Newsletter - NYC Public Schools Plus You

Celebrating the School Year and Sharing Our Engagement Tour Report

Dear Families and Colleagues,

As we approach the end of the 2025–26 school year this week and celebrate all that our students, families, and staff members have accomplished together, I want to thank you—for your partnership, honesty, and commitment. I am honored to serve as your Chancellor, and I have learned so much from you these last few months.

Since I began this role in January, listening to our community has been one of my top priorities. During 10 in-depth Community Conversations across the five boroughs and visits to schools across all 45 superintendent districts, I saw the immense pride that families, students, and staff members have in their school communities. I also heard thoughtful perspectives on what is working well and where we can continue to improve. We discussed the importance of ensuring student safety and belonging, maintaining rigorous and engaging academics, advancing true integration across our system, and deepening family engagement.

These voices—your voices—are shaping our path forward. I am proud to share our Engagement Tour Report, which includes what we heard from our communities and how those insights are informing our next steps for NYCPS. Already, we are beginning to turn what we heard into action: launching 2-K, expanding 3-K, growing NYC Reads and NYC Solves, creating district working groups to make our schools stronger, and more.

Thank you for choosing NYCPS and for the trust you place in us every day. I hope this summer brings your family time to rest, reflect, recharge, celebrate, and continue learning. I look forward to continuing our work in the school year ahead, just as we did this year—together.

In partnership,

Kamar H. Samuels
Chancellor

The Chancellor’s Spotlight

Earlier this June, we hosted a celebration at Tweed Courthouse in honor of Immigrant Heritage Month. Featuring a range of outstanding young artists from several of our schools, the celebration served as an inspirational reminder of our broader commitment to ensuring our schools are safe, welcoming, and inclusive places for all students. NYC Public Schools are not only places of learning; they are spaces of belonging, dignity, and opportunity, and I am grateful to our educators, school leaders, and dedicated staff members for the continued support they provide immigrant students and their families.

On behalf of NYCPS, I thank the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs and the New York City Council for being partners in our work with immigrant families. Also, I thank our NYCPS colleagues at Project Open Arms for putting together this incredible event!

Our Highlight Video

The New York Knicks’ first-ever ticker tape parade down New York’s famous Canyon of Heroes provided New Yorkers with memories we’ll be reliving for years to come. Check out how my NYCPS colleagues and I cheered for our hometown heroes as the parade made its way past Tweed Courthouse towards City Hall!

NYCPS News and Resources

• Friday, June 26 is the last day of the 2025–26 school year
• Visit our official Summer 101 webpage to learn more about the NYCPS programs and services available to students this season.
• Summer Rising 2026 will begin on Wednesday, July 1.
• Independence Day will be observed on Friday, July 3; summer programming will not take place on this date
• The 2026–27 NYC Public School Calendar is available on our website; the first day of the new school year will be on Thursday, September 10.
• For more news and resources, subscribe to The Morning Bell, and follow NYCPS online at Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube.