Don't forget to nominate your favorite teacher for the Big Apple Awards by Tuesday, January 21, 2025!
Stay Healthy This Winter
With winter in full swing, learn more about the resources available to you and your family that can help boost your physical and mental health all season long.
Give Back to Your Community during the 2025 Martin Luther King, Jr. National Day of Service
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day—this year being celebrated on Monday, January 20—is also designated as a National Day of Service, when all Americans are encouraged to volunteer in their communities. With NYC public schools and offices closed to mark the holiday, this is a great time to get involved and give back to your neighborhood.
The Month Ahead (January 2025)
See what's in store for NYC Public Schools in January 2025. Key dates include Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Lunar New Year, and the start of 2025 3-K/Pre-K admissions.
Apply to Run for NYC’s Education Councils by February 16
Opportunities for Students (January 2025)
Kick off the new year with these outstanding learning opportunities, programs, and scholarships available for City students! See what's available for NYC public school students this month and beyond, and register/apply for them today!
Parents: Support Your Child's Education By Serving Your School Community
Families are our schools' closest partners in helping New York City public school students to learn and thrive. Learn how you can support your child's education and serve your school community by volunteering for events, parent-teacher associations (PTAs), Community and Citywide Education Councils (CCECs), and more!
Nominate Your Favorite Educator for the 2025 Big Apple Awards and Meet the 2024 Recipients!
Celebrate 2024's Big Apple Award winners, and nominate the next group of amazing teachers who are making a difference in our schools! Nominate your favorite teacher by Tuesday, January 21, 2025.
The Kindergarten Application for Fall 2025 is Open!
What We're Reading
Stay warm with a good book this winter! Winter break is the perfect time to catch up on your reading with these cozy mysteries, snowy settings, and classic holiday stories. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
Early Readers (3K–Grade 2)
- Charlotte and the Nutcracker: The True Story of a Girl Who Made Ballet History, by Charlotte Nebres; illustrated by Alea Marley
- Ice Cycle: Poems About the Life of Ice, by Maria Gianferrari; illustrated by Jieting Chen
- My Footprints, by Bao Phi; illustrated by Basia Tran
- The People Remember, by Ibi Zoboi; illustrated by Loveis Wise
- Winter Walk in the City, by Cathy Goldberg Fishman; illustrated by Melanie Hall
Elementary (Grades 3–5)
- Escape from Aurora, by Jamie Littler
- The Forgotten Girl, by India Hill Brown
- The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis
- The Lost Frost Girl, by Amy Wilson
- The Storyteller’s Candle, by Lucía González; illustrated by Lulu Delacre
Middle School (Grades 6–8)
- The Grace of Wild Things, by Heather Fawcett
- Greenglass House, by Kate Milford; illustrated by Jaime Zollars
- One Way or Another, by Kara McDowell
- The Stars Beneath Our Feet, by David Barclay Moore
- Tilly and the Bookwanderers, by Anna James
Upper Grades (Grades 9–12)
- The Enchanted Sonata, by Heather Dixon Wallwork
- Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott
- Recommended for You, by Laura Silverman
- Stealing Snow, by Danielle Paige
- Whiteout, by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon
You can find these books and many more great reads on Sora, our Citywide Digital Library, which provides free access to thousands of digital e-books and audiobooks for our students, including those in the “Celebrate Winter Holidays” and “Winter Reads” Collections!
Missed our previous book recommendations?
Check them out in the "What We're Reading" Archive!
SPOTLIGHT ON OUR SCHOOLS
At the start of 2025, we’re looking back at one of our favorite memories from 2024: the first Climate Action Day of the 2024–25 school year! With a focus on reducing waste in their schools, students across the City participated in a variety of fun and educational activities, and helped clean up their schools and communities in the process.
An Introduction to Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos
"I am honored and excited to be your new Chancellor. As a lifelong educator and mom of a New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) student, I am eager to work with and serve you."
Class is in Session with Parent University
Parent University is a free online learning platform for NYCPS families. Start the 2024–25 school year by enrolling in courses you're interested in today!
Prepare for Remote Learning
In the event that weather conditions or other emergencies require the temporary closure of public school buildings, students will participate in remote learning at home. Make sure your family is ready with these tips and answers to frequently asked questions.
Stay Informed with a NYC Schools Account (NYCSA)
With a NYCSA, you can:
- Access your child's school information on the go
- See your student’s grades, test scores and more
- Complete important forms
- Take classes in Parent University
- Get technology support through SupportHub
A MySchools.nyc Tutorial: Learn the Basics
Throughout any stage of New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) application processes for 3-K, Pre-K, Kindergarten, middle school, high school, and Gifted and Talented (G&T) for grades 1, 2, 3, and 4, you can use MySchools.nyc—learn how to today!
Ready to Read: Literacy Resources for Families
NYC Reads is reshaping the way that we teach our students to read, but the learning doesn't have to stop at the classroom door! Whether it's a family book club or a phonics-based 20 questions game, you can bring the "science of reading" home by using any of our helpful resources that will help your children continue to develop their literacy skills, like:
- Reading Games
- Phonics, Vocabulary, and Storytelling Practice
- And more!
