The Month Ahead (August 2025)
The last full month of summer is upon us! See what's happening in NYC Public Schools in August 2025, including the end of our Summer Rising, summer school, and Summer Meals programs, and start getting ready for the start of the new school year in September!
Get Ready for More Learning and Less Scrolling
Beginning this September, NYC Public Schools will be implementing 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 "cell phone ban," and start getting ready for distraction-free schools this fall!
Help Shape the Future of Community Services in NYC
The NYC Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) is conducting a survey this summer to understand the needs of City youth, families, and communities across the five boroughs. Learn more about DYCD's 2025 Community Needs Assessment, and take 10 minutes to give DYCD your feedback today!
Free, Fit, and Fun: PSAL's Summer Sports, Fitness, and Recreation Program
Through PSAL's High School Summer Sports, Fitness, and Recreation Program, any NYC student entering grades 9–12 in September 2024 can register for free athletic training, fitness and conditioning, sports-specific skill development, and fun recreational activities at participating sites across the City! Learn more about PSAL's program, and submit your registration today!
Be Smart, Stay Safe this Summer
Thank You, New York
Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos celebrates the end of the 2024–25 school year with heartfelt thanks to families and staff members for another transformative year for NYC Public Schools.
School Is Out, But Summer Reading is In!
Summer is finally here, and so is summer reading! Our summer reading resources will help students foster their love of reading and maintain their literacy skills while they're out of the classroom over the next few months.
The NY Yankees and Stonewall Inn Announce Winners of 2025 Yankees-Stonewall Scholarships
In celebration of LGBTQ Pride Month, the New York Yankees partnered with the Stonewall Inn and NYC Public Schools to award five of the City's high school seniors with college scholarships worth $10K each as part of our seventh annual Yankees-Stonewall Scholarship Initiative. Learn more about this year's scholarship recipients, and join us as we congratulate their success!
Previewing the Year Ahead (2025–26 School Year)
See what's ahead for NYC Public Schools for the entire 2025–26 school year. Check out our official 2025–26 School Calendar, and start planning ahead for next year TODAY.
Join NYC Public Libraries for Free Activities for the Whole Family This Summer
Free Summer Meals for NYC Kids Until August 29
Even after the 2024–2025 school year ends, anyone 18 years old or younger can still enjoy free breakfast and lunch throughout the summer, starting Friday, June 27, 2025.
Disability Pride Month Highlight: Judy Heumann
July is Disability Pride Month! In celebration, we’re highlighting our profile of activist Judith Heumann, a daughter of Holocaust survivors whose advocacy would earn her the nickname “the Mother of the Disability Rights Movement” for her vital role in the fight for equal access for people with disabilities.
July is Disability Pride Month—a time to celebrate the contributions of people with disabilities, recognize ongoing challenges, and promote equity and accessibility. All month long, we encourage students of all ages to explore books like those below that highlight disability history, culture, and experiences in both fiction and non-fiction. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
Early Readers (3K–Grade 2)
- All the Way to the Top, by Annete Bay Pimentel; illustrated by Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins
- I Will Dance, by Nancy Bo Flood; illustrated by Julianna Swaney
- Listen: How Evelyn Glennie, a Deaf Girl, Changed Percussion, by Shannon Stocker; illustrated by Devon Holzwarth
- Six Dots: A Story of Young Louis Braille, by Jen Bryant; illustrated by Boris Kulikov
- We Want to Go to School! The Fight for Disability Rights, by Maryann Cocca-Leffler and Janine Leffler
Elementary (Grades 3–5)
- A Boy Called Bat, by Elana K. Arnold; illustrated by Charles Santoso
- The Chance to Fly, by Ali Stroker and Stacy Davidowitz
- El Deafo, by Cece Bell
- I Am Not a Label: 34 Disabled Artists, Thinkers, Athletes, and Activists from Past and Present, by Cerrie Burnell; illustrated by Lauren Mark Baldo
- Out of My Mind, by Sharon M. Draper
Middle School (Grades 6–8)
- Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus, by Dusti Bowling
- It’s All or Nothing, Vale, by Andrea Beatriz Arango
- May B., by Caroline Starr Rose
- Roll With It, by Jamie Sumner
- Show Me a Sign, by Ann Clare LeZotte
Upper Grades (Grades 9–12)
- Disability Visibility (Adapted for Young Adults), edited by Alice Wong
- How We Roll, by Natasha Friend
- Give Me a Sign, by Anna Sortino
- Not If I See You First, by Eric Lindstrom
- Unbroken: 13 Stories Starring Disabled Teens, edited by Marieke Nijkamp
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 It’s a Neurodiverse World Collection, featuring books about individuals with neurodivergent identities including dyslexia, autism, ADHD, Down Syndrome, and more. In addition, check out the Hidden Voices: Americans with Disabilities Collection, which offers a diverse array of titles that capture the voice, stories, and experiences of Americans with disabilities.
Missed our previous book recommendations?
Check them out in the "What We're Reading" Archive!
SPOTLIGHT ON OUR SCHOOLS
On July 16, Governor Kathy Hochul joined Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos for a roundtable event at Walton High School in the Bronx to meet with local community and school-based stakeholders to discuss New York State's updated policy regarding students' use of personal cell phones and electronic devices during school days.
During the roundtable, the Governor and Chancellor provided an overview of how the upcoming policy will affect classrooms, learning spaces, and families in school communities across the City and the State. Check out some of our favorite moments during this community event!
Meet the 2025 Big Apple Award Recipients!
Join us in congratulating the amazing educators recognized by City students, families, teachers, administrators, and community members in 2025!
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!
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!
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
