News: What to Know for Back to School with NYC Kids

9/10/15 - By Jody Mercier

This week marked back-to-school for the 1.1 million children in NYC public schools, as well as many private-school counterparts, and the 2015-2016 academic year brings with it no shortage of new systems to master and even new holidays! For example, the DOE's new parent portal we told you about last spring—NYC Schools Account—is now up and running!

Parents will find students' test scores, attendance records and report cards (in 10 languages) in the new portal, which is accessible by computer, tablet or smartphone—a major improvement over its predecessor. You'll need an activation code handed out by your child's school to access the personalized, free account page. All the instructions and required documents can be found on the schools account page.

Read on for more school news and updates throughout NYC.

OUR LATEST VIDEOS

  • The Department of Education and Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña will wrestle with these seven top issues this academic year. — Citywide
     
  • The mayor greeted children in all five boroughs on the first day of school. — Citywide
     
  • New York City installed 140 speed cameras around school zones to keep kids safer as they commute to school. — Citywide
     
  • The JFK Bronx Campus that was badly damaged by a gas explosion last month has reopened as planned. The campus houses seven high schools and approximately 3,000 students. — Marble Hill
     
  • Needy schoolchildren got some help from Jay-Z and the Yankees' CC Sabathia when the duo handed out backpacks filled with school supplies. — Mott Haven
     
  • Is school segregation a thing of the past or a current problem facing city kids? The Brooklyn Historical Society hosts a panel discussion on the topic on Wednesday, September 16. — Brooklyn Heights
     
  • About 220 new sports teams will be added to the Public Schools Athletic League (PSAL) this year with a majority of those being located at small schools and composed of female athletes to bring the city into compliance with Title IX of Equal Opportunity in Education Act. — Citywide
     
  • NYC public schools will be closed Monday and Tuesday for the Jewish New Year, but this year, for the first time, the city's schools will also close for the Lunar New Year and two Muslim holy days.
     
  • A budget boost might extend the city's public libraries' operating hours just in time for school, according to a DNAinfo report. 

More back-to-school questions? Check out our school guide to help prepare kids for a commute on their own, play an educational word game, or find new books or a new lunch idea. Or check out the DOE's new Back to School Basics page.