PS/MS 156 is an orderly school where students wear uniforms from kindergarten through the 8th grade. The school has a strong reading curriculum, and boasts several partnerships with arts organizations which work with the school to offer performing arts classes.

Building and Location: PS/MS 156 is located in Laurelton, Queens, a beautiful neighborhood near the Nassau County border, known for its Tudor homes. Front yards are well-maintained and many of the tree-lined streets are enhanced with landscaped esplanades.

PS/MS 156’s traditional brick school building dominates a whole block, with a large school yard behind it. Blue lockers line the hallway on the third floor, which is dedicated to middle school classrooms. The science lab is under construction and will open for the 2010-2011 school year, which will allow the school to offer Regents science courses for the first time.

School Environment and Culture: With the exception of a one-year stint working at the district level, Noreen Little has been principal of PS/MS 156 since 2000. At the time of our visit, students’ science projects lined the halls, and according to Little, there were four winners at the district competition. Classrooms we visited were quiet and orderly, and students were engaged in their lessons, whether reading silently or solving math problems in small groups.

Middle school students, who occupy the third floor of the building, change class for different subjects. Instead of the white and navy uniforms worn by younger students, PS/MS 156 preteens wear black slacks and a colored shirt that indicates their grade. They have their own assistant principal and a dean.

Teaching and Curriculum: Elementary school classrooms are full of books; students keep track of their reading level on the clear plastic bags that hold the books they choose to read independently, crossing each level off so they can see how far they have progressed. We saw that several 1st-grade students were reading well above grade level. For math, PS 156 does Singapore math, which focuses on in-depth coverage and mastery of topics through the 5th grade.

The 6th grade is piloting the use of Thinking Maps across the curriculum, teaching students to use a set of graphic organizero visualize and process information. Although Thinking Maps are an innovative approach to learning, we saw traditional teaching in most middle school classrooms, with teacher-led lectures and students working from textbooks. There is an honors track for high-achieving middle school students.

Performers from Yaffa Cultural Arts teach students in grades K-4 traditional African dance. The third grade also has the opportunity to learn ballroom dance. Music 144 brings teaching artists into the school to provide instrumental music instruction to grades 5 and 6. Elementary school students have science class twice a week, and all students meet with the technology teacher in the computer lab once a week.

After School: PS/MS 156 has a few after-school clubs for middle school students, which include chorus, chess, debate, drama, and robotics. There are no after-school programs for elementary school students.

Special Education: PS/MS 156 has a self-contained special education class on grades 3-8, and a Collaborative Team Teaching class on K, 7, and 8.

Family Involvement: According to the principal, PS/MS 156 has an active PTA and the school benefits from the help of parent volunteers.

English Language Learners: There are about two dozen predominantly Haitian-Creole-speaking  students at PS/MS 156 who receive instruction from an English as a Second Language teacher.

After graduation: JHS 231 in Springfield Gardens, which serves roughly 800 students, covers the PS/IS 156 zone, but most students remain at the Laurelton School through the 8th grade. They move on to a variety of high schools, both public and parochial, including Brooklyn Latin, Brooklyn Tech, Townsend Harris, and St. Francis Prep. (Cristin Strining, April 2009)

This schools review is less than accurate.There are no after chool programs or during school programs for that matter.The children here have no programs to keep them busy, there is no discipline here constant fighting the school is a mess and lots of bullying.. some one please help this school.

This school is in desperate need. the principal has lost all control of the school and the children here do not respect her or most of the teachers. there are no programs to keep them busy no disciplinary actions being taken and no respect on either side.The bullying is out of control.There is no control here please help the children..