P.S. 222Q Firefighter Christopher A. Santora School’s mission is to develop caring, competent students who learn through exploration and make a difference in our world. Our collective commitment is to provide our students with caring, exciting and safe surroundings in which they can accomplish this, and to lead them by example.  We strive to nurture the best in each child while preserving the optimum learning environment for all.

A little bit about our school...

P.S. 222 Queens opened on September 7, 2002.   The school was built to relieve the overcrowding in the Jackson Heights section of School District 30.  The school is within the Jackson Heights Historic District and as such was designed to complement the existing architecture.  The building is four stories above ground and one-story below ground.  There is no line-up area.  The school has no gymnasium, or auditorium.  It has a fully equipped library and multi-purpose room that is used for morning line-up, breakfast, lunch, after-school program, adapted phys ed, staff PD, PTA and other meetings, assembly, presentations, and special events (shows, workshops, etc.).

The school has a capacity of 304 students.  As of May 18, 2005, the enrollment was 311 students.  In school year 2005-2006, this pre-kindergarten to second grade school will be serving a population of approximately 315 students from culturally diverse backgrounds.  The community is home to many new immigrants from Mexico, Central America, South America, Asian or Pacific Islander, and the Middle East.  It is a central part of the community to many of the students’ immediate and extended families. The school building itself is a well-kept, new structure where pride in the students’ accomplishments is clearly evident immediately upon entry in the prominently displayed student work.  Their beautiful expressions of art, poetry, language, science and other disciplines continue to line the hallways and stairwells throughout the building.

The student body is served by professionals and support staff, including one principal, one magnet coordinator, one full-time guidance counselor; six (6) general education, two (2) special education, and four (4) District 75 paraprofessionals; one secretary; one school safety officer; and six school aides.  Of the twenty-four (24) teachers on staff, all are fully licensed and certified; 39% have more than five (5) years teaching experience, and 99% hold a Masters Degree.  Two teachers are first year teachers, and one teacher has fewer than three years of teaching experience.  Since the implementation of the citywide program for literacy and mathematics in the fall of 2003, the staff includes one full-time literacy coach, one half-time mathematics coach, and a parent coordinator.

Instruction of English language arts at P.S 222 will continue through strategies inherent to the Balanced Literacy Approach to reading, which consists of a strong phonics component: Wilson Fundation for Grades K and 1, Month by Month Phonics for Grade 2, and, if needed, Passport Voyager for AIS students, independent/paired reading, shared reading, guided reading, literacy centers, reader’s and writer’s workshops, interactive read-alouds, word studies, and teacher-student reading and writing conferences.  This approach is presently implemented at P.S. 222 through 120-minute reading blocks for grades K-2, and is supported by classroom libraries, small class sizes, academic support personnel (paraprofessionals included) in the classroom, and the assignment of a full-time reading coach will further support literacy instruction.

To better service the ELL students, we are planning to expand the present Dual Language Programs that services not only ELL students, but also the English speaking students where both groups will be learning a second language while improving the native language (see attached Dual Language brochure in the addendum).   Since the Dual Language Program services the Hispanic ELL students, the other non-Hispanic ELL students will continue to receive services by a push-in ESL teacher, implementing the LAP according to language level.  We also have an after-school Title III program that services all ELL students.  Part of the Title III ELL funds were used to teach ESL classes 2x per week, after-school for ELL parents.  The purpose of this class was to get parent to communicate in English and to learn strategies to help their children at home.

The Everyday Mathematics instructional program is used as the primary vehicle for teaching mathematics in grades K-2, and is implemented during 60-minute math blocks.  As part of the citywide initiative, the school has been assigned a half-time math coach to support the program through focused, on-site math staff development.  With a good and mutually supportive relationship between our part-time math coach and our full-time literacy coach, the math curriculum has been served effectively through parent workshops, professional development, coaching and modeling.

The purpose and focus of science education at P.S. 222 is to offer all students ways to understand how to make predictions, observe and explore the complex scientific and technological world.  Students are given opportunities to model scientists’ methods of investigation through a “hands-on” workshop model, an inquiry-based approach that incorporates scientific thinking processes.  In addition, participation in a school-wide science fair will take place yearly.

P.S. 222 will continue to follow and be driven by the NYS core curriculum for social studies. The anchor to the program will be our connection of the S.S. curriculum to all other curriculum areas.  In this way, our Magnet theme of Exploration will literally be sustained with a quarterly inquiry of an explorer.  The primary focus of the social studies instructional program will be on authentic research with the support of our library.  Every student, including special education students and English language learners, will be involved in several research projects throughout the year.  Projects will be developed by classroom teachers and displayed during a Magnet Explorer Fair.

Technology is infused throughout all curricular through the use of in-classroom computers, SmartBoards, digital cameras, a traveling technology teacher with a wireless lab equipped with 24 lap top computers, and a state-of-the art Library Media Center.  Students will have multiple opportunities to use technology to demonstrate and support their learning.  We will continue to build on our knowledge as leaders in utilizing the video-conferencing connection to support all curriculum areas.

The Visual Art program at PS222 reaches every student in the school with an integrated curriculum designed around the Blueprint for Education in the Arts.  An art specialist provides regular instruction in the classroom, using the workshop model to teach students to explored and reflect on their work in multiple media.  Selected student work is displayed throughout the school year-round to create a museum like environment.  Residencies by working artist/educators provide additional staff development and allow us to reach 90% of the students with art twice a week.  Regular meetings between the art specialist and the classroom and cluster teachers insure that the curriculum remains integrated with the classroom, with special emphasis on science and social studies.

Professional development is coordinated by a Professional Development Team, which includes the Principal, Magnet Specialist, Teachers College staff developer, grade leaders and the literacy and math coaches.  The members work together to combine ideas on effective planning for teachers, on different ways to assess learning, on developing curricula and instructional materials, and assessing teachers needs for professional development.  The team meets regularly to reflect and refine school-based practices and update the professional development plans.  This team will provide a two-tier approach to staff development.  On one level, they will work with staff to strengthen their knowledge base in literacy, mathematics and other content areas.  On another level, to be implemented concurrently, they will focus on effective practices in the delivery of instruction. 

P.S. 222 will take a continuous improvement, data-driven approach to improving student performance, using portfolio assessment, teacher observations, EPAL (Early Performance Assessment in Language Arts) and ECLAS2 (Early Childhood Language Arts System), NYSESLAT, and Wilson Fundations.  ECLAS2 will help teachers make appropriate decisions as they select reading materials for students, plan activities, and structure literacy programs to identify and address student weaknesses and target areas for growth.

The school is a central part of the community to many of the students’ immediate and extended families.  At P.S. 222 we recognize that families and other community members are a vital part of all students’ academic and social success, and consider parental involvement an essential ingredient for a successful educational program.  We also have an active Family Room where enthusiastic workshops, held several times a month, and are conducted in English and Spanish on a variety of topics identified to be of interest and concern to the parents.  These include health and child development issues, personal growth, teaching effective study habits at home to support school instruction and increase academic success, art and craft activities for parents and children, etc..   

Our school-wide focus on strengthening the home-school relationship and increasing parent and community involvement efforts will continue through the Parent.  Our future efforts will be further developed under her guidance and auspices.  She will more closely synchronize and manage the efforts of all involved (administration, staff, teachers etc.), in identifying, coordinating and executing the school’s parent and community engagement program.  For the 2005-2006 school year that will include thematically more unified projects and increased involvement with CBO’s.  A crucial component of our efforts will aim to generally improve and expedite communication with the parents through the development of an e-mail database and a parent coordinator/school newsletter.

Their purpose will not be only to keep the parents more informed about school activities, policies and developments.   Rather, it will be to draw them closer into our school and community life through projects which build their confidence and esteem, and create, nurture and maintain an increased feeling of a growing, inter-dependent and loving school family. 

As a community institution, P.S. 222 enjoys collaborative relationships with several community-based organizations, including the Kiwanis Club, St. John’s University, Queens College, Health Plus, JP Morgan Chase, the Queens Child Guidance Center.  These institutions and agencies provide ongoing parent outreach, counseling and medical services, student tutoring, and referrals to other support agencies and are vital components of the Academic Intervention Services.