PS 200 is a big, old school, but it's also well kept and well run. It has a full-size gym unchanged since principal Sylvia La Cerra was a student here herself an enviable auditorium with wonderful art on display, and a new library/media center. The school has a bilingual gifted program for Russian-speaking children, called "Globe," and an interesting mix of children from different countries. One spring morning, two women in traditional Egyptian garb waited with a woman in Pakistani dress, and a mother from Puerto Rico chatted with a mother from China outside the school. Inside, a group of 5th-grade girls one Palestinian, one from Russia, one from Egypt, and another from Albania made plans for graduation.

I was in the gifted program at P.S. 200 and graduated in 1982 when the school still had a 6th grade. Overall, I liked all of my teachers. Some were harsh and I remember my first grade teacher... read more