P.S. 261 Zipporiah Mills

At P.S. 261, children are encouraged to speak up, to lead, and to be a good friend. Themes of social justice and equity are seen in the books kids read, in morning meetings, and in lessons, research and writing. 

Social justice is a major focus: Every year kids, families, and staff march to Borough Hall to reenact Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s march on Washington. They carry posters about racism, gun violence, LGBTQ+ rights, and climate change. The school staff is diverse, and some are bilingual, closely matching the make-up of the student population. PS 261 offers anti-bias workshops to families. A parent of a transgender child said she chose the school for its active welcome of all children.

Dance, music, and Arabic art: Through a partnership with the Qatar Foundation, the school offers a class that teaches the Arabic language and culture through art. Children practice Arabic calligraphy, and paint watercolors of olive trees. Third grade classes visit the Met Museum and Gallery of the Arab Lands, Iran, and Turkey. Every student also takes dance and music (and physical education) every week. 

Read-aloud books in all grades; phonics is taught early on: Teachers read books aloud in all grades, giving kids time to discuss, write, and make sense of plot, setting, characters, and theme. Fifth-graders study Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson, a novel about the healing that can occur when a group of students share their stories.  In addition to reading books, the younger grades study phonics daily in small groups. 

Research and writing are emphasized in the older grades:  In the upper grades, students write memoirs, articles, and literary essays based on “book club” books. In a five-week residency with the Brooklyn Public Library, fifth-graders learn how to use primary and secondary sources, observation, inference, and guiding questions in research. They study artifacts and do a research project on their own. 

Math drills, and real-world science: In addition to math games, projects, and activities, students do daily math drills to help improve their accuracy and speed. In a partnership with Makeosity, children and families study energy and circuitry. They use real electrical engineering tools and learn about college and career pathways in science. 

Lots of support for students: The school has a wide range of specialists on staff, including English as a New Language (ENL) teachers, speech therapists, occupational and physical therapists, a counselor, a social worker, a psychologist, and a school nurse.

Afterschool: There’s a huge list of activities. Families pay according to a sliding scale based on need.

Many families opt out of state tests: Typically, more than half of all families opt out of testing in grades 3 to 5. While test scores do not tell the whole story about how well a school is doing, it is one less measure to figure out how well children are progressing. On a school tour, ask how teachers measure progress.  (Lydie Raschka, via interviews and web reports, February 2023)