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P.S.121 believes that all students can strive for excellence academically, socially, and emotionally in a safe and supportive environment. Students are empowered to discover their strengths and set goals to achieve their maximum potentials. Together with parents and the school community, we will support our students in building ownership and responsibilities for their present and future learning by developing academic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and technological skills in order to become productive citizens.
Welcome!
Please see Mr. Patrello's Welcome Letter to Families.
You can contact the following staff via email:
Principal: Nicholas Patrello (NPatrello@schools.nyc.gov)
Assistant Principal: Lisa Brand (LBrand4@schools.nyc.gov)
Assistant Principal (IA): Joshua Atlas (JAtlas2@schools.nyc.gov)
Parent Coordinator: Yasmin Chavez (YChavez4@schools.nyc.gov)
Pupil Accounting Secretary: Charisse Hughes-Rose (CHughesRose@schools.nyc.gov)
~*~Reminder~*~
There is NO SCHOOL on the following days:
Mid-Winter Recess
Schools will be closed from Monday February 20, 2023 through Friday February 24, 2023. We look forward to seeing everyone back in school on Monday February 27, 2023.
School Uniform Policy
P.S. 121Q is a uniform school. Our school uniform is as follows:
Navy Bottom; White Shirt (with collar)
Breakfast with the Principal Event:
On Thursday, September 29 we will be hosting our FIRST Breakfast with the Principal! This IN-PERSON event will be from 9:00AM – 10:00AM in the Cafeteria. Join myself, Assistant Principals Lisa Brand and Joshua Atlas, as well as Parent Coordinator Yasmin Chavez, Instructional Coach Tara Brinkmann for a chat and light refreshments!
If you would like to attend, please complete the Google Form HERE
Remember – you MUST be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 to be eligible to attend in person. You will be asked to show proof of vaccination upon entry to PS 121Q.
NYCDOE Health & Safety Guidance for Schools - Fall 2022
Vaccination Requirements:
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Vaccination is still required for all visitors entering school buildings
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Vaccination is still required for all DOE employees
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Vaccination is still required for other individuals who work in DOE buildings
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Vaccinations is still required to participate in high-risk extracurricular activities including high-risk PSAL sports
Daily Health Screener:
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No longer required to enter school buildings
Stay home if sick:
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Students and staff should stay home if they show any symptoms of COVID-19 or other illnesses and get tested for COVID-19.
Isolate if COVID-19 positive:
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Students and staff who test positive for COVID-19 must isolate for 5 days and can return to school on day 6 if they have no symptoms or symptoms are improving. They must wear mask until day 10 after symptom onset or date of positive test, whichever is earlier.
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These cases should be reported to their school so they can be report into the sit room for exposure notifications.
Get tested if exposed to COVID-19:
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Students and staff who are exposed to COVID-19 should get tested.
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These individuals should receive home tests from their school and take two tests, at least 24 hours apart on day 4 and day 5 of their exposure. All exposed individuals should monitor for fever and other COVID-19 symptoms for 10 days after their exposure. If symptoms begin, they should not attend school and should isolate and get tested for COVID-19 again right away.
Testing:
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Starting the first day of school, schools will offer home test kits to those with a potential in-school exposure and those with symptoms
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In addition, each staff and student will receive 4 tests per month to take home. These tests can be used by school families for testing due to symptoms, exposures, high-risk activity (such as travel and large gatherings) and can give staff and students immediate results.
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In-school PCR surveillance testing will not be a part of the 2022-23 school year.
Masking- Face coverings are strongly recommended to be worn when indoors.
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Masks will be made available at the school for all those who need/want them.
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Students and staff, regardless of vaccination status, are required to wear a mask when:
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Returning to school on the sixth day after testing positive for COVID-19, through day 10 after symptom onset or date of positive test, whichever is earlier, including when traveling on a school bus.
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Entering the school medical room, nurse’s office, or school-based health center.
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Exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 at school.
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Students and staff, regardless of vaccination status, are strongly recommended to wear a mask:
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When they were exposed to someone with COVID-19, whether the exposure occurred in school or outside of school. The person should wear a mask for 10 days after their last day of exposure and get tested at least 24 hours apart on day 4 and day 5 of their exposure.
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When they are moderately-to-severely immunocompromised, and masking is recommended by their healthcare provider.
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In crowded indoor settings
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Ventilation:
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160K+ air purifiers distributed to schools – at least two in every classroom
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Monitoring ventilation in buildings on a daily basis and perform any required work in a timely manner
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HVAC upgrades in alignment with CDC guidance, including 110,000 MERV-13 filters installed
School Building Cleaning:
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Routine cleaning of surfaces will be maintained
Get Tested:
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Schools are distributing free, take-home COVID-19 rapid test kits to any students or staff who exhibit COVID-like symptoms or have been in a classroom where a positive case has been identified. Anyone who tests positive on a take-home test should immediately report it to the school and begin isolating. No proof of a negative result is required in order for these students to enter the school building.
School Closure:
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Schools will be closed only when it is determined by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) that there is widespread transmission in the school. With the health and safety measures in place, we expect that school closures will be limited.
UPDATE: Family Letter on Health & Safety for the 2022-23 School Year from NYCDOE
Welcome to PS121
A Community of Passionate Educators and Learners
School Hours:
P.S. 121Q School Hours: 8:00AM - 2:20PM (2:00PM dismissal for Pre-K Students)
Hot Breakfast: 7:15AM - 7:45AM (Main Entrance)
Grab & Go Breakfast: 7:45AM - 8:05AM
Arrival Procedures:
*Student entrance doors open at 7:45AM.*
The following procedures are in place for student ARRIVALS:
~Pre-K, Kindergarten & Grade 1 Students will enter the building through the127th Street entrance.
~Grade 2, Grade 3, Grade 4 & Grade 5 Students will enter the building through the 126th Street entrance.
~Entry Doors will close at 8:05AM.
~Students arriving after 8:05AM will enter through the Main Entrance (109th Ave).
*Arrival procedures subject to change due to ongoing building construction.
Dismissal Procedures:
The following procedures are in place for student DISMISSALS:
~Pre-K students will dismiss at 2:00PM from the 127th Street entrance.
~Kindergarten students will dismiss at 2:20PM from the 127th Street entrance.
~Grade 1 students will dismiss at 2:20PM from the 126th Street entrance.
~Grade 2 & Grade 3 students will dismiss at 2:20PM into the school yard. Students will line up on the turf.
~Grade 4 students will dismiss at 2:20PM into the school yard. Students will line up on the basketball court.
~Grade 5 students will dismiss at 2:20PM from the 126th Street entrance (across from the yard, down the block from Grade 1).
*Dismissal procedures subject to change due to ongoing building construction.
Keep in Mind...
~Arrival/Dismissal is a very busy time for school staff. Please avoid having in depth conversations with teachers/staff at that time.
~Please make sure that your child's teacher sees you when picking your child up. We do not dismiss any child without making eye contact with the adult.
~Please try to be on time to pick up your child.
~Please do not crowd dismissal doors. All children will be dismissed in a timely manner.
~We only dismiss to adults listed on the Blue Emergency Card. It is important to keep any/all information on the card updated.
~Late students are brought to the Cafeteria. Please report to the Main Entrance to retrieve your child after dismissal doors close.
~Only students in Grade 4 & Grade 5 are permitted to walk home. A written, signed note MUST be on file before any child is permitted to walk home from school.

Introducing the PS121 YouTube Channel
We are excited to announce that we have officially launched a P.S.121 YouTube channel! The videos on our channel are intended to help students and parents learn the ins and outs of remote learning, with a big focus on using Google Classroom for remote instruction. We hope these "how-to" videos will help answer some of the common questions that have come up during this time of distance learning. Please let your child's teacher know if there is a topic that you would like to see included in our video tutorials. We will be updating the channel with new videos as new as new technologies and platforms become introduced.
Additionally, we have created a PDF Tutorial Folder on Google Drive with information ranging from "how to access your gmail" to "How to use talk to type" and everything in between. We know that you and your children have been working hard to adopt and embrace remote learning! We hope that these tutorials will make that transition a little easier!
Helping Your Child With Digital Learning
Find out more information about the online platforms your child will be using and how to help them at home.


Some answers to popular questions can be found here.

Did you know there's a SchoolFood Mobile app to get the menus for both breakfast and lunch? Download the app for iOS or Android!
Learning Resources

Access over 5,000 books online with P.S.121Q's Digital Library called Myon!
MyON is an award-winning personalized literacy environment that incorporates a state-of-the art learning platform, enhanced digital reading content, daily news articles written for students, The Lexile® Framework for Reading, cutting-edge literacy tools and embedded metrics to monitor activity and growth. Together, these components power a Literacy Ecosystem that is built upon five pillars: Personalization, Unparalleled Content, Unlimited Access, Collaboration and Success.

Communication
Maintain Contact with Your Child's Teacher
Using Class Dojo, you can be in constant touch with your child's teacher to ask questions, gain information and manage behavior. Be sure to ask your child's teacher how to sign in to her classroom.
Be sure to keep up with all that’s happening at PS121. Check our website and Facebook page frequently for upcoming events and special activities. Also check out the NYC Department of Education Website for important information.
Accessibility
Committed to Excellence
We are working to make this website easier to access for people with disabilities, and will follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0. If you need assistance with a particular page or document on our current site, please call 718-558-1560 to request assistance.
To translate this site, please open it in Google Chrome, right click the page and choose Translate.
* Photo credits for some pictures on this site go to Pexels, Pics4Learnings, Pixabay and Wix.
