The all-school Fest returns on Monday from 7 to 9pm in our Auditorium with special guest jurors!

Calling all PPAS parents, students, friends and cinephiles! Join us on Monday night to support and celebrate the 50 student teams who are making films this weekend in our annual 48 Hour Film Festival!

Special guest jurors include PPAS Alums Pauline Chalamet (“The King of Staten Island” and “The Sex Life of College Girls”) and Colby Minifie (“The Boys”), and Anne Hollister (“Supergirl” and “August: Osage County”), who will judge the submissions live at the event!

The films play on the BIG SCREEN at a live, red carpet awards show, where honors for Best Actor, Best Editing, Best Director, Best Film, and more will be presented!

Each ticket purchased comes with a ballot for the Audience Award — your chance to vote for your favorite film!

Everything you need to know
Grab your tickets

You can also text 48hourfilmfestival to 33100 to lock in your seats!

Learn more about our Film Department here and our notable alumni here.

Every day is Black history—and this February, we’re excited to honor it together as a community

Resource Guide:
Are you looking for guidance to have conversations on Black History at home? We have created guides for you: High School Guide; Middle School Guide. Take a look and let us know what you think.

Black History Month Assembly:
Celebrating 100 Years of Black History: Beyond a Week, Beyond a Month!

Join our amazing Black Student Union for an uplifting, fun and educational variety show on February 11 at 6:30pm. Buy your tickets now and invite others to come join the celebration.

We are also looking for volunteers to help bring this special event to life. If you are interested, please sign up here.

Our themes will explore the depth and breadth of Black history and culture through the following lenses:

• Music Across the Decades in U.S. Black History
• Social Movements and Protest
• Theater / Poetry
• Black Film and Visual Artists

As we reflect on Black History Month, it is important to honor its origins. What began as Negro History Week on February 7, 1926, founded by historian Dr. Carter G. Woodson, was established to recognize the contributions and achievements of Black Americans that were largely overlooked in traditional narratives. 

Over time, this observance expanded into what we now recognize as Black History Month, a powerful opportunity to educate, celebrate, and affirm the enduring impact of Black history, past present, and future. Thus, the title of this year’s assembly.

Stay tuned for more updates!

– Your PPAS Cultural Delegates
culturaldelegate@ppaspta.org

As a new PPAS PTA team this year, we set modest goals for our PPAS Stars annual fund. But thanks to the incredible enthusiasm and generosity of our school community, we’re now inspired to set our sights a little higher — to create even more performing arts opportunities for our students and continue delivering professional-level production value that shows off our incredible PPAS students!
 
Every gift, no matter the size, helps keep us keep going strong and shining bright — so please consider a one-time or recurring donation.

Click here to donate with love!

Join us for the PPAS and National Chorale Winter Vocal Soiree on February 26! Grab your tickets here or text WinterSoiree2026 to 33100 for ticketing page. Come see our talented high school Vocal majors in their first performance of 2026!

Don’t miss the next general PTA meeting – join us in person at PPAS or via Zoom for all the latest updates.

Date: Wednesday, February 25, 2026
Time: 6:30-7:30pm
Location: PPAS Library

Join Zoom Meeting HERE
Meeting ID: 443 110 2254
Passcode: PPASPTA

PPAS has launched a fun and informative new school website featuring academic and arts program overviews, student testimonials and an expanded alumni section.

Check it out here: www.ppasnyc.org

The PPAS PTA e-newsletter is live! Subscribe for the latest 2025-26 school year news so you never miss a thing!

Subscribe here

This week’s issue – Feb. 2, 2026

Past issues:

Jan. 26, 2026 here

Jan. 19, 2026 here

Jan. 12, 2026 here

Jan. 5, 2026 here

Dec. 29, 2025 here

Dec. 15, 2025 here

Dec. 8, 2025 here

Dec. 1, 2025 here

Nov. 24, 2025 here

Nov. 17, 2025 here

Nov. 10, 2025 here

Nov. 3, 2025 here

Oct. 27, 2025 here

Oct. 21, 2025 here

Oct. 14, 2025 here

Oct. 6, 2025 here

Sept. 29, 2025 here

Sept. 22, 2025 here

Sept. 15, 2025 here

Sept. 8, 2025 here

Sept. 1, 2025 here

Aug. 18, 2025 here

Say it Loud, Say it Clear — We’re Building Community Here!

Hello PPAS Community, As we gear up for the 2025-26 school year, we are filled with excitement and pride to welcome back every member of our one-of-a-kind PPAS family. Together, we carry forward a legacy of passion, creativity, and community that’s made our school a shining beacon of arts and learning. We are the PPAS PTA — a dedicated team of parent advocates, arts champions, and school partners who cheer loudly from the sidelines, fill seats at performances, support our incredible school leaders, and ensure the voices of our students and families are heard. Because when PPAS shines, we all shine! Our commitment this year is to continue rallying behind our kids, fueling the arts, and turning parent power into community magic — one performance, meeting, and high-five at a time.Our values guide us every step of the way: 1. Support Through Service: We uplift students, teachers, and arts partners by actively fundraising, volunteering, and providing the resources needed to help every learner and program succeed. 2. Connection Through Equity: We foster a welcoming, inclusive community by building strong, empathetic relationships among parents, teachers, and staff — ensuring every voice is heard and valued. 3. Empowerment Through Engagement: We promote leadership, collaboration, and transparency by encouraging parent participation in school governance, decision-making, and community-building. As our Principal Leah Dyer says, PPAS is “one extraordinary 6–12 school with incredible staff, inspiring partnerships, and endless student talent.” Together, we are honored to be part of this story — adding our energy and enthusiasm to the chapters yet to come. We look forward to an unforgettable year of growth, creativity, and community with you all! Warmly, Ruth & Raven (“R&R”)