October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM)

Recognized annually by the National Cybersecurity Alliance and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), NCSAM aims to make more people aware of cyber threats and teach best practices to protect you and your family online.

Digital Citizenship Week is held yearly to "promote a healthy, balanced, and positive approach to media and tech use among young people." This year, it takes place October 20–24: find events, activities and a social media challenge for students from kindergarten through grade 12!

What can you do now? Practice these easy and actionable steps to boost your online safety. Small actions can make a big difference! 

Use strong, unique passwords

  • Create long, random passwords for each account. Mix it up using a combination of letters, numbers and symbols.
  • Consider using a password manager to store and generate strong passwords.
  • Keep in mind all the accounts you have which require passwords, including but not limited to:
    • Your child's education: New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) email address, New York City Schools Account (NYCSA), MySchools.nyc
    • For personal use: email addresses, banking, social media, utilities, library cards and more

Turn on additional security features

  • Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) on accounts for added security beyond just a password. You get an extra layer of defense against hackers when you log in with MFA. It's like a text with a secret code that self-destructs after one use.
  • When choosing security questions, choose the ones only you would know the answer to.

Recognize and report phishing

  • Be cautious of unsolicited emails, calls, and texts asking for personal information. If anything appears suspicious or even slightly concerning, it's good to question it.
    • Where is the written communication coming from?
    • What are they asking by phone?
  • Avoid clicking links or opening attachments from unknown sources.
  • Think you spot a phishing scam? It can be harder than you think. Test your phishing radar with this quiz.

Update software and devices

  • Install security updates on software and devices such as computers, cell phones and tablet devices regularly.
  • Enable automatic updates to protect against newly discovered vulnerabilities. 
  • Regularly back up your data, use antivirus software, and secure your home network by enabling strong encryption. 

Use secure Wi-Fi

  • Public networks and hotspots are unsecured so someone could see what you’re doing online.  Limit what you do on public Wi-Fi and especially avoid logging in to key accounts like email and bank accounts. 

Apply to NYC Middle Schools for Fall 2026 by December 12

From October 15 until December 12, 2025, NYC families can apply to middle school for the 2026–27 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!

    Start Your Middle School Search Now

    An animated graphic of a boy with a laptop with 'Apply to middle school' written on top

    Start Planning for Life After High School During College Application Month

    October is New York State College Application Month—learn how City students can start getting ready for life after high school by taking advantage of the resources and opportunities available to them this month and beyond, including application fee waivers, online virtual events, and more!

    College is expensive enough; save money with this month's fee waivers!

    Close-up of two high school-aged students sitting at a desk and watching a person of interest off camera.

    Celebrating National School Lunch Week 2025

    Learn more about how free, healthy, and sustainable meals help our students thrive with initiatives that help nourish their minds and bodies every day and discover fun ways to get involved in National School Lunch Week celebrations.

    Celebrate National School Lunch Week with us!

    A student holding a lunch tray in a school cafeteria smiles in from of an array of school meals.

    Apply to High School for the 2026–27 School Year

    From October 7 until December 3, 2025, NYC families can apply to high school for the 2026–27 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!

      Start Your High School Search Now

      An animated graphic showing two students sitting on books with "Apply to high school" written above

      Opportunities for Students (October 2025)

      Time for City students to pumpkin spice up their October! Check out the outstanding learning and earning opportunities available for City public school students this month, including free workshops, college fairs, and prestigious volunteer experiences, and register/apply for them today!

      Don't be too scared to learn and/or earn this October!

      Two young girls sitting on grass while painting and designing pumpkins with witch-inspired paraphernalia.

      This October, Choose Kindness Over Bullies

      October is National Bullying Prevention Month! All month long, schools and families are encouraged to show respect and compassion to their school communities by coming together to choose "Kindness Over Bullies." Together, students and adults create safer, kinder communities year-round.

      Learn more about how NYCPS is combatting bullying

      White text on a dark blue background that reads 'kindness over bullies.' Some of the letters are made up of illustrations of people.

      The Month Ahead (October 2025)

      We made it to the second month of the 2025–26 school year—check out what's happening in NYC Public Schools in October 2025, including Yom Kippur, Indigenous Peoples'/Italian Heritage Day, the start of our high school and middle school admissions processes for fall 2026, and Diwali!

      See what's in store for Pumpkin Spice Month

      Close-up of two elementary-school aged children, a boy and a girl, reading a book together inside of a makeshift, homemade tent.

      Get Prepped and Register for the Newly Digital Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT)

      This year, students who register for the SHSAT between October 7–31 will take the test digitally, instead of the traditional paper format. To help students familiarize themselves with the new assessment, City middle schools will conduct a Digital SHSAT Readiness activity.

      Prep yourself

      Two icons showing a written test converting into a digital test.

      Hidden Voices Spotlight: The Mendez Family's Fight for School Desegregation

      In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, we are sharing our Hidden Voices profile of Sylvia Mendez and her family who led a groundbreaking legal fight to end school segregation in California. Their case, Mendez v. Westminster, helped pave the way for Brown v. Board of Education and showed how courage, community, and determination can spark lasting change in the fight for educational equality.

      Learn more about the Mendez family on Hidden Voices

      Blue background with two circles containing text from a legal document overlaid. Collage of back and white photographs of a woman, man, and a young girl inside of the larger of the two circles. Orange line doodles in the top right and bottom left corners.

      What We're Reading

      NYCPS recognized Monday, October 13 as Italian American Heritage and Culture Day! Since the first major wave of Italian immigration to the United States, there has been a strong and vibrant Italian American community in New York City. To celebrate this history, we’re sharing stories about real-life and fictional Italians and Italian Americans. We hope you enjoy reading them as much as we do!

      Early Readers (3K–Grade 2)

      • All the Way to America: The Story of a Big Italian Family and a Little Shovel, by Dan Yaccarino
      • The Music of Life: Bartolomeo Cristofori & the Invention of the Piano, by Elizabeth Rusch; illustrated by Marjorie Priceman

      Elementary (Grades 3–5)

      • Francesco Tirelli’s Ice Cream Shop, by Tamar Meir; illustrated by Yael Albert
      • The Streak: How Joe DiMaggio Became America’s Hero, by Barb Rosenstock; illustrated by Terry Widener

      Middle School (Grades 6–8)

      • Granny Torrelli Makes Soup, by Sharon Creech
      • Penny From Heaven, by Jennifer L. Holm

      Upper Grades (Grades 9–12)

      • Blood Water Paint, by Joy McCullough
      • The Long Run, by James Acker
      Female student reading a book at lunch.

      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 learn more about Italian American Heritage and Culture Month, including additional reading recommendations, from the New York Public Library.

      Missed our previous book recommendations?
      Check them out in the "What We're Reading" Archive!

      SPOTLIGHT ON OUR SCHOOLS

      On September 4, NYC public schools across the five boroughs opened their doors for the first day of the 2025–26 school year. Check out some of our favorite moments from the first week of the new academic year, and join us as we wish all of our returning students and staff members a wonderful start!

      Dates to Remember

      • October 2: Yom Kippur; NYCPS schools closed
      • October 7: NYCPS High School Applications Open for Fall 2026 Admissions; SHSAT Registration Opens
      • October 10: World Mental Health Day (Wear yellow!)
      • October 13: Italian Heritage/Indigenous Peoples' Day; all NYCPS schools and offices closed
      • October 15: NYCPS Middle School Applications Open for Fall 2026 Admissions
      • October 15: Hispanic Heritage Month ends
      • October 20: Diwali
      • October 31: SHSAT Registration Closes
      Dark blue background with text that reads 'Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month' in white, orange and yellow text in the center. Illustrations of flowers and lines in the same colors surround the text.

      Get Ready for More Learning and Less Scrolling

      Beginning this September, NYC Public Schools will be implementing 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 "cell phone ban," and start getting ready for distraction-free schools this fall!

      Square banner that reads, 'New Cell Phone and Electronic Device Policy'

      See what "less scrolling" will lead to this September!

      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!

      Read More

      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

       

      Find out what NYCSA can do for you

      Related Links

      Previously on The Morning Bell

      RSS feed

      RSS feed