P.S./M.S. 280 Mosholu Parkway

PS/MS 280 uses celebration to build school spirit, and delivers consistent instruction from a staff of teachers who work and plan well together, according to the Quality Review. Teachers overwhelmingly recommend the school to new families, NYC School Surveys show. 

PS/MS 280 celebrates holidays and special events that often tie into lessons, for example, older students read with younger ones on World Read Aloud Day, and children dress up as characters in books to celebrate reading. Students celebrate Chinese New Year and parade through the school in costumes on Halloween. The school’s twitter account shows math is a cause for celebration on Pi Day.

While there are not many arts teachers on staff, students take field trips to enhance their studies to venues such as American Museum of Natural History, Bronx Zoo, Bartow Pell Museum, Bronx Children’s Museum and the Children’s Museum of Manhattan.

Founded in 2006, the number of students at PS 280 has remained steady over the years, but the percentage of students with disabilities has almost doubled since 2010. These children are served in a variety of settings, including small classes for those with severe disabilities.

The student population is mostly Hispanic (kindergarten orientation is delivered in English and Spanish) with Bengali, Arabic, Korean and Albanian speakers in the mix. To assist children learning English, teachers work with students in their regular classrooms or take them out of the classroom to work in small groups. 

Roughly 140 students live in temporary housing; the school supports them by making sure they have book bags, school supplies, Metro Cards and the use of iPads and Chrome books, as well as offering social, academic and emotional support. 

Teachers host monthly workshops for parents, during which they review the curriculum for the coming month. Parents say the workshops give them a clearer understanding of schoolwork and homework, according to the Quality Review. Parents are encouraged to attend writing celebrations and awards assemblies, or to work as classroom volunteers. 

To promote social and emotional health, the school has adopted Yale’s RULER program, an approach in which children learn to identify and regulate their emotions, according to the Comprehensive Educational Plan. 

A few downsides: The school is slightly over capacity and classes are large. Many children miss at least a month of school. 

There is a tree-lined K-2 playground, as well as an outdoor play area for upper grades behind the school.

SPECIAL EDUCATION: There are "integrated co-teaching" (ICT) classes, in which two teachers work with up to twelve children with disabilities alongside students in general education. There are also "self-contained" classes for children with special needs only. The school offers speech, occupational therapy and other services, depending on a student’s needs. 

ADMISSIONS: Neighborhood school. (Lydie Raschka, web reports, March 2020)