Get Ready for Day One

Ready for the first day of school on Thursday, September 10?

 


Start the 2026–27 School Year with A+ Attendance

Set a goal for your child to attend school every day during Attendance Awareness Month this September and beyond!


Remembering 9/11, 25 Years Later

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and Flight 93 on September 11, 2001. Today, we are honoring those who helped save lives, kept our City running, and uplifted our communities in the aftermath of the horrific events of that day and sharing resources to help your family find meaningful opportunities for reflection. 


Chancellor Samuels Welcomes You Back to School

On Thursday, September 10, Chancellor Samuels officially opened school doors and welcomed students and their families to the 2026–27 school year. 


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!


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!


Five New Schools Set to Open for 2026–27

This fall, five exciting new NYC public schools will be opening their doors for their first-ever day of school. Learn more about these new programs, and join us in wishing them all a great start to their first school year!


Planning Your Back-to-School Commute? Know Your Options

There are lots of ways that NYC students travel to and from school: some use Student OMNY Cards to take public transportation for free each school day; others receive yellow bus service or take the NYC Ferry, while others bike or walk.


The Month Ahead (September 2026)

As we welcome you back to school for the 2026–27 school year, take a look at what's happening after the first day of school.


Previewing the Year Ahead (2026–27 School Year)

See what's in store for NYC Public Schools for the entire 2026–27 school year, courtesy of our official 2026–27 School Calendar, and get set for the year ahead!


Start the 2026–27 School Year Right at NYC Public Libraries

As you get ready to head back to the classroom, your local public library is here to help! With more than 200 locations across the five boroughs, there's something for everyone: free homework help, college and career support, books and resources in a wide range of languages, and much more. 


September 15 is National Voter Registration Day! New voters who are at least 16 years of age (who will be eligible to vote once they turn 18) can register to vote at vote.nyc—where you can also find information about important dates and deadlines, check your registration status, and more. For the upcoming election on November 3, 2026, New York voters must be registered by October 24. 

Female student reading a book at lunch.

Early Readers (3-K–Grade 2)

  • Lillian’s Right to Vote, by Jonah Winter; illustrated by Shane W. Evans
  • Miss Paul and the President: The Creative Campaign for Women’s Right to Vote, by Dean Robbins; illustrated by Nancy Zhang
  • The President of the Jungle, by Andre Rodrigues, Larissa Ribeiro, Paula Desgualdo, Pedro Markun
  • V is for Voting, by Kate Farrell; illustrated by Caitlin Kuhwald
  • Vote for Our Future, by Margaret McNamara; illustrated by Micah Player 

Elementary (Grades 3–5)

  • Evicted!: The Struggle for the Right to Vote, by Alice Faye Duncan; illustrated by Charly Palmer
  • Finish the Fight: The Brave and Revolutionary Women Who Fought for the Right to Vote, by Veronica Chambers and the Saff of the New York Times
  • For Which We Stand: How Our Government Works and Why it Matters, by Jeff Foster; illustrated by Julie McLaughlin
  • How Women Won the Vote: Alice Paul, Lucy Burns, and Their Big Idea, by Susan Campbell Bartoletti; illustrated by Ziyue Chen
  • When You Grow Up to Vote: How Our Government Works for YOU, by Elenor Roosevelt with Michelle Markel; illustrated by Grace Lin

Middle School (Grades 6–8)

  • Drawing the Vote: A Graphic Novel History for Future Voters, by Tommy Jenkins; illustrated by Kati Lacker
  • Lifting As We Climb: Black Women’s Battle for the Ballot Box, by Evette Dionne
  • The Woman’s Hour: Our Fight for the Right to Vote (Adapted for Young Readers), by Elaine Weiss
  • This is Our Constitution: What It Is and Why it Matters, by Khizr Khan
  • You Call This Democracy? by Elizabeth Rusch

Upper Grades (Grades 9–12)

  • Because They Marched: The People’s Campaign for Voting Rights that Changed America, by Russell Freedman
  • One Person, No Vote: How Not All Voters Are Treated Equally (A Young Adult Adaptation), by Carol Anderson and Tonya Bolden
  • Stolen Justice: The Struggle for African American Voting Rights, by Lawrence Goldstone
  • Votes for Women! American Suffragists and the Battle for the Ballot, by Winifred Conkling
  • Votes of Confidence: A Young Person’s Guide to American Elections, by Jeff Fleischer 

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!

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


SPOTLIGHT ON OUR SCHOOLS

This past June was one for the history books for New Yorkers—not only did our City commemorate a long-awaited championship and host the start of the biggest sporting event in the world, but we also marked the end of the 2025–26 school year!

From graduation ceremonies and award celebrations, to final project presentations and end-of-year exams, City public schools were buzzing with activity and excitement all month long! Check out some of the snapshots we took over the past month, and join us in thanking all of the incredible educators, school leaders, volunteers, and students who made the past year truly special for NYC Public Schools!



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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.

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