Talking Trash: Climate Action Days are Back!
The first Climate Action Day of the school year is coming up on Tuesday, October 20! Find out how you can take action in your school community to protect our environment in ways related to this month's theme: reducing waste.
Let’s Multiply the Fun During Math Week!
NYCPS is hosting our inaugural Math Week on Monday, October 19–Friday, October 23. Check out our plans and learn how you can support your budding mathematicians in and out of school.
Apply to NYC Middle Schools for Fall 2027 by December 11
From October 14 until December 11, 2026, NYC families can apply to middle school for the 2027–28 school year. Learn more about this year's admissions processes, including suggested tips and tools that you can use to discover and select programs, and submit your application!
Apply to High School for the 2027–28 School Year
From October 6 until December 4, 2026, NYC families can apply to high school for the 2027–28 school year. Learn more about this year's admissions processes, including suggested tips and tools that you can use to discover and select programs, and submit your application!
Opportunities for Students (October 2026)
With the first full month of the fall season now underway, now is the perfect time to check out some of the various learning opportunities available for NYCPS students. Check out which opportunities are available for NYC public school students in October 2026!
Stand Up for Kindness During National Bullying Prevention Month
Throughout October, NYC schools and families are celebrating National Bullying Prevention Month. Join NYCPS as we choose "Kindness over Bullies" together and help build safe and supportive school communities across the five boroughs!
The Month Ahead (October 2026)
Listen up ghouls and gals, October at NYCPS is full of treats. Don't get tricked into missing out on any of them!
Keep Track of Your Child's Progress with NYCSA
Learn how an NYC Schools Account (NYCSA) can help you access your child's grades and transportation information, update important forms, explore exclusive online learning opportunities, stay connected with your local parent leader groups, and more!
It’s officially spooky season! Whether it’s scary ghost stories or cozy adventures with witches and pumpkins, these books are helping us get into the Halloween spirit! We hope you enjoy them as much as we do.
Early Readers (3-K–Grade 2)
- 10 Spooky Pumpkins, by Gris Grimley
- The Ghostly Carousel, by Calef Brown
- The Ofrenda We Built, by Jolene Gutierrez and Shaian Guiterrez; illustrated by Gabby Zapata
- Trick-or-Treating in the City, by Tiffany D. Jackson; illustrated by Sawyer Cloud
- Vlad the Rad, by Brigitte Barrager
Elementary (Grades 3–5)
- A Bite Above the Rest, by Christine Virnig
- Elvira Vance and the Monster Mystery, by Kacy Ritter
- Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave, by Ally Russell
- The Witch Boy, by Molly Knox Ostertag
- Witches of Brooklyn, by Sophie Escabasse
Middle School (Grades 6–8)
- More Bones: Scary Stories from Around the World, by Arielle North Olson and Howard Scwartz
- The Ojja-Wojja, by Magdalene Visaggio
- Pumpkinheads, by Rainbow Rowell; illustrated by Faith Evan Hicks
- The Skeleton Flute, by Damara Allen
- Spirit Hunters, by Ellen Oh
Upper Grades (Grades 9–12)
- Cemetery Boys, by Aiden Thomas
- The Dark Becomes Her, by Judy I. Lin
- The Ghosts of Rose Hill, by R.M. Romero
- Our Shadows Have Claws: 15 Latin American Monster Stories, edited by Yamile Saied Méndez and Amparo Ortiz
- The Taking of Jake Livingston, by Ryan Douglass
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. You can also find even more recommendations in the Carve Out Time with a Good Book Collection on Sora. Happy Halloween!
Missed our previous book recommendations?
Check them out in the "What We're Reading" Archive!
SPOTLIGHT ON OUR SCHOOLS
The first week of the 2026–27 school year was certainly one for the books! From the debut of our City's new 2-K program, the implementation of our guidelines concerning the use of student-facing generative artificial intelligence, and the grand opening of the world's first-ever non-charter high school dedicated to hip hop, NYC Public Schools are already making plenty of history—and we're not even done with September!
Check out some of our photos from the first days of the new school year—and join us in welcoming everyone back to school!
NYC Schools to Remain Distraction-Free in 2026–27
For the second year in a row, NYC Public Schools will be enforcing its new Cell Phone and Electronic Device Policy across all K–12 City public schools, including charter programs, in accordance with New York State law. Learn more about this policy, and let's all do our part to keep our schools free of screen-based distractions!
2026–27 NYCPS Calendar Now Available
The official New York City Public Schools calendar for the 2026–2027 school year is now available! Learn more about next year's calendar, and start making your plans for the upcoming school year 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!
