETE GRATUITO! 

Esperamos verlos allí!

Dear TAG Families,
 
The Scholastic Book Fair is almost here!  We are proud to announce that this year's Fair will take place December 4th through December 6th.  

Our Fair encourages reading while helping raise funds for our school!  It will be open during the day and there will be a schedule teachers will follow so that every class has their own special time to visit.  

Please send your child with cash (include sales tax) or sign up for a convenient way to shop cash free called eWallet. Note that, this year, only the children who have cash or a scholastic e-wallet certificate will visit the book fair.

Please use the link below to direct you to the Scholastic home page where you can view the book flyer, hours, and eWallet link.