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Welcome to the PS 255 School Counseling Page
School begins September 5, 2024, for students.
Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year!
I am Ms. Silecchia-Abel, School Counselor.
My primary role here at school is to assist students in developing skills to succeed academically, socially, and emotionally. I assist students in developing these skills now, so that they may utilize and expand on them throughout life to be healthy productive community members.
As a school counselor, I help students learn to develop effective collaboration and cooperation skills, to practice perseverance, to develop time management and study skills, and to learn self-motivation and self-direction habits.
Another important role I have here at P.S. 255 is to guide all 5th grade families through the Middle School Application Process. Please scroll down to the section below titled "Middle School Information" for the most current information, deadline dates, and important links regarding the Middle school Application Process.
I am available to families each day beginning at 8:00 AM. If you have any questions or concerns, the best and quickest way to reach me is via email at CSilecchiaAbel@schools.nyc.gov. You may also reach me by telephone at 718-376-8494.
You will find useful resources here for students and families.
If you need any assistance, information, or guidance, please reach out to me.
SEL- Social Emotional Learning
Staff, students, and families working together for social, emotional and academic success!!
Middle School Information
September 2024
Attention all 5th grade families...
Middle School Application opens Wednesday, October 9, 2024!
If you need any assistance with anything related to the Middle School Application process, please contact Ms. Silecchia-Abel, School Counselor, by email CSilecchiaAbel@schools.nyc.gov or telephone 718-376-8494.
Please visit MySchools.nyc or click this link Browse Schools - NYC MySchools to begin researching middle schools and programs of interest.
Account creation codes will be available in the coming weeks, so that you can create an account for your child. These codes are not available yet.
Below are the key dates for families applying during the 2024-2025 school year for admission to the 2025-2026 school year.
- Wednesday, October 9, 2024: Middle School Application Opens
- Friday, November 8, 2024: Deadline to register to test for Mark Twain I.S. 239 and District 21 Talent Tests
- Friday, December 13, 2024: Middle School Application Closes
- Wednesday, April 9, 2025: Middle School Offer Release
District 22 Middle School Virtual Open House Information
2024-2025
District 22 Virtual Town Hall
Information to be posted soon!
District 22 Middle School Fair Information coming soon!!
All 4th & 5th grade students and families are encouraged to attend all our District 22 Middle School Open Houses. The schedule will be posted soon!
Middle School Application Process Live Event
العربية / বাংলা / 中文 / Français / Kreyòl ayisyen / 한국어 / Русский / Español / اردو
Virtual Family Events: Information coming soon!
Families who signed up for the DOE newsletter or with a MySchools.nyc account will receive an email inviting them to participate in these events. Feel free to share the flyer below with your school community.
2024-2025 Middle School Admissions Updates:
2024-2025 Info:
Please find below, the direct link to the NYC DOE website for middle school information.
https://www.schools.nyc.gov/enrollment/enroll-grade-by-grade/middle-school
Please click this link below to search and explore all middle schools and programs across NYC. You may click on the language of your choice, once on the site.
MIDDLE SCHOOL SIBLING PRIORITY
Middle school applicants have a priority to attend the same school as their sibling, as follows:
- At schools where the final year is eighth grade,
- Middle school applicants with siblings currently in sixth or seventh grade have priority to attend their sibling’s school.
- If the school has younger grades (for example, grades K-8), middle school applicants with siblings currently in kindergarten, first, second, third, fourth, or fifth, sixth, or seventh grade have priority to attend their sibling’s school.
- At schools that continue through twelfth grade, middle school applicants with siblings currently in sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, or eleventh grade have priority to attend their sibling’s school.
What defines a sibling in admissions? This priority includes any full-siblings, half-siblings, step-siblings, and/or foster siblings who live in the same household as the applicant. Please note that this sibling priority pertains to students participating in this current admissions process, and not to students who are already enrolled in middle school.
During the application period, be sure to list your sibling's school on your application if you want to attend it! However, you do not have to list it first.
- Applicants will keep the same priority to attend their sibling’s school whether you list it first or last on their application.
- The best strategy for all families stays the same: list programs on your child's application in your true order of preference. For instance, if you listed your child's sibling’s school second and the applicant does not get into their first-choice school, they will still have a priority to attend their sibling’s school.
- Please note that middle school programs admitting students through the audition, language criteria, talent test, or screened admissions methods do not have a sibling priority, as those programs have distinct criteria for admission.
- Search for a middle school here(Open external link) to see who is eligible for a sibling priority at that school.
Have questions about sibling priority for middle school? Email us at MSenrollment@schools.nyc.gov.
Friendship Soup Recipe
Respect For All
Respect for All is the NYC DOE system-wide response to bullying and harassment. We are committed to keeping our school safe, supportive, and free from discrimination.
It is the policy of the Department of Education to maintain a safe and supportive learning environment that is free from harassment, intimidation and/or bullying and from discrimination on account of actual or perceived race, color, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship/immigration status, religion, creed, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, disability or weight.
Respect For All Week dates are coming soon!
During this week, we focus on our daily efforts of inclusion, acceptance, diversity, and friendship.
February- Anti-Bullying/Cyberbullying
February-Respect For Diversity
February-Pride & Acceptance
February-Celebrating Kindness & Friendship/Being an Ally
February-National No One Eats Alone Day. We acknowledge this day to combat social and emotional isolation.
Please visit the link below to see more information and resources concerning Respect For All.
Please click on the video below.
https://www.schools.nyc.gov/school-life/school-environment/respect-for-all/respect-for-all-handouts
Gratitude Activity
The Gratitude Tree
Here’s the perfect gratitude activity. It’s called the Gratitude Tree or Thankful Tree. It’s a fun simple activity to do with your child.
The Gratitude Tree activity teaches children to:
*appreciate the small things in life,
*be grateful for everything they have,
*be mindful of the things that are going right in their lives
*and be grateful for the people they hold closest to their hearts.
Gratitude practice is easy, heartwarming and fun to do.
What you will need: paper, pencil, pen, or crayon, small safety scissors
Directions:
-Draw a simple tree shape on a piece of paper.
-Cut out simple leaf shapes on plain paper
-Ask your child to write down on the leaf shaped paper, the things for which your child is grateful.
-Tape or glue the gratitude leaves onto the tree branches.
-You’re done! (Please see the picture below for an example of the tree.)
Now your child can display the Gratitude Tree and you can talk together as a family about the things for which you are grateful.
Daily Gratitude Activity
Social Media and Elementary School-Age Children
Set up accounts together
Show your child/children how to flag inappropriate conduct.
If you wouldn't let your children have unsupervised play dates, don't let them go online by themselves. Remember, the social skills they bring to online worlds are the same ones they have (or don't have) in real life.
Establish codes of conduct
Do your homework. Make sure you check out sites before you let your child go online.
Set time limits.
Make sure your children never share their passwords.
Keep the computer in a central place.
Helpful Resources
Please click below to see information about the upcoming virtual information session regarding Middle School Offers and Waitlists.
Information coming soon!
District 22 Parent Workshop information coming soon!
Adult Education Classes/Learn English