94107228272 - Q&A Report

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1	Question	Answer

2	how many K seats for nonsiblings?	Typically 18 of the 100 seats are taken by siblings. We will address this later in the presentation.
3	For children you have enrolled in K last year how did you ensure all were brought to the same level of understanding given that there is no test to screen children now. Thank you.	live answered
4	We’ve been told that all nyc prek students have been nominated for g&t this year. How will the curriculum change because of this?	We have not heard this — we have heard that all prek students are assessed for the G&T programs.
5	So if you have a child that has been tested for G&T and doesn’t land a spot due to the lottery, how is DOE G&T programs helping accommodating those children’s needs?	This is a question for our Chancellor. As one of the school’s citywide G&T programs, we are focused upon the students who get matched to us.
6	who supports the hiring of teaching assistants?	Our PTA does fundraising to pay for teaching assistants in the K-5 classrooms.
7	What is the assessment process?	The assessment happens by the pre-K teachers or DOE staff, not by us at NEST+m.
8	How many K seats for this year? What’s the students to teacher ratio? sorry I seemed to miss this part.	We have 100 K seats. 1 teacher to 25 students. The number of teaching assistants depends upon PTA fundraising efforts, which determines if there is 1 TA per class, or if 2 classes share a TA.
9	How are children supported that are not able to keep up with the advanced curriculum yet are selected to attend?	Our teachers work with students individually and in small groups to offer additional support.
10	Thank you. Is it going to be an interview? If so online or in person for the assessment?	You will need to ask your child’s pre-K teacher, as the assessment is not done by us at NEST+m.
11	If the class size reduction bill passes will it have any impact on the number of seats available this year for K?	Our current Kindergarten class size is 25 students.
12	Science is not offer everyday?	We have a dedicated K-2 science teacher. Our K-2 students receive two science lessons a week.
13	Sorry, I didn't hear this clearly - did you say that for K, homework is 10 mins plus the 20-30 mins reading a day?	It will not be more than 10 minutes! Homework does not always look like worksheets. It might look like practicing sight words, or playing a math game.
14	Are there any seats avaliable for 1st grade this fall?Thank you.	Yes. We anticipate 13 first grade spots.
15	Which afterschool programs can K students attend? Are they on site at the school?	There is an after school program called After3 onsite for students in K-5. There are a variety of programs for K-aged students! Also, some programs like 14th St YMCA does pick up at NEST+m.
16	How many seats are available for 3rd graders?	~14
17	Is NEST+M zoned for only students in the borough?	NEST+m is a citywide public school, so it is open to students from all the boroughs.
18	How to prepare for interview? Is it with parents or and child?	Please reach out to your child’s pre-K teacher, as the assessment is not done by us at NEST+m.
19	If k kids join the on-site after 3 program. Will they still have school bus service? Thanks	Contact our After3 program, after3nyc@gmail.com, with this question.
20	Kindergarten admissions is lottery based?	It is an assessment by the pre-K teacher then it is a lottery to match the student to one of their ranked programs.
21	If we are waitlisted, will we know what our waitlist number is? How long can we be waitlisted for? Can the waitlist extend past the 1st day of school?	Waitlist numbers will be available in MySchools. Waitlists are open up to end of October.
22	How many 3rd grade spots in past years were filled by siblings (of the estimated 14 spots)	We have to wait to see how many qualified siblings will apply, then the remaining seats will be filled by eligible external applicants.
23	Is there any consideration given to siblings applying in the same year to keep them together - a K and a 3rd grader for example?	If one sibling gets an offer, then the other sibling can get sibling priority. They would also have to be assessed and eligible to get sibling priority. Sometimes that allows them to go to the top of the waitlist.
24	Do you anticipate that all qualified 3rd grade siblings will get a spot?	We do not have this information yet.
25	Will you slow down the curriculum at NEST+m for the future students as the rising K students aren’t tested prior to the admission process?	live answered
26	For the offered seats will there be a certain percentage assigned to different race?	The Office of Enrollment does the matching process based on applicant’s eligibility and ranking of programs.
27	If a child can't really articulate himself but excel in other subjects ie: math, reading, science and is curious, will he be able to fit in in the school?	live answered
28	How often do the children get report cards and parent teacher conferences? How do we communicate with teachers (i.e. email? portal?) Are there weekly emails or photos sent to parents about what the class is up to?	Report cards are given in November, March, and June. Parent teacher conferences are officially in November and March, but you can always reach out to your child's teacher to schedule a meeting during their office hours as needed. The primary form of communication between parents and teachers is email. Teachers send weekly or bi-weekkly email to families, and yes we also share photos!
29	Did the covid affect the PTA fundraising effort?	live answered
30	Re: bussing, if the child lives more than 1 mile away from the school, can they qualify for it?	Public bus service is available for Manhattan residents below 93rd st, who live more than 1/2 mile from school.
31	Will these slides be emailed to us after this virtual tour?	We will post the slides, and recording, on our Tours webpage.
32	If child is in k private school how do we prepare for interview?	Private and charter school students will be interviewed by DOE staff. Please email es_enrollment@schools.nyc.gov to find out how to prepare.
33	If I put NEST+m as my No. 1 choice, but don’t get a spot, will it negatively affect the chances of getting a G&T spot at the zoned district school where I already have a sibling that I put at No. 2?	No. If you rank NEST+m #1, and seats are fillend when your lottery number comes up, your #2 choice will automatically become your #1.
34	Hello. What activities do the after 3 program offer? What time is the afterschool running until?	Here is a more comprehensive view of the after school program: http://www.after3nyc.org/. The latest a child can be picked up from After3 is 5:45pm, but actual classes end at about 4:45pm.
35	How do the evaluators conduct the evaluation for children current not in DOE programs? Do they speak to just the parents or the child as well? What are the metrics?	You can contact the DOE at es_enrollment@schools.nyc.gov, as we do not have this information.
36	If child is in pre-k private school, is school assessment needed? How to prepare for an interview?	Please see the DOE website regarding this: https://www.schools.nyc.gov/enrollment/enroll-grade-by-grade/gifted-talented. You must apply and submit grades. The DOE will take it from there.
37	Will there be any subjects(math, reading, science etc) offered in different levels based on students level?	Within the classroom, work can be differentiated for children based on their own levels and needs. For example, children who come to kindergarten already knowing how to read will have different books in their book baggies than children who are first learning to decode.
38	If your student is coming from charter, parochial or private school with a different age cutoff (completing K, but might be 2nd grade age by DOE cutoff) would they be placed in 1st or 2nd grade? November 2015 birthday.	The DOE places students according to their birth date, with a December 31 cutoff.
39	Curious if you know how many students don't return the following year bc the curriculum is too fast? Not sure how the G&T only schools operate, but do students get left back a grade?	Very few students leave NEST because the curriculum is too fast. We rarely retain students. At times we will retain a k or 1st grade student who needs additional academic support and time to mature. Occasionally we have a student leave NEST+m due to the academic concerns. It is much more frequent for a child to leave due to transportation challenges.
40	Do you have any advice for a parent whose child starts K at NEST+m? To support them in the new environment and curriculum?	As a fellow parent, I would advise finding balance between trusting the teachers to do their work and following along your child’s progress through their backpacked work in their folders. Of course, one of the biggest hurdles is adjusting to a new environment, so do invest time in play dates, volunteer for parent reading sessions, help out in the classroom if needed. Teachers are open to communicating, so always reach out if you have concerns.
41	How do you reward good behaviours/ great academic achievements? How do you handle a child who is disruptive or conflict between children?	live answered
42	Do the students feel like they are competing with each other?	live answered
43	Slide said only KIDS APPLYING TO 1st grade need grades from current K PRIVATE SCHOOL, IF MY CHILD IS CURRENTLY IN PRE-k private school do our teachers have to submit grades if applying to kindergarten.. I AM CONFUSED	Pre K students will be assessed by the pre-k teacher. If applying to 1-3rd grade, the DOE will look at report card grades as part of the assessment.
44	Will this recorded presentation be on the nestmk12.net website?	Yes! Visit https://www.nestmk12.net/virtual_tours
45	What sort of remote options do you have for, God forbid, if your child contracts COVID and needs to quarantine? Do you offer remote one-on-one or small group learning in that scenario?	Currently the DOE does not offer remote options for children who have COVID. We have Google classrooms where families can access assignments and teachers can be contacted during their weekly office hours.
46	Do the school follows the DOE calendar?	Yes, we are a DOE school that follows the DOE calendar.
47	Hi - I am moving from Switzerland to New York on June 25th. My 5 year old son will enter kindergarten this fall. are we eligible to apply given we don't have accommodation in nyc right now? Thanks.	You cannot apply to G&T programs until you are a resident on NYC. Please contact a Family Welcome Center for assistance.
48	how do you/have you supported gender non-conforming kids, especially in the lower grades	Logistically, some of the bathrooms (not all) at NEST+m are gender-neutral. Culturally, we make sure to affirm all students' identities, including those who are gender non-conforming. At the kindergarten level, we've had many conversations and many read aloud books regarding gender and gender stereotypes, and preferred pronouns.
49	Given that “math” and “science” are in the name of the school is there extra weight given to these subjects in the curriculum at NEST (in lower grade)?	live answered
50	Can you explain how you handle bullying?	live answered
51	how many kids do you take off the waitlist for K?	We have spots for 99 K students this year.
52	If a child was nominated by a Pre-k teacher and we received a letter, will their grades be reviewed after that, or how will the decision be made that our child can be accepted in a Nest+m school?	The Office of Enrollment will conduct a lottery of eligible applicants to fill seats. Grades are considered for applicants in Grades 1-3.
53	is gender topic discussed with k students?	At a developmentally appropriate level, yes.
54	What are the colleges that nest+m students attend after graduation?	If you are interested, you can view Class of 2022 College Acceptance
55	Are middle /high school students separated from elementary ones ? Same recess time ?	Elementary students are located on the second floor of NEST+m. Our 6-12 students are based on the 3rd floor. There is separate recess and lunch periods.
56	Are writing and English language as important as science, tech and math ? or the school is most focused on science , tech and math ?	I have found that the emphasis on writing and reading is also very strong — NEST+m seeks to give the students a well-rounded education. There is a lot of reading and writing!!!!!
57	There is no admission to grades 4 and 5, correct?	Traditionally there has not been spots offered in 4th and 5th grade but this year may be different. We are waiting for guidance from the DOE to see if we can offer student spots.
58	Do you have any form of support for kids with IEP? If so, can you elaborateon that please	Students who have an IEP will get all the services on their IEP. If they need academic support they will receive these services. If they need speech, PT, OT or counseling they will also receive these services.
59	Do you have ICT class (for kindergarten)? Is your school providing the services or the therapists from the child?	There are not ICT classrooms in K-5. We do support studetns who have IEPs.
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