PS 20 Handbook 2022/23 

Welcome! Bienvenue! Bienvenido! بك أهلا !欢迎! Akeyi! 환영!

Dear PS 20 Families,

We are thrilled to have you as part of our school community! Whether you are a returning family or new to the school, please use this document to prepare for the academic year at PS 20.

The first day of school for all students is Thursday, September 8, 2022.

PS 20 uses Konstella, a school-wide internal communication resource (including a website and a mobile app), for all announcements and updates. Konstella includes the school calendar, classroom groups, events, volunteer sign-ups, community and committee groups, and more. Konstella is the primary way to receive current information throughout the school year. Sign up for Konstella at konstella.com

Important Contact Information

✓ PS 20 main office: 225 Adelphi St, Brooklyn, NY 11205

Phone: 718-834-6744 Fax: 718-243-0712  

Lena Johnson-Barbera, Principal: Ljohnson96@schools.nyc.gov 

Nicole Blyden, Assistant Principal: NBlyden@schools.nyc.gov

Ina Friedman, Secretary: Ifriedm2@schools.nyc.gov

Carmen Perez, Office + Enrollment Manager: cperez13@schools.nyc.gov

Karen Colon, Parent Coordinator: KColon3@schools.nyc.gov 

✓ Our website: ps20.org 

✓ PTA general inquiries, email: info@ps20.org 

✓ Sign up for Konstella, our school community website at konstella.com

✓ Like us on Facebook – facebook.com/ps20kidsrock 

✓ Follow us on Instagram - @ps20pta 

Morning Drop Off

Drop-off for students in Kindergarten through 5th grade will be at 8:20am, and drop-off for 3-K and Pre-K students will be at 8:10am.

Students will be dropped off outside at the designated, labeled location for each class.

3K, Pre-K, and Kindergarten drop-off will be in the PS 20 school yard (off Clermont Avenue); First Grade drop-off will be along Willoughby Avenue; Second and Third Grade drop-off will be on Adelphi Street, on either side of the main building entrance; and Fourth and Fifth Grade drop-off will be in Parham Park at the basketball courts.  

You may want to have your child use the restroom prior to coming to school so that he/she can proceed directly to the classroom and to reduce wait times since the bathrooms are operating at reduced occupancy.

If students would like school breakfast, a “grab and go” station will be set up inside the school for students to pick up breakfast, which will be eaten in the classroom.

If your child is late, and your child’s class has already gone inside the building, please wait until all classes have finished using the front door before you proceed inside to get your child a late pass.

Pick Up 

Students will be picked up at the same locations as drop off. Pick-up for students in Kindergarten through 5th grade will be at 2:40pm, and pick-up for 3-K and Pre-K students will be at 2:30pm.

Please be sure to alert your child’s teacher about who is permitted to pick up your child, including any after-school programs you have planned for your child. Please do not be late! If you are late to pick up your child, please visit the main office to sign in, and then you can pick up your child from the school auditorium.

Health & Safety Guidelines 

PS 20 follows the most recent guidelines provided by the NYC DOE. You can find current policies and information on the DOE’s COVID information page.

Safety Expectations

In order to keep our students, staff, and families as safe as possible, PS 20’s expectation is that families and staff observe the protocols recommended by the DOE, including the following (note that all protocols are subject to change, based on DOE recommendations):

• Students and staff should stay home if they show any symptoms of COVID-19 or other illnesses and get tested for COVID-19.
• Promptly report any symptoms of or exposure to COVID-19 to PS 20 administration
• Follow appropriate hand hygiene, including washing hands or using hand sanitizer upon entering the building, after having contact with respiratory secretions and/or contaminated objects/materials.
• Follow appropriate respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette

• Cover one’s mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing;
• Use the nearest waste receptacle to dispose of the tissue after use;
• Perform hand hygiene

• Encourage up-to-date COVID-19 vaccinations for everyone six months old or older. (Visit this Vaccine Finder to find a location near you.)
• Follow DOE-mandated guidelines for school buildings, including vaccination requirements:

• Vaccination is still required for all visitors entering school buildings
• Vaccination is still required for all DOE employees
• Vaccination is still required for other individuals who work in DOE buildings
• Vaccinations is still required to participate in high-risk extracurricular activities including high-risk PSAL sports

• Above all else, do not send your child to school if they are sick. Any child showing symptoms—from a fever to a sore throat or runny nose—may be sent to a quarantine room by the school nurse.

Masks / PPE

• Face coverings are strongly recommended to be worn when indoors.
• Anyone who chooses to wear a face covering may do so, and your child may request a mask from their school or program if they need one.
• Face coverings are strongly recommended for any staff member or student who knows they have been exposed to COVID-19 within the previous 10 days. 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.
• Wearing a face covering is still required in medical rooms and nurses’ offices. Nurses will have face coverings on hand for anyone entering who may need one.

If There’s a Positive COVID-19 Case in the School Community

While PS 20’s school staff and administration are doing everything possible to create a safe learning environment for students, we know that positive cases can still happen, and there may be times when students and staff are asked to isolate due to exposure to COVID-19.

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 a mask until day 10 after symptom onset or date of positive test, whichever is earlier.

These cases should be reported to the school so they can be reported into the DOE situation room for exposure notifications.

If Someone in the School Community is Exposed to COVID-19

Students and staff who are exposed to COVID-19 should get tested. 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 for COVID-19

Starting the first day of school, schools will offer home test kits to those with a potential in-school exposure and those with symptoms. 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. In-school PCR surveillance testing will not be a part of the 2022-23 school year. Learn more about Home Rapid Test Kits here.

After School

PS 20 is pleased to host two in-house after-school programs: Kaleidoscope and PTA-run Mosaic.

All on-site programs will follow current NYC DOE and NYS Department of Health guidelines on public health safety protocols, and students will be outside as much as possible. Students participating in on-site and off-campus after-school programs will be dismissed to the school auditorium at the end of the day. After School programs will pick up students from the auditorium. Please inform your teacher of any after school programs that your child is enrolled in.

For more information on these programs, including other off-campus programs that pick up from PS 20—visit our After School page at ps20.org/afterschool.

Meals 

PS 20 offers breakfast and lunch for free to all students. Breakfast is “grab and go,” where students may eat in the classroom.

All children are welcome to participate in the school lunch program for free. Students in 3-K, Pre-K, will eat lunch in their classrooms. Students in Kindergarten will eat lunch in their classroom early in the school year, then move to the cafeteria and/or other outdoor open spaces. 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade, and 5th Grade will eat lunch in the cafeteria and/or other large open spaces, including the Play Yard.

We recommend packing a reusable water bottle for your child to drink throughout the day, regardless of their lunch choice.

PS 20 is sensitive to the needs of children with nut allergies; however, we are not a nut-free facility. Teachers will supervise lunch and ensure the safety of children with allergies. Please discuss all allergy needs directly with your child’s teacher at the beginning of the school year.

IMPORTANT: ALL PARENTS MUST SUBMIT A “TITLE 1” FUNDING FORM.

You will receive a form at the beginning of school. It is imperative that you accurately fill it and return it; you can also do it online right now at www.myschoolapps.com/Application (use school “13K020 - PS 20 Clinton Hill”). These forms generate a large amount of our yearly funding from the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

School Supplies

School supply lists for students in Kindergarten through 5th Grade can be found on the Back-to-School page on ps20.org, and will be also shared by your child’s teacher at orientation. You may want to consider shopping for supplies via the Amazon Link on the ps20.org fundraising page. When you click that link, you will be automatically directed to Amazon and a portion of any purchases you make after making that click will fund the PS 20 PTA at no charge to you. We also recommend using Amazon Smile and setting your charity as “Ps 20 Clinton Hill PTA” so that Amazon will donate back .05% of all your purchases to your child’s school.

The PS 20 PTA (Parent Teacher Association)

You are an automatic member of the PS 20 PTA!

The mission of the association is to provide support and resources to benefit the growth of the PS 20 community of students, parents, teachers, administrators, and staff; develop parent leadership and cultivate family involvement; strengthen ties with the local community; and procure funding for school support and initiatives, while embracing core principles of sustainability.

In a typical year, here are just some of the things that the PTA organizes and/or funds through its fundraising efforts and your support:

• Organizes events such as Family Nights, Parents’ Nights Out, field trips, Movie Nights, Book Fairs, the annual Oktoberfest, Brotherhood Dinner, Holiday Concert, Election Day Bake Sales, Picture Day, Spring Fling, STEAM nights, and other family events.
• Provides support and funding for school facility improvements, such as AV upgrades, outdoor benches, and school murals.
• Runs Mosaic, a daily After School Program for students
• Manages and funds the Green Arts program, the school’s integrated art and gardening curriculum which serves all students Pre-K through 5th grade.
• Coordinates Teacher Appreciation events throughout the school year
• Organizes children’s book author/illustrator visits to the school
• Communicates with families through flyers and email newsletters.
• Maintains the ps20.org website, Facebook page, Instagram, and Twitter accounts.
• Provides support for School Tours
• Provides vital support and funding for gaps in the school budget, like school aides and teacher supplies
• Runs the Class Parent program. Class Parents act as a liaison between the teacher and parents of their child’s classroom, as well as help to engage families in school and PTA activities.

Join us in our effort to make PS 20 the best it can be. Below are a few ways you can get involved with the PTA. Email board@ps20.org for more information. Suggestions are always welcome!

Attend monthly PTA meetings. Your voice counts!

• Help out with school events and classroom activities
• Become a Class Parent Leader
• Volunteer at an event
• Participate in fundraising events throughout the year
• Consider making a financial contribution to the PTA fund. Any amount is welcome!
• Email volunteers@ps20.org if you’re interested in volunteer opportunities

PTA meetings are usually held on the 3rd  Thursday of each month at 6pm, via Zoom. Watch Konstella for confirmed meeting dates and instructions on how to join upcoming virtual meetings. 

PTA Contact list

While all parents and teachers are members of the PTA the Executive Board guides the efforts of the larger PTA body according to DOE PTA bylaws. Below are the currently-elected board officers. You can always send general questions for the PTA to board@ps20.org. 

PTA Committees 2022/23

YOU are part of what makes PS 20 GREAT! We encourage you to be an active part of the PTA and consider joining one of our committees via Konstella.  

Committees are a great way for parents and guardians to get involved in the school! Any PTA member (that includes you!) can suggest the creation of a new committee to the Board. Below is a list of the current committees.

Facility Planning: Our aim is to coordinate structural improvements and beautify PS 20. Working with our facilities and custodial staff and through Participatory Budgeting grants, we have renovated bathrooms, rewired for electrical improvements, and completed A/V upgrades.

Communications: We strive to keep our families informed of all the wonderful things happening in our school and community. We send weekly e-newsletters, manage the Konstella platform and school website, update the PS 20 Handbook, manage flyer backpacking, and more – we are here to help parents, teachers, and staff communicate effectively at PS 20!

Fundraising: Are you creative, energetic, and have a passion for public education? Join the fundraising committee! We organize events throughout the year to help fund school and PTA programs. Last year the committee raised $150,000 for the school, and we need help to do it again this year! We are especially seeking parents who have experience in grant writing and corporate giving.

Events & Hospitality: We help organize PS 20 events from the Holiday Concert to Oktoberfest, the Brotherhood dinner to Spring Fling, and beyond! We encourage volunteers and parent participation to ensure these events are well-coordinated, staffed, and inviting to all.

Decorating Team: Working closely with the Event committee, our Decorating committee creates a festive atmosphere for school events, as well as keeps the front hall warm and welcoming for students and families.  

Afterschool:  Our primary focus is managing Mosaic, the in-house, on-site, PTA-led afterschool enrichment program. We also help to coordinate with other afterschool programs to ensure that all kids have plenty of after school options at PS 20 and in the surrounding neighborhood.

Green Arts: Green Arts is an interdisciplinary hands-on educational approach that broadens students’ thinking and problem-solving abilities. We employ 3 art and gardening/sustainability teachers who work with all grades and classes throughout the school week. We hold an annual garden-to-cafe event for students, host beehives on the school roof, and collaborate with local institutions such as Fort Greene Park.

STEAM: STEAM = Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Math. Our vision is ambient STEAM - event nights, exhibitions, field trips, clubs, after school, and classroom programming - to promote future fluency. Highlights of the parent-teacher STEAM Team collaboration this year are visiting microbiologists, stargazing and space exploration, robotics offerings, a sustainability workshop, and our flagship STEAM night fair. New ideas we are exploring include an outdoor Playlab in the recess yard, solar panels/green roof, a hydroponic garden, a Lego Robotics team, and more!

Outdoor Learning: As part of the NYC Department of Education’s health and safety measures for the 2021-2022 school year, the NYC DOE is encouraging schools to have lunch outside and to increase outdoor learning opportunities. The Outdoor Learning committee, established in 2019, is dedicated to improving PS 20’s outdoor spaces and facilitating a safe and healthy outdoor environment that will allow for learning, eating, and more.   

SLT (School Leadership Team): All NYC DOE public schools have a School Leadership Team, and our Team consists of PS 20 family members (parents, grandparents, guardians), staff members, and admins. Members are elected for two-year positions by their peer group, i.e. parent members are elected by the parent body, during a PTA meeting. The SLT meets monthly to read, review and discuss the school’s CEP, Comprehensive Education Plan. The CEP is a set of goals individualized for our school based on data collected by the DOE, such as attendance, test scores, etc. The CEP is a living document, meaning it grows and changes throughout the year with the DOE and SLT’s input. When we look at the goals, we work collaboratively to find the best possible ways to meet the goals with our unique community in mind. The PS 20 SLT is currently looking for new members! Please reach out to board@ps20.org to get involved. 

PTA Committee Contact list

PS 20 School Contacts 2021/22

Get to know some of the PS 20 support staff & administration!

PS 20 main office

Lena Johnson-Barbera, Principal:   Ljohnson96@schools.nyc.gov 

Nicole Blyden, Assistant Principal: NBlyden@schools.nyc.gov 

Ina Friedman, Payroll Secretary: Ifriedm2@schools.nyc.gov 

Carmen Perez, Office Manager/ Enrollment Manager: cperez13@schools.nyc.gov 

Karen Colon, Parent Coordinator: KColon3@schools.nyc.gov 

Deborah Hollon, Community Associate: Dhollon3@schools.nyc.gov

School Nurse   

Charmayne Brittlebank: cbrittlebank@health.nyc.gov

Kitchen Staff

Vergee Smith

Sean Cornish

School-Based Support Team

School Psychologist: Desha Scott dscott15@schools.nyc.gov 

Guidance Counselor: Deborah deShong ddeshong@schools.nyc.gov 

Social Worker: Laveronique Alcide Lacid@scholls.nyc.gov 

Administrative Assistant: Helen Sandy Hsandy@schools.nyc.gov 

DOE School Aides

Annie Basulto abasulto2@schools.nyc.gov 

Antonette Lopez  alopez257@schools.nyc.gov

School Facilities

Custodial Engineer: Anthony Falco:  ck020@schools.nyc.gov

Fireman: Orlando Garcia

General Maintenance: Paul Brown

PTA-Funded School Aides

Ms. Donna Dechirico

Ms. Hilda Ferrer

Ms. Shawna Bobbitt

Ms. Shanyce Mason

Ms. Lisa Reyes

PS 20 Cluster Teachers

PS 20 has an incredible team of diverse cluster teachers who work collaboratively with classroom teachers to support and expand on the common core education.   

   Dance - Mr. Chung DChung4@schools.nyc.gov 

Physical Education - Ms. Cassimiro cassimiro@gmail.com 

French - Mme McIntosh VMcintosh3@schools.nyc.gov 

French - Andrew Orthner  oorthner4@schools.nyc.gov

Music - Mr. Hampton LHampton2@schools.nyc.gov 

Librarian - Dr. Cirelli - MCirelli@schools.nyc.gov

PTA Funded Green Arts Program

Gardening & Sustainability - Mr. Jonathan jonathanblumberg@yahoo.com 

Art - Kayra Viezcas - kayraviezcas@gmail.com

Join Konstella to Connect with PS 20 

PS 20 PTA, administrators, and teachers use Konstella, a private parent community to communicate, share photos, and sign up for events and committees. Join today to stay informed of upcoming events, back-to-school announcements, Mosaic after-school registration, and to access the school calendar!

To join, go to konstella.com/p/PS20 and click Request to Join. (You can leave the "Classroom" field empty or choose "Don't know," and can join your child’s specific classroom in September.)

Questions? Email comm@ps20.org