The Month Ahead (May 2025)
With the last full month of the 2024–25 school year upon us, take a look at what's happening in NYC Public Schools in May 2025! Highlights include our month-long heritage celebrations for Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and Jewish Americans, as well as Teacher Appreciation Week, parent-teacher conferences, State exams, and Memorial Day.
Vote in the 2025 Community and Citywide Education Council Elections!
Starting Friday, April 25 until Tuesday, May 13, vote for the candidates seeking positions on your district Community Education Council or one of the City's four Citywide Education Councils.
Reminder: NY State ELA Exams Begin April 22
Beginning Tuesday, April 22, elementary and middle school students across New York State (grades 3–8) will take the State's annual English Language Arts (ELA) test. Learn more about this year's ELA test, and consider having your child click through our official Question Sampler for a preview of this year's testing format and question types!
The Gifted and Talented Application for Grades 1–4 Opens April 21!
Interested in applying to a Gifted & Talented (G&T) program? If your child is entering grades 1, 2, 3, or 4 in fall 2025 and is eligible for G&T programs, you can submit their application by Friday, May 9, 2025.
We Listened; Now What?
Earlier this school year, Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos embarked on a month-long, five borough Listening Tour to speak with more than 1,000 students, parents, educators, and community members about what was important to them about education and schools here in New York City. Check out what we heard during the Listening Tour, and learn more about NYCPS Cares, our new suite of signature initiatives that we’re launching in response to the feedback we’ve received!
Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month Highlight: Eugenie Clarke
May is AAPI Heritage Month! In celebration, we’re highlighting our profile of Eugenie Clarke, a fish scientist from New York City who earned herself the nickname, "Shark Lady," thanks to her trailblazing research on fish and shark species around the world as well as her personal dedication to protecting sharks and their ocean habitats from extinction.
Jewish American Heritage Month Highlight: Edie Windsor
In celebration of Jewish American Heritage Month in May, we’re highlighting our profile of Edie Windsor a computer programmer and pioneering LGBTQ+ activist best known for her role in the landmark Supreme Court case, United States v. Windsor, that helped lead towards the eventual legalization of gay marriage in the United States.
What We're Reading
May is Jewish American Heritage Month! These suggestions include works of fiction and non-fiction for every grade level, with titles that feature characters and perspectives that are often not reflected in other popular works. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
Early Readers (3K–Grade 2)
- Amazing Abe: How Abraham Cahan’s Newspaper Gave a Voice to Jewish Immigrants, by Norman H. Finkelstein; illustrated by Vesper Stamper
- Bubbie and Rivka’s Best-Ever Challah (So Far!), by Sarah Lynne Ruel
- Hannah’s Way, by Linda Glaser; illustrated by Adam Gustavson
- The Tower of Life: How Yaffa Eliach Rebuilt Her Town in Stories and Photographs,
Elementary (Grades 3–5)
- The Book Rescuer: How a Mensch from Massachusetts Saved Yiddish Literature for Generations to Come, by Sue Macy; illustrated by Stacy Innerst
- Dear Mr. Dickens, by Nancy Churnin; illustrated by Bethany Stancliffe
- Hedy’s Journey: The True Story of a Hungarian Girl Fleeing the Holocaust, by Michelle Bisson; illustrated by El Primo Ramon
- Shira and Esther's Double Dream Debut, by Anna E. Jordan
Middle School (Grades 6–8)
- Almost Flying, by Jake Maia Arlow
- Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword, by Barry Deutsch
- Linked, by Gordon Korman
- Music Was IT: Young Leonard Bernstein, by Susan Goldman Rubin
Upper Grades (Grades 9–12)
- 28 Days: A Novel of Resistance in the Warsaw Ghetto, by David Safier
- The City Beautiful, by Aden Polydoros
- It’s A Whole Spiel: Love, Latkes, and Other Jewish Stories, edited by Katherine Locke and Laura Silverman
- The Judgement of Yoyo Gold, by Isaac Blum
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 great recommendations in the Jewish American Heritage Month Collection on Sora! You can also visit our Jewish American Heritage Month webpage for more book suggestions, as well as other resources to learn more about Jewish Americans and Jewish history throughout the month of May.
Missed our previous book recommendations?
Check them out in the "What We're Reading" Archive!
SPOTLIGHT ON OUR SCHOOLS
April 9 was Climate Action Day in NYC Public Schools! Students participated in lessons and activities that promoted sustainability, encouraged community building, and celebrated this month’s theme of “Health, Wellness, and Greenspace.” Check out what our schools were up to, and get inspired to take climate action in your own way this Earth Month.
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!
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
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!
