Our Programs
As part of PS 199’s mission, striving for higher standards is integral to student learning and achievement. We support all students in achieving proficiency, not only in English language arts and mathematics, but in all curriculum areas. The teachers and staff of PS 199 believe that creating an environment of pride and excitement around academic success promotes even more academic success. Therefore, parents, students, and the community are regularly informed of the students’ academic achievements. ​We recognize that children learn at different rates and in different ways. It guided our long history of educating children with special needs of all levels. Our foremost goal is to give all children access to a wide repertoire of learning tools. Yet, we are constantly studying new approaches and refining our practices to meet the needs of all our students. Our great challenge, as that of many other schools, is meeting the needs of our diverse population, while keeping our expectations high. PS 199 is an outstanding public elementary school in a vibrant neighborhood, and the resources of New York City play a vital role in the success of our children's education. Partnerships with numerous institutions bring in teaching artists and educators who inspire and enrich our students. The continuing dedication and involvement of our PTA allows us to maintain our relationships and find new opportunities for our students.
Our ultimate goal is to cultivate lifelong readers. We deploy a variety of found-ational reading and writing workshops that progressively build our students' appreciation, knowledge, and mastery of essential literacy skills.
All students learn and apply math-ematical concepts through a variety of strategies. We use collaborative works and math games to introduce concepts, reinforce lessons, and foster mastery of lessons and skills.
Our science curriculum focuses on investigation. Students learn to develop hypotheses, experiment, and refine their original thinking. Subjects include plants, animals, environment, with use of our own hydroponics garden.
Our students research topics utilizing non-fiction reading strategies and note taking skills. Students learn to gather and sketch important ideas in their various topics of study, culminating in project-based activities.
We want to promote a lifelong appre-ciation of art and build awareness of the world around them. Our students enjoy regular art studio fun, learning art history and exploring mediums like watercolor, printmaking, and sculpting.
Movement and music are an integral part of our curriculum at PS 199. We are grateful for our partnerships with the National Dance Institute and NY Philharmonic whose teaching artists help enrich our student's education.
Emotional development is an important part of education. Nurturing emotional intelligence helps us keep a positive school environment for all. We promote respect and teach awareness and understanding of feelings.
We aim to help each student reach physical and health literacy by teaching the benefits of physical fitness and a healthy lifestyle. We also promote teamwork and sportsmanship to build resilient and strong character.
We recognize the importance of digital literacy for students today. Our teachers incorporate technology and engineering into our curriculum, lever-aging our partnerships with the Center for Architecture and LEGO robotics.
We have a long history of educating children with special needs of all levels. Our community teaches our students to be inclusive and caring individuals. We recognize that children learn at different rates and in different ways.
We love field trips. Our teachers plan regular field trips in every grade to align with their social studies, enhance the understanding of the subjects we teach, and to explore new dimensions in our relationship with our community.