Welcome! Every parent or guardian at the Center School is automatically a member of the PTA. We encourage you to attend our monthly PTA meetings and to get involved as a parent volunteer. If you have any questions, suggestions, or want to be more involved, please email CenterSchoolPTA@gmail.com and check out For Families page.
2025 – 2026 PTA Executive Board
Co-Presidents: David Lorentz & Julianne Parmenter
Co-Vice Presidents: Ariel Behr & Daniela Lara & Rosemarie Reyes & Jennifer Richey & Ali Mainardi
Treasurer: Anna Fitzgerald
Co-Recording Secretaries: Swati Jagetia & Francesca Laguardia
Upcoming Dates
This Week
- Tue Oct 13 – TONIGHT – 7:30p: Belonging & Equity Committee Meeting – Zoom link
- Thu Oct 15 – 5:30p–8p: Mix & Mingle – An in-person evening event for the entire Center School community! The whole family is invited in the school yard. Details below.
Upcoming
- Tue Oct 20 – 5p–7:30p: Superintendent Dr. Higgins’s “State of Our Schools” Address – P.S. 163 Alfred E. Smith, 163 W 97th St. Auditorium (Zoom link to come)
- Tue & Thu Oct 20 and 22 – 4p: Alumni Spill the High School Tea! — 8th Grade Alumni Visit – in-person (Signup link: bit.ly/2026HSAlumni )
- Thu Oct 29 – 6p: 7th Grade Parent HS Meeting – in-person
- Tue Nov 3: Election Day – Remote Instructional Day
- Fri Nov 6: Picture Day
- Mon Nov 9: November PTA Meeting (Zoom link to come)
- Fri Nov 13: Community Coffee
- Thu Dec 17: TACS Show – Auction Committee seeking volunteers to staff an auction table
Relocation Update
Click here for the FAQ on Center School’s proposed relocation:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lAgt03OTm77hkVOQvmxngYCbkWhTBIC1/view?usp=sharing
Last Monday, October 5, Superintendent Higgins and Principal O’Reilly hosted a virtual community meeting about the proposal to move Center School to the P.S. 165 building on 109th Street for the 2027–2028 school year.
Dr. Higgins, Mr. O’Reilly, and representatives from the Offices of District Planning and Space Planning answered questions from the community.
One positive update: Dr. Higgins shared that there are two school buildings within a 10-minute walk of P.S. 165 that could provide the afterschool gym space Center School needs for gym sports. In addition, Frederick Douglass Playground, at Amsterdam Avenue and 102nd Street, may be available after school for outdoor sports.
These arrangements have not been finalized.
Recent Events
Thank you to everyone who came to our first Community Coffee of the year last Thursday! Special thanks to Mr. Weinberger and Alison Mainardi for hauling the coffee and donuts.
We had a great time and we have a great community! This year, Community Coffee will alternate between Thursdays and Fridays. The next gathering is Friday, November 13.
Field Day Was a Great Success! A huge thank-you to everyone who helped make Field Day such a wonderful success! It was a fantastic day filled with fun, teamwork, and school spirit. We’re grateful to all the staff, volunteers, and families who helped make it happen and created such a memorable experience for our students!
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Tuesday October 13 – TONIGHT – 7:30 pm Belonging & Equity Committee Meeting
Your voice matters. Your ideas matter. You belong at the table!
The Belonging & Equity Committee is a space for families to come together, listen, learn, and have honest conversations—even when the topics are tough.
We are here to:
Create an open forum for real conversations
Listen to different voices and experiences
Build stronger connections throughout our school community
Host two community events each year—one in the fall and one in the spring
Grow a bigger, stronger, and more inclusive committee
We want YOU to be part of it!
Bring your ideas. Bring your questions. Bring your voice.
Together, we can make our school community stronger—one conversation at a time!
Meeting Date: Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at 7:30 pm via Zoom
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us05web.zoom.us/j/81580373912?pwd=7h2A5OoWbGJgihmh4KbS4DwSkCLdSO.1
Meeting chat link:
https://us05web.zoom.us/launch/jc/81580373912
Meeting ID: 815 8037 3912
Passcode: 3Ns09g
Thursday October 15th – 5:30–8:00 pm – Mix & Mingle
Join us this Thursday for an in-person evening event for the entire Center School community! The whole family is invited. Come for pizza, Coco Helado, and fun with the entire school community in the yard.
LET’S ALL MAKE SOME POUR DECISIONS…
As part of the Mix & Mingle, we’ll be hosting a wine pull fundraiser and need donations to help stock the cellar! We’re asking families to consider donating a bottle of wine or funds so we can offer a great mix of options. If you have a bottle you’d like to donate, please contact Alison Mainardi to coordinate drop-off. If you prefer to donate funds, you can Venmo @alimainardi by Wednesday, October 14, to allow time for purchase.
Thank you for your generosity and for helping make this event a success!
Cheers! Alison Mainardi 201-602-1280 alimainardi@gmail.com
Center School Auction
Save the date for the Center School Auction!
Our 2027 auction is confirmed for Wednesday, March 24, 2027, at school, together with Curriculum Night. Planning is underway for an evening that brings our community together and raises funds for the PTA.
And the theme? A New Chapter! As Center prepares for a relocation, we’re excited to turn the page on a new chapter.
Our volunteer team is growing! We still need a lead for Kids Activities on the night of the event.
We’re also looking for volunteers to help staff an auction table at the TACS show on Thursday evening, December 17.
Reach out to Laura and Pierre at centerschoolauction@gmail.com.
The Center School Auction Team
2026 Alumni Spill the High School Tea! — Alumni Visit the 8th Graders
Remind your students that they can get the inside scoop on high school from Center School alumni. During the in-person conversation, former Center Schoolers will share their experiences, answer 8th graders’ questions, and offer a glimpse into life after Center School.
Two sessions available:
- Tuesday, October 20, at 4:00 PM
- Thursday, October 22, at 4:00 PM
More details and sign-up information: bit.ly/2026HSAlumni
Afterschool Sports
The Middle School Athletic League (MSAL) website can help families easily locate game sites. Under the “Schedules” tab, you can find the exact field locations and addresses for all games.
Under “Teams,” select “Center School” from the drop-down menu.
Please be advised that we have no control over this data, which is subject to change without notice.
PTA Directory and Website
IMPORTANT: Families with new students joining school this year—including current families—and anyone who didn’t enroll in the newsletters and school directory last year should complete the Family Information Form:
https://forms.gle/RKTdZcQJvWw6sKZH7
The contact information you provide will be used for our weekly school newsletters and to verify membership in our WhatsApp groups. It is essential for all families to fill out the form.
After completing the form, you will receive a login to our PTA website and directory, https://centerschoolpta.org, where you can choose whether to share your contact information with other families.
The PTA website is also where you can find PTA meeting minutes, past newsletters, and other useful information.
Sneaker Collection and Fundraiser
Got sneakers you no longer need? Hold on to them!
To further our efforts to be eco-conscious, we will again collect used sneakers for recycling in partnership with GotSneakers.
GotSneakers has extended the life of over 3.5 million used sneakers through reuse and recycling. Each pair is evaluated by GotSneakers staff and compensated according to the GotSneakers Sneaker Guidelines.
All funds raised will go toward the All-School Trip on behalf of all students.
While this fundraiser isn’t a huge money maker, it’s a great opportunity for students to practice reaching out to family, friends, and neighbors to ask for donations ahead of the Read-a-Thon and Jog-a-Thon.
Collection bins will be available at school after the new year, but start collecting sneakers now!
Center School Contacts
SCHOOL OFFICE
Phone: (212) 799-1477
Email: JoshCenterSchool@gmail.com and lopezchristina1209@gmail.com
Please cc both for all absences, latenesses, and early dismissals.
PTA EXECUTIVE BOARD
President: CenterSchoolPTA@gmail.com
Treasurer: CenterSchoolPTATreasurer@gmail.com
Secretary: CenterSchoolPTASecretary@gmail.com
Newsletter: CenterSchoolPTACommunications@gmail.com
PTA AUCTION COMMITTEE
CenterSchoolAuction@gmail.com
MANHATTAN YOUTH – AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMMING
Adler Bruno, Program Director: (917) 565-7713
Abruno@manhattanyouth.orgAfterschool