Why Choose P.S. 133?
At P.S. 133, we do not allow the neighborhood conditions to be a source of excuses for lack of success. With 97% of our students who qualify for free lunch and many more who receive a multitude of services and support that fall outside the realm of traditional schooling, the only acceptable option is to do what is necessary to provide our children with the best teaching, opportunity, encouragement, and resources to create the scholars of tomorrow.
Every Child Matters
We address every individual as one who has strengths and weaknesses and teach to those traits. We rely extensively on analytical data and interpretation to guide us in structuring personal pedagogy to increase student learning. We develop our staff to be the best and brightest through a firm commitment to professional learning. We strive to create dynamic partnerships outside of school to provide enrichment, resources, and opportunities to our community in order to supplement what is provided by limited city and state funding. We search and apply for grants, Donor Choose funding, and any other resources that will increase the offerings to all in our community. Our utmost goal is to become a community of pro activists. To achieve this, we arduously work on the following:
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1. Staff
The administration of the school understands the elemental necessity to have a highly educated, responsible, passionate, empathetic, motivated, and dedicated staff. We strive to bring to our school, whether as a classroom teacher, content area specialist, or support personnel, those who have chosen education as their guiding light and who have an awareness of the rewards and challenges associated with teaching in our socioeconomic and cultural environment.
As a part of the new administration’s strategy to hire highly qualified teachers, we attend centrally organized hiring events to staff vacancies, utilize social media “teacher groups” to post vacancies, and personally reach out to candidates in the open market.
2. Professional Learning
Professional development is an ongoing, ever-present element of the systemic support we provide to all of our educators. For teachers to grow professionally and learn new methods to help reach every student in their classroom, we provide comprehensive, explicit, and authentic opportunities for development. We engage renowned and highly qualified staff developers to come to our campus and work closely with teachers and students in the development of literacy and math skills. We also utilize various Department of Education (DOE) and independent entities to support opportunities for our staff. We believe there is always room to improve and learn, regardless of the number of years in the classroom.
3. Social-Emotional Learning
Social-emotional development motivates children to learn critical skills, such as the ability to communicate, connect with others, resolve conflict, self-regulate, display kindness and empathy, and cope with challenges. At P.S. 133, we are aware that these skills are crucial for school readiness. Without cognitive, social, and emotional self-control in the classroom, learning cannot occur.
We created our Multi-Tiered School Support (MTSS) team to develop a school mantra as well as a set of behavior expectations that apply to all members of the school community. Members of the MTSS team worked tirelessly during the 2018-2019 school year to develop a behavior matrix, protocols for morning class meetings, positive behavior reinforcement systems, consequences, and intervention systems for those who need extra support. Our curriculum utilizes principles from Zones of Regulation in the classroom.
4. Partnerships & Grants
We clearly understand that it is our mandate to expose our students to a wide range of experiences and opportunities that open doors and allow for success in this world. We maintain a committed mindset to instill this reality and actively seek out grants, collaborations, and partnerships.
5. Technology
Living in the 21st century requires a firm foundation in digital experience. We embrace the concept that our children live in a digital culture and are growing up as digital natives. Their success and well-being requires that we inform them of how to incorporate these tools into their work, lives, and opportunities.
With this in mind, our new administration has made investing in new technology a priority. Through grants and capital funding, we purchased Promethean boards and document cameras for every classroom. We also secured computer devices (iPads and Chromebooks) for all of our K–5 students. Our teachers also have access to iPads and MacBooks for instructional purposes.
We recognize that acquiring electronic devices is not enough to ensure the shift; therefore, our budget allocates money for a full-time technology teacher responsible for delivering engaging lessons in our newly upgraded computer lab. We will not tolerate a “digital divide” for our students; we must prepare them for the world into which they are entering.
