gifted and talented over-offer at PS 32

By Joyce Szuflita
First let me say that PS 32 is blameless in this fiasco. Last year, their first year with a g&t kindergarten, PS 32 in Carroll Gardens had a small under capacity classroom. Over the 2011/12 year, PS 32 gained a reputation as a strong, happy and conveniently located program. This year many families placed it high on their g&t wish lists. The DoE, seeing that last year, there was a less than 30% registration rate, decided to assign 70 students to the classroom, thinking that only a small percentage would actually want to attend. They didn't realize that the school had become a "go to" program in the district in one short year.

So what is happening at PS 32 today? They already have over 30 families registered with more coming. They are registering all families through the June 5 deadline and trying desperately to find out what to tell the families to calm their fears. Families are worried that they won't be able to attend the school that they chose and were placed in. Many of these families have already been saddened by the fact that there are not even close to enough seats in the city wide schools that they qualified for, but they were happy to have this new local option that looks so promising.

PS 84 is building a greenhouse classroom

By Joyce Szuflita
PS 84 in Williamsburg is holding their 2nd Annual Garden Party on June 2, 2012 from 11-4. They will be unveiling their state-of-the-art hydroponic laboratory classroom. This is the first stage for them in their fundraising efforts to build a rooftop Greenhouse Classroom. They plan to partner with NY Sun Works, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing the concepts of urban sustainability and environmental science to NYC's schools. 

"This Greenhouse Science Laboratory will serve as an alternative, hands-on classroom. It is built around a 21st-century sustainable urban farm and will be a place for students to grow food, while learning about nutrition, water resource management, efficient land use, biodiversity, conservation, pollution, waste management, and sustainable development. The Greenhouse Classroom will also include hydroponic growing systems, a rainwater catchment system, aquaponics, a weather station and a vermi composting station."