PS101Q MISSION

The mission of P.S.101Q, The School in the Gardens, is to provide a rigorous, well-rounded educational program that will foster the development of literate, creative, culturally aware, and technologically competent learners. We will create and environment that promotes excellence in achievement, in which students strive to meet or exceed the New York State Standards. We will encourage a love of learning through innovative and challenging programs. Parents and staff will work together to ensure that all children reach their academic potential in a safe and nurturing environment. All members of our school community will celebrate individual differences and promote good citizenship
 

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PS101Q " The School in the Gardens"

MS. RONNIE FEDER, PRINCIPAL

Region:	3
Community School District:	28
Local Instructional Superintendent:	Leslie Sussman (718)-281-3435
Parent Coordinator:	Randy St. Germain (347) 563-4449
PA President:	Deb Dillingham
Community Superintendent:	Daniel Purus (718)-281-3498
School Number:	101
Borough:	Queens
Grade Levels:	PK, K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,SE
Student Enrollment:	635
Police Precinct:	112

PS101Q is located at 2 Russell Place, Forest Hills, New York

The Program at PS101Q, serves children in grades Pre-Kindergarten through 6. The School is presently housing approximately 635 Children. Our utilization stands at 108.9% Our register is made up of 546 general education and 80 special education students.

The school houses:

• 2 (two) half day Pre-K classes

• 4 Kindergarten classes

• 4 First Grade classes

• 3 Second Grade classes

• 3 Third Grade classes

• 3 Fourth Grade

• 3 Fifth Grade

• 2 Sixth Grade

• 2 (two) self-contained special education classes (one for 3 and 4 and one for 4 and 6)

• ESL Program for grades K-6

The average class in Kindergarten is twenty-one (21) students.

The average class in first through third grade is twenty-five (25) students.

The average class in fourth through sixth grade is twenty-eight (28) students.

Summary of School Performance:

Our school performance trends are as follows:

1. Literacy -The most significant change has been in our classroom environments: establishing a class meeting area, developing leveled libraries, using teacher generated instructional charts and word walls. We need to improve the variety and quantity of trade books, provide staff development and facilitate articulation across the grades and with out-of-classroom service providers. We will strive for earlier identification of students at risk of not meeting the performance standards, so that we can initiate optimal academic intervention for those students. We will also work to improve the number of students achieving levels 3 &4 on the New York State English Language Arts test.

2. Math -use of the McGraw Hill mathematics program will be used across the grades. We need to provide staff development to understand how to use data to drive instruction which will support differentiated instruction in the classroom, improve the number of students achieving levels 3 &4 on the New York State Math test.

3. Science -establishing a science room has improved science instruction by providing hands on activities for students. We need to increase the amount of hands on instruction as well as the amount of writing done in science. We will strive to improve the number of students achieving level 3 & 4 on the Grade 4 New York State Science test.

4. Social Studies -there's been significant increase of students performing in levels 3 & 4 over the past 2 years. We need to improve the number of students achieving level 3 & 4 on the Grade 5 New York State Social Studies test. We need to provide a greater variety of resource materials, especially primary source documents as well as the delivery of instruction using the workshop model across the grades.

School-wide Priorities for Improvement for 2006-07 (No more than five; aligned with priority goals and the Principal's Performance Review -PPR)

1. Emphasis on workshop model instruction in all major curriculum areas

2. More complete and more accurately leveled classroom libraries

3. Differentiated instruction in the classroom

4. Improve overall communication with entire school community

Overview of Instructional Programs and Special Initiatives

Currently literacy skills (including reading, writing, phonics, grammar and spelling) in grades (K -6) is through a Balanced Literacy approach. This has meant considerable revamping of classroom environments. A substantial amount of money has been spent on purchasing bookshelves, easels and Meeting Area supplies. A great deal of NYSTL money has been spent on materials to develop and support leveled libraries and purchase the Mayor's Libraries for every classroom. We will be augmenting our literacy program by providing staff development in the Leap Frog Program in Grades Pre-K and Kindergarten. We will also utilize this program in our SETTS, ELL, self-contained Special Education classes and Speech program. We will retain the services of a full timed Literacy Coach. Key functions of the Literacy Coach will be to support "Lab Site" classrooms (models of Balanced Literacy), model lessons for teachers, provide support, as requested by administrators and teachers, to facilitate monthly ":vertical articulation groups," and to provide professional development for the entire staff and parents, as needed. Our Literacy Coach will also make recommendations for the Principal's Book of the Month Club. We expect to have the funds to implement all of the above mentioned programs and initiatives. Additionally, we will relay on the assistance of the Parents Association and look for grants and other funding sources such as "Reso A" City Council Grants and Parents as Arts Partners, to supplement our budget.

Alignment of School's Educational Program with the Principles of Learning

I Organize for Effort

Our school will continue to organize and reorganize our classroom environments as we make our rooms more literacy-friendly. There is a designated Meeting Area in each classroom and we will enlarge these areas in the coming year, to better accommodate all students. We have established classroom libraries and have begun the process of leveling these libraries. We will continue acquire and level books and to level up to of 40% of the books in each classroom. Teachers will maintain separate genre and author study book baskets. Each teacher will establish a specific organization and protocol for storing, accessing and using student writing journals and folders each day.

II Accountable Talk

Students will engage in focused, task-oriented and meaningful discussions in all curriculum areas. They will learn to share and talk accountably with each other as well as with the teacher in partnerships, in small groups and as a whole class. Accountable talk will take place at the Meeting Area as well as during table activities.

III Academic Rigor

Teachers will plan and implement standards based lessons and activities based on results of formal and informal data such as standardized tests, informal reading inventories and math assessments. Through opportunities such as Interactive Read Aloud, Math Game Days, science journals and social studies projects, students will have many opportunities to discuss and demonstrate knowledge acquisition in all curriculum areas.