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November 21, 2009

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I.S. 245 The Computer School

  
100 West 77 Street Manhattan, NY 10024
Phone: (917) 441-0873  Fax: (212) 678-5908
Website   Map 		Principal: Henry Zymeck
Parent Coordinator: Sara Sloves (917) 441-1234
WHAT'S SPECIAL: Everyone says they integrate technology in the curriculum but here they really do it.
DOWNSIDE: Tiny, noisy cafeteria. No science lab or lockers.
 
Grade levels: 6 to 8
Class size: 24-30
Enrollment: 365
Ethnicity %:
  30 W; 25 B; 33 H; 12 A
Reading scores:
Math scores:
District 3

Admissions: District 3
Neighborhood: Upper West Side
More school data
 

 
 
 

MARCH 2009 UPDATE: West Prep Academy, a new middle school, and the Anderson School, a K-8 citywide gifted and talented school, will join the Computer School at the MS 44 building in September 2009.  MS 44 will begin to phase out in June 2009.

NOVEMBER 2007 REVIEW: Teachers say they love The Computer School because they are given the freedom to craft creative lessons. Students seem happy and engaged in unusual projects: Photoshopping pictures of themselves into historic photographs, for example, or using dance steps to learn about math concepts. The school serves kids with a range of abilities, including some with special education needs, and has a good mix of kids from different racial groups and income levels.

For many years, the school was awkwardly housed in two sites, sharing space with PS 9 on 84th Street and MS 44 on 77th Street. Now, the school is united on one cheery floor of MS 44. Sixth and 7th grade classes are mixed half 6th graders, half 7th for English and social studies, as a way to integrate the youngest students into the life of the school. "We don't want them to feel like low man on the totem pole," said Principal Harry Zymeck, a former science teacher at the school. They follow a two-year curriculum, studying colonial history one year, immigration the next. While humanities and science classes mix children of different abilities, children are grouped according to their level of skill in math. Struggling students get the attention they need in classes as small as 10 students, while advanced students may master high school algebra in a Regents-prep class.

Founded in 1982 on the premise that computers should have a role in every classroom, The Computer School is still a leader in its use of technology. Students have computer classes twice a week in which they learn programming, animation, and web design and create their own blogs and "wikis," or collaborative websites. In one class, they used Photoshop to place photos of themselves in historic scenes. One girl put a photo of herself sitting on the famous bus next to civil rights leader Rosa Parks.

The school collaborates with the Lincoln Center Institute to integrate the study of visual and performing arts into the academic curriculum. In a math class, a group of students used their bodies to illustrate math concepts combining dance and math. Trips are a big part of the curriculum: kids visit the American Museum of Natural History, the New-York Historical Society, Ellis Island, the Guggenheim and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. One 8th-grade class took an overnight camping trip to Montauk and enjoyed watching the stars visible on the beach but invisible to kids in Manhattan.

Teachers say they appreciate the flexibility to create their own lessons. "I feel like I have the freedom to teach in a deep, thoughtful way without having someone over me saying 'What about the test? What about the test?" said social studies teacher Jessica Shalom.

The relationship between The Computer School and MS 44, with which it shares a building, has improved in recent years, administrators and parents agree. For several years, MS 44 had a revolving door of principals, a demoralized staff and students who took out their resentments on Computer School kids after school. Now, MS 44 has a much smaller enrollment with fewer troubled kids and a principal who gives her students the same perks, such as class trips, that Computer School kids have. "The kids downstairs are happier" and friction has eased, said Computer School parent Jeanne Kerwin.

The Computer School has no lockers or science lab. The cafeteria is tiny and noisy, but children are allowed to leave the building several times a week for lunch.

Many Computer School graduates go to the highly-regarded Beacon High School, founded by former Computer School teachers. Others choose LaGuardia, Environmental Studies, and Millennium. Increasing numbers of graduates are admitted to the specialized schools.

Special education: There is one self-contained special education class for 12 special needs students. About 30 students receive Special Education Teacher Support Services (SETSS). Students in the self-contained class have advisory periods and electives and go on class trips with other students and may be mainstreamed in academic classes when appropriate.

After school: Drama, art, dance and sports are offered Monday through Thursday until 5 p.m.

Admissions: Tours are offered in the fall and winter. Teachers interview children in groups of eight to 10. "They don't have to be high-achieving, but we like inquisitive kids," said an administrator. There are typically 300 applicants for 120 seats. This school is featured in New York City's Best Public Middle Schools. (Clara Hemphill, November 2007)
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(parent)
Oct 28, 2009

My son is a new 6th grader at The Computer School and could not be happier! We are so pleased with the staff and administration, communication is excellent, and the teachers genuinely care about the kids. The children are bright and inquisitive, but do not try to achieve at the expense of others. Rather, there seems to be a spirit of cooperation among the student body. My son loves sharing subjects with 7th graders, enjoys his classes, and really seems to get on well with his teachers. Teachers are responsive and helpful with concerns and questions and seem to be an enthusiastic group. Our whole family agrees that the best decision we made was for our son to attend this wonderful school!
Dec 20, 2007 "This is an extremely well-rounded program. The school does not try to reinvent the wheel," writes a parent of an 8th grader. "They turn out really bright sucessful kids who can think 'out of the box' on a high level. They are very successful at motivating kids. The teachers and administrators want the kids to become accountable young adults and thus do hold them to their sometimes unpredictable preteen behavior. As a small school, Computer School enables the kids to grow and mature in a nurturing environment. The staff is amazing and completely committed! The electronic two-way communication system between school and parent/child is fantastic. There is a lot of homework, though, both nightly and long-term. There is not a lot of reference to standardized testing." (December 2007)

Dec 7, 2007 "I'm very pleased with the transition my 6th grader has made to middle school at the Computer School," writes a parent. "The teachers and administrators seem to understand that children are changing so much socially at this time. They really do seem to see the whole child and not treat the kids as test-taking automatons. I love that the children are all part of small advisory groups during which they can air their struggles or concerns. The teachers are creative and lively, and the school does a lot to foster community: dances, ice skating day, family potlucks and by the way, I think the whole eighth grade goes on an overnight to Montauk, not just one class, and the sixth grade already went to Philadelphia for the day fo finish their Colonial unit." (December 2007)

Dec 4, 2007 A parent of three children who have attended the Computer School, Jeanne Kurwin, said the relations with students attending MS 44 have improved markedly. Her oldest child, now in high school, was jumped outside the school when he was in middle school, but her younger children feel safe, she said. "The last two years have been almost incident-free," she said. (November 2007)

Dec 4, 2007 "It's a very democratic school," said English teacher Pamela Seuling. "All the teachers have a voice. Often decisions are made as a staff. It's a very supportive administration. [The students] are not all geniuses, but they are incredibly motivated." (November 2007)

Dec 4, 2007 Social studies teacher Jessica Shalom tells Insideschools: "We've really balanced the progressive philosophy with high-level thinking." (November 2007)

Nov 15, 2007 "I couldn't be happier with the Computer School. The faculty really seems to understand kids this age and they care about each individual child," writes a parent. "The computerized communication system is terrific. The school finds many different ways to interact with parents and to integrate new and returning kids. The curriculum is creative and challenging and homework is significant without being overwhelming. The first few days of drop off and pick up were somewhat chaotic and the other school in the complex is definitely a strong presence at dismissal. But overall, the challenges in the building seem to be less of an issue than previously. I am very pleased and my child is thriving." (November 2007)

Oct 26, 2006 "The school is in the midst of a renaissance since it was unified at one location on 77th Street," writes a parent. "The staff and students have an energy that is almost tangible. My son's 6th grade teachers seem to be motivated and highly qualified. They communicate with me promptly and frequently." (October 2006)

Oct 4, 2006 "The teachers really go out of their way to keep in touch with parents," writes a parent, who points to the fact that assignments are posted online as a particularly good system. This parent also writes that the school's relocation into the O'Shea Complex has been "positive" and "the tone within the building has changed dramatically." (October 2006)

Mar 8, 2006 City Council Member Gale Brewer reports: "The Computer School continues to provide a safe, quality middle school education to students in CSD3.  Although the O'Shea building, in which the Computer School is housed, has faced many challenges in recent years, reorganization and new leadership at MS 44 seem to be improving stability within the building and in the surrounding community." (March 2006)

Dec 8, 2005 "I view The Computer School as a big family," writes a student in his last year at the school. "We have some rivalries but the school isn't that cliquish. 6th and 7th graders tend to be more involved with each other because they have major classes together. Many of the 8th graders talk to the 7th graders though, because they were in the same classes the previous years. The teachers interact with the students a lot. You will see many students hanging out with the teachers during their lunch periods." He adds that security has improved and there are now fewer fights between schools in the building. (December 2005)

Oct 18, 2004 A dissatisfied former student writes: "I hated this school... There were all these cliques. It wasn't a diverse place." She describes the other schools in the building as "noisy" and "disruptive." This student also complains that although the school was well equipped, some of the teachers were disappointing. (October 2004)

Oct 13, 2004 A student complains that children at other schools in the building "always had fights and were loud." She also claims the school building is dirty and students tend to be cliquish. (September 2004)

Sep 15, 2004 "I'm a student of The Computer School and in my year there it a good school," writes Terrence D., a student. "There isn't any fights there. Not that many people get in trouble. And also we have a high-tech computer lab." (September 2004)

Aug 25, 2004 "The school provides a supportive, constructive environment to all," writes a parent. "Many of the teachers are good. But I feel that there are too many weak spots for a school of this size and that the way the school is structured, with two classes per grade at one site, and one class at the other, really leaves no options when there is a bad teacher/student combination. I also find the claims about technology integration highly overstated. It seems the school's technology edge has slipped away substantially while the school's administration fought other battles." (August 2004)

Jun 22, 2004

"The school is very good and handles students of different skill levels very well," writes a student. "The teachers are amazing and devoted." He also likes that the school "integrates computers into all the classes." (April 2004)

A 2002 graduate writes that The Computer School "helped me a lot. Because I was able to take high school math courses, I am in the 10th grade taking Pre-Calculus. I came into high school with 5 credits all because I was offered the classes in middle school. Computer School has helped me advance far in my school and I recommend this school to everyone." (March 2004)

This page was last updated on Oct 28, 2009.