In celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we're sharing the story of Anna May Wong, Hollywood’s first-ever Chinese American movie star, who captivated audiences, earned critical acclaim for her performances, and dared to break free of Hollywood’s early to mid-twentieth century typecasting practices for nonwhite actors.

Learn about Anna May Wong on Hidden Voices

Black and white photograph of Anna May Wong in 1928.

NYC's Gifted and Talented (G&T) Application for Grades 1–4 opens April 15

If your child is entering first, second, third, or fourth grade in the 2024–2025 school year and is eligible for New York City's Gifted and Talented (G&T) programs based on their current grades, you should have received a mailed letter notifying you of their eligibility. If you’re interested in applying, now is the time! 

The G&T application opens on Monday, April 15, 2024. You have until Friday, May 3, 2024 to submit your application online through MySchools (myschools.nyc). Since exploring G&T programs and choosing up to 12 options for your child can be overwhelming, we’re here to help! Here are our recommended resources for you to use during the application process—take a look! 

  1. Sign up to receive emails with the latest alerts, updates, and reminders about NYC Public Schools, including admissions events. Go to our Sign Up page now. 
     
  2. Visit our G&T page for the most up-to-date, detailed information about G&T admissions. Keep in mind that the G&T admissions process has different requirements than others, therefore you should review the webpage thoroughly.
    • Read the 2024 NYC Public Schools Admissions Guide at the bottom of the webpage. Available in 10 languages, this book provides an overview of NYC's public school admissions processes and resources for all NYC public schools.

  3. Use MySchools as your main tool for exploring and applying to G&T programs. After you create a MySchools account and log in, you can explore elementary schools and learn about the two types of programs:
    • District programs give admissions priority to students who live in a particular district and are offered beginning in kindergarten and ending in fifth grade.
    • Citywide G&T programs accept students from all boroughs and give no admissions priority to any district of residence. Current G&T students who are eligible can apply to citywide.

  4. Find and register for in-person and virtual events listed in the MySchools events calendar, including open houses and information sessions. You can also visit schools’ and programs’ websites or contact programs directly to learn about resources or events for prospective families.

  5. Finalize your choices and submit your child’s application! If you need to make changes afterward, you have until 11:59 PM on Friday, May 3, 2024 to update and submit again. Please note that only your last and final application will be used. Cue the confetti (literally, you’ll see this once you hit the “Send” button!). 

We hope these tools and suggestions make applying to G&T a smooth process for you and your family. Don’t wait, apply today!

On behalf of NYC Public Schools, we wish all our families the best of luck during this exciting time!

Image of students and teachers in a classroom

Books of the Week

Did you know April was National Poetry Month? We’re celebrating by sharing some of our favorite poetry books and novels in verse across all grade levels this week. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Early Readers (3K–Grade 2)

  • Change Sings: A Children’s Anthem, by Amanda Gorman; illustrated by Loren Long
  • How to Write a Poem, by Kwame Alexander and Deanna Nikaido; illustrated by Melissa Sweet 
  • Kiyoshi’s Walk, by Mark Karlins; illustrated by Nicole Wong

Elementary (Grades 3–5)

  • The Color of My Words, by Lynn Joseph
  • Land of the Cranes, by Aida Salazar
  • Words With Wings, by Nikki Grimes

Middle School (Grades 6–8)

  • All He Knew, by Helen Frost
  • Brown Girl Dreaming, by Jacqueline Woodson
  • Finding Wonders: Three Girls Who Changed Science, by Jeannine Atkins

Upper Grades (Grades 9–12)

  • An Appetite for Miracles, by Laekan Zea Kemp
  • The Poet X, by Elizabeth Acevedo
  • Voices in the Air: Poems for Listeners, by Naomi Shihab Nye
Image of two students reading

For more great reads, check out the  National Poetry Month Collection our citywide Digital Library which provides free access to hundreds of digital e-books and audiobooks for our students!


 

SPOTLIGHT ON OUR SCHOOLS

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Two students wearing eclipse glasses stand outside on their school's field to watch the eclipse together.
Student standing outside school building wearing eclipse glasses to look at the sun.
A student stands in from of a green screen to record an interview. She is facing a teleprompter, and another screen showing her video feed.
A young, smiling student wearing eclipse glasses, a grey sweatshirt, and a black hat poses for the camera with a school staff member.
Three students in a classroom - from left to right, they are holding puppets representing the moon, sun, and earth for an eclipse activity.
A group of students standing on their school field with decorated solar eclipse glasses, looking at the sun.
A student and teacher both dressed as astronauts pose in front of an outer space backdrop.

AAPI Heritage month square graphic.

Celebrating Jewish American Heritage Month square graphic.

NYC's Gifted and Talented (G&T) Application for Grades 1–4 opens April 15

If your child is entering first, second, third, or fourth grade in the 2024–2025 school year and is eligible for New York City's Gifted and Talented (G&T) programs based on their current grades, you should have received a mailed letter notifying you of their eligibility. If you’re interested in applying, now is the time! 

The G&T application opens on Monday, April 15, 2024. You have until Friday, May 3, 2024 to submit your application online through MySchools (myschools.nyc). Since exploring G&T programs and choosing up to 12 options for your child can be overwhelming, we’re here to help! Here are our recommended resources for you to use during the application process—take a look! 

  1. Sign up to receive emails with the latest alerts, updates, and reminders about NYC Public Schools, including admissions events. Go to our Sign Up page now. 
     
  2. Visit our G&T page for the most up-to-date, detailed information about G&T admissions. Keep in mind that the G&T admissions process has different requirements than others, therefore you should review the webpage thoroughly.
    • Read the 2024 NYC Public Schools Admissions Guide at the bottom of the webpage. Available in 10 languages, this book provides an overview of NYC's public school admissions processes and resources for all NYC public schools.

  3. Use MySchools as your main tool for exploring and applying to G&T programs. After you create a MySchools account and log in, you can explore elementary schools and learn about the two types of programs:
    • District programs give admissions priority to students who live in a particular district and are offered beginning in kindergarten and ending in fifth grade.
    • Citywide G&T programs accept students from all boroughs and give no admissions priority to any district of residence. Current G&T students who are eligible can apply to citywide.

  4. Find and register for in-person and virtual events listed in the MySchools events calendar, including open houses and information sessions. You can also visit schools’ and programs’ websites or contact programs directly to learn about resources or events for prospective families.

  5. Finalize your choices and submit your child’s application! If you need to make changes afterward, you have until 11:59 PM on Friday, May 3, 2024 to update and submit again. Please note that only your last and final application will be used. Cue the confetti (literally, you’ll see this once you hit the “Send” button!). 

We hope these tools and suggestions make applying to G&T a smooth process for you and your family. Don’t wait, apply today!

On behalf of NYC Public Schools, we wish all our families the best of luck during this exciting time!

Image of students and teachers in a classroom

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