PS174 William Sidney Mount " Soaring to Excellence"

Good morning PS 174 families!

Welcome to the final assembly of 2018

here at our wonderful school.

Fifth graders……do you remember first coming to school?

I know you do because I read some of your reflections, your star goals, your teacher appreciation letters, and yes your essays.

****************************************************

Parents? Remember those first days…..

PreK, Kindergarten, first grade, second grade, third grade, fourth grade, fifth grade. The teachers, the friends.

For some of you, this is your only school. For some there have been other schools….and everyone, there are several more to come –

middle school, high school, college, and graduate school.

You have had many teachers….pre k and kindergarten,

classroom and cluster teachers….music, physical education, art STEM and other enrichments.

****************************************************

Our auditorium is very full today….full of moms and dads,

Brothers and sisters, grandmothers and grandfathers, aunts, uncles and friends.

Your fifth grade teachers are here,

Mrs. Kobetitsch is here! Mrs. Hui, our local elected officials, and representatives from our community.

Although every one of your teachers is not present here,

always remember that you have learned from every single

teacher you have ever had – PreK, Kindergarten,

first grade, second grade, third, and fourth grade

……and all of the clusters and enrichments.

****************************************************

I look at all of you today and you are shining bright…..singing with pride

and enthusiasm – We start every day singing together, The Star Spangled

Banner and I know that you will hear this anthem over the years, maybe

on television, at an ballgame, event or an election….

and when you do, I know that you will always think of PS 174.

****************************************************

You shine brighter than the sun

Every year, since you were very small,

I have told you all, “You are my stars.”

Every year, since Kindergarten,

you have completed your star projects.

This is so that you can always remember to set goals,

and to soar as high as a star………

You are all meant to fly…now, it’s your time to shine!

I know how much you love being outside

and playing in both gym and at recess,

how important playing soccer and basketball is to many, many of you.

This is why we ask every year, for more recess balls and games and

instructed you how to take turns and be a part of a team.

You had some whole group instruction, in classrooms about good

behavior and being kind and respectful.

You have had training in the gym and the schoolyard on how to choose

teams……solving conflicts….being asked, what is good

sportsmanship?…..being reflective, “am I being kind?

Taking traits – sometimes called “rough and aggressive”

by some…..and thinking with a positive mindset…of the attributes of

drive, loyalty and fairness……..all putting this energy into competitions

and contests and programs.

****************************************************

What programs?

You remember going to the Arthur Ash Tennis stadium and

playing tennis last year?

This is why your trip was to Chelsea Piers, so you could

climb, and swing, & jump and why we brought in Asphalt Green

and again participated in the District 28 basketball

tournament league.

But this year, not only participating but winning your Division Title!

Thank you, Mr. Niccolich and Mrs. Borges

****************************************************

This has been a wonderful year.

Did you ever think that many of you would be earning (virtual) hundreds

of thousands of $$ investing in the Stock Market,

….be speaking to a crowd of Wall Street executives

and be interviewed by news media …..and that one of you would be

the Investwrite York State Essay winner?

Who could ever forget the film crew last June who came from Donors

Choose to record students playing financial literacy games, sharing the

printed objects from our 3-D printer and 3-D doodlers,

arts supplies from Crayola and making the inventions

during our STEM Invention Convention?

….and the bus load of students and to the STEM Matters Science Expo at

the New York City Armory – each year for six years,

our school is represented with the most projects

of any school in the city.

And who will ever forget the days and weeks of preparation and auditions

for our PS 174 talent show!

Thank you, Mrs. Friedman, for showcasing the talents, efforts and work of scores of our students!

****************************************************

Parents, could you imagine, your young children, learning to dance with

such ease and grace, the foxtrot, meringue,

the tango, the waltz and the swing?

I know when they hear the music today, there will be dancing in

the gym.

Thank you Ms. Desvigne!

That children who speak with passion,

(in prior years, sometimes known as bickering or arguing)

can have a constructive outlet by learning the art and

craft of debate.

Thank you Mrs. Russell

****************************************************

We have a colorful, new room, not just a classroom but a STEM lab. That

is to help our students with active minds, brimming with ideas about

construction and making things could have an inspiring space …..

…a space where fifth graders could design rockets that would shoot across

our playground! Not just design, with drawings, but then to test them, then

redesign and reconstruct them based on their flaws and challenges. That is

true critical thinking.

Thank you Mr. Pizza.

Not just reading books,

but learning to sort and catalog them,

The Dewey Decimal system, and weekly circulation of books,

As Lexia shared, both she and her brother Chase love the time and the

books in our library.

Thank you Ms. Gruber

****************************************************

Our school shines bright! Look at the hallways, look at the Artsonia online

museum. The trips, the projects, the artistic displays, creations; the

sketches paintings and reliefs. Our school is filled with wondrous

creativity, imagination, and expression! For the second time, one of our PS

174 students work was on display at the Queens Museum of Art.

Thank you, Ms. Cooper

****************************************************

You have won trophies, worn school sweaters, team shirts and ties, dance

dresses. You have filled your binders with awards and certificates.

You are shining bright! The trophies and medals fill our counter and

display cases, but when you go out into the world, you will bring your

knowledge, your interest, and your the true desire to learn with you.

Thank you parents, for supporting our school and thank you to our

teachers for writing the grants for these exemplary

programs and materials.

Look out! Here they come…..You are the warriors, reaching for the

sun, that’s what you’ve become!

I know that you are glorious…….you are not scared to be seen, you’re

making no apologies….

I know because I talk to you…read your letters, your goals, your

reflections, your essays.

****************************************************

You are ready to shine!

I know because I read a letter written by Noa to the future fifth graders,

“So it’s your time to shine. To be the roll model of the school. Remember,

next year you will do projects and you will go on lots of trips. In order to

do all this fun, you have got to work hard.”

****************************************************

You are love school, I know because Issac wrote a recommendation

that says, “If you like to enjoy school you would like to come to PS 174

because of the amazing fun teachers and amazing trips and you get to try

things you have never done before.”

****************************************************

I am confident in your futures because ….according to Grace, “looks to

the future and states, Maybe one day I will become a teacher in PS 174.”

Thank you Mrs. Edwards

****************************************************

And that Steven is ready to shine in middle school, because his essay talks

about his teachers and concludes with, “I am saving the best for

last….Now I can write better, all because my teacher assigned essays for

us and taught all the techniques needed to become a better writer.”

Thank you, Mrs. Engel.

****************************************************

I know that you care because…..when Fabriozio wrote his memories of

PS 174, he said, “The teachers treated you like their own and taught us

everything we know until this day.”

Thank you, Ms. Todd and Ms. Gianninoto

****************************************************

I know that because of you our school you our school will never be the

same ……balancing exemplary projects and programs through grant

writing and leading teachers with STEM learning, Debate Team, Math

Olympiads, Math Club with 174 Alumni, The Queens South Schools

Academic Challenge, and student council service learning…..

Thank you Mrs. Russell

****************************************************

That you appreciate because as Lucia writes

“We are soon leaving our first school forever…it doesn’t mean we have to

leave all the memories we have gained here for quite a long time; that’s

because we can store our memories not only in our heart and but forever

in our writing.”

This and every other day could not happen without the

efforts, the care and the attention to every detail,

our school calendars, our weekly emails, our First Cups,

our school notices, bulletin boards, security form,

tickets and puppet shows,

our parent book clubs, our school volunteers……………

Thank you, Mrs. Hui

****************************************************

And for working with us all, standing together with me early each

morning, and late each evening, greeting our students in the cafeteria and

the auditorium each morning,

meeting our parents, for visiting our classes, getting to know our

students, …. Guiding and encouraging students after recess, before tests,

and opening up her office to pick out a book,

Thank you, Mrs. Kobetitsch

****************************************************

This is your moment….you are brave, you are who

You’re meant to be…..

you are marching to the beat of your drum,

****************************************************

You are my avid readers and descriptive writers, you are my

mathematicians, engineers, my artists.

You are builders, designers, creators.

You are script writers, essayists, persuaders.

You are my actors and singers…. sound and stage crew.

You are debaters, chess players, instrumentalists and soloists.

You act, you run, you play, you think.

You have imagination, drive and talent.

Shine bright. Spread your wings across the universe.

You are my stars,

You are my students.

I am your principal….and I will never forget you.

Thank you.

****************************************************

Good morning PS 174 families!
Welcome to the final assembly of 2018
	here at our wonderful school.


Fifth graders……do you remember first coming to school?
	I know you do because I read some of your reflections, your star goals, your teacher appreciation letters, and yes your essays.

*Parents?* Remember those first days…..
PreK, Kindergarten, first grade, second grade, third grade, fourth grade, fifth grade. The teachers, the friends.
For some of you, this is your only school. For some there have been other schools….and everyone, there are several more to come –
	middle school, high school, college, and graduate school.

You have had many teachers….pre k and kindergarten,
	classroom and cluster teachers….music, physical education, art STEM and other enrichments.

Our auditorium is very full today….full of moms and dads,
	Brothers and sisters, grandmothers and grandfathers, aunts, uncles and friends.

Your fifth grade teachers are here,
	Mrs. Kobetitsch is here! Mrs. Hui, our local elected officials, and representatives from our community.
	Although every one of your teachers is not present here,
	always remember that you have learned from every single
	teacher you have ever had – PreK, Kindergarten,
	first grade, second grade, third, and fourth grade
	……and all of the clusters and enrichments.

I look at all of you today and you are shining bright…..singing with pride
and enthusiasm – We start every day singing together, The Star Spangled
Banner and I know that you will hear this anthem over the years, maybe
on television, at an ballgame, event or an election….
	and when you do, I know that you will always think of PS 174.

You shine brighter than the sun
Every year, since you were very small,
	I have told you all, “You are my stars.”
Every year, since Kindergarten,
	you have completed your star projects.
This is so that you can always remember to set goals,
	and to soar as high as a star………

You are all meant to fly…now, it’s your time to shine!

I know how much you love being outside
	and playing in both gym and at recess,
	how important playing soccer and basketball is to many, many of you.

This is why we ask every year, for more recess balls and games and
	instructed you how to take turns and be a part of a team.

You had some whole group instruction, in classrooms about good
behavior and being kind and respectful.

You have had training in the gym and the schoolyard on how to choose
teams……solving conflicts….being asked, what is good
sportsmanship?…..being reflective, “am I being kind?

Taking traits – sometimes called “rough and aggressive”
by some…..and thinking with a positive mindset…of the attributes of
drive, loyalty and fairness……..all putting this energy into competitions
	and contests and programs.

*What programs?*
	You remember going to the Arthur Ash Tennis stadium and
	playing tennis last year?

This is why your trip was to Chelsea Piers, so you could
	climb, and swing, & jump and why we brought in Asphalt Green
	and again participated in the District 28 basketball
	tournament league.

But this year, not only participating but winning your Division Title!

This has been a wonderful year.
Did you ever think that many of you would be earning (virtual) hundreds
of thousands of $$ investing in the Stock Market,
	….be speaking to a crowd of Wall Street executives
	and be interviewed by news media …..and that one of you would be
	the Investwrite York State Essay winner?

Who could ever forget the film crew last June who came from Donors
Choose to record students playing financial literacy games, sharing the
	printed objects from our 3-D printer and 3-D doodlers,
	arts supplies from Crayola and making the inventions
	during our STEM Invention Convention?

….and the bus load of students and to the STEM Matters Science Expo at
the New York City Armory – each year for six years,
	our school is represented with the most projects
	of any school in the city.

And who will ever forget the days and weeks of preparation and auditions
for our PS 174 talent show!

Parents, could you imagine, your young children, learning to dance with
such ease and grace, the foxtrot, meringue,
	the tango, the waltz and the swing?
I know when they hear the music today, there will be dancing in
	the gym.
	Thank you Ms. Desvigne!

That children who speak with passion,
	(in prior years, sometimes known as bickering or arguing)
	can have a constructive outlet by learning the art and
	craft of debate.

	*Thank you Mrs. Russell*

You have won trophies, worn school sweaters, team shirts and ties, dance
dresses. You have filled your binders with awards and certificates.

You are shining bright! The trophies and medals fill our counter and
display cases, but when you go out into the world, you will bring your
knowledge, your interest, and your the true desire to learn with you.

Thank you parents, for supporting our school and thank you to our
	teachers for writing the grants for these exemplary
	programs and materials.

Look out! Here they come…..You are the warriors, reaching for the
sun, that’s what you’ve become!

I know that you are glorious…….you are not scared to be seen, you’re
making no apologies….

I know because I talk to you…read your letters, your goals, your
reflections, your essays.

*That you appreciate because as Lucia writes*
“We are soon leaving our first school forever…it doesn’t mean we have to
leave all the memories we have gained here for quite a long time; that’s
because we can store our memories not only in our heart and but forever
in our writing.”

This and every other day could not happen without the
	efforts, the care and the attention to every detail,
	our school calendars, our weekly emails, our First Cups,
	our school notices, bulletin boards, security form,
	tickets and puppet shows,
	our parent book clubs, our school volunteers……………

Thank you, Mrs. Hui

And for working with us all, standing together with me early each
morning, and late each evening, greeting our students in the cafeteria and
the auditorium each morning,
	meeting our parents, for visiting our classes, getting to know our
students, …. Guiding and encouraging students after recess, before tests,
and opening up her office to pick out a book,

*Thank you, Mrs. Kobetitsch*

*This is your moment….*you are brave, you are who

You’re meant to be…..
	you are marching to the beat of your drum,

You are my avid readers and descriptive writers, you are my
	mathematicians, engineers, my artists.

You are builders, designers, creators.

You are script writers, essayists, persuaders.

You are my actors and singers…. sound and stage crew.
You are debaters, chess players, instrumentalists and soloists.

You act, you run, you play, you think.
You have imagination, drive and talent.

Shine bright. Spread your wings across the universe.
You are my stars,
You are my students.
I am your principal….and I will never forget you.

Thank you.