PS 236 is a well-run, well-equipped school in a neighborhood with lots of stay-at-home mothers and one- and two-family homes with manicured lawns. Fifth graders lead The Pledge of Allegiance and sing The Star Spangled Banner over the public address system each morning. Classes are tracked, with children placed in groups according to their abilities. Homework is heavy. "They start homework at 4 in the afternoon and don't finish until after dinner," one parent said. "This breeds discipline and will pay off down the road." Even kindergartners have homework assignments, such as filling out a phonics worksheet from a workbook. The school has an inviting library with classical music playing, plants, dioramas made by the kids, and big windows that overlook a playground. Students in all grades perform and stage musical plays.

PS 236 has teaching artists from Puppetry in Practice, who help children make puppets and put on shows connected to the social studies curriculum, such as Native American music and dance. The school has two gifted programs, the district-wide Eagle program and a school-based Scholar's Academy, designed for children in grades 25 to integrate social studies and reading. Children receiving special education services are integrated into regular classes and receive extra help from a second teacher for part of the day. The school is overcrowded and there isn't much room for children from outside the zone. Tours are given by appointment. (This school is featured in New York City's Best Public Elementary Schools. Pamela Wheaton, 2002, updated May 2005)