P.S. 7 Samuel Stern

Every child at PS/MS 7 studies a musical instrument and swims at Asphalt Green. Children grow herbs and garlic and make pesto as part of the Edible Schoolyardprogram designed by restaurateur Alice Waters. [photo from inhabitat.com]

Reading test scores, while still below average, are improving, according to school data. A couple of top-notch teachers have won Big Apple Awards. The school is part of the Middle School Quality Initiative (MSQI), a city program designed to boost reading levels with a longer school day and special activities. Students get homework help and take part in sports activities with Union Settlementand Urban Dove organizations after school.

The schools serves a needy population. About one-third of the pupils live in temporary housing, according to the schools yearly plan, and many live in public housing nearby.Attendance is a challenge, and teachers struggle to maintain order in classrooms, according to school surveys.

Although most middle school pupils report feeling safe inside the building, a majority of teachers say the neighborhood is unsafe, according to surveys. The neighborhood has one of the highest concentrations of public housing developments in the city.

David Graeber, formerly a literacy coach at MS 126 in Brooklyn, became principal in 2016. PS/MS 7 shares the building with Global Technology Prep, a middle school opened in 2009.

ADMISSIONS: Neighborhood school. (Lydie Raschka, web reports, August 2017)