Language Arts

Our English Language Arts curriculum consists of Ready Gen for Grades K-2 and Expeditionary Learning for Grades 3-5.

Both our curriculums are common core aligned and prepare our students for college & career. Students engage with a balance of both fiction and nonfiction texts.  They make connections, pose questions, justify their thinking, and explore solutions as a means to engage in real-world scenarios.  Students work in flexible, cooperative groups to analyze texts and are expected to justify their thinking with evidence from the text. Not only do we implement these curriculums, we constantly revise and add additional resources to engage and differentiate instruction for our varied learners.

Additionally, we integrate computer programs like Odyssey and MyOn into our academics to enrich their learning experiences and provide our students with ample opportunities to read and extend their thinking. 

Through our Afterschool and Saturday enrichment programs, we continually support students in meeting standards and grade expectations.

At P.S. 189 we understand that is our responsibility to build and foster lifelong learners who question, seek knowledge, and communicate it to those around them. We realize the importance of cultivating the minds of our future leaders.

Science

Our Science program varies by grade.  Students go through the scientific method to answer many questions pertaining to the environment, astronomy, geology, electricity, and other scientific topics.  

Library

The PS 189 Library Media Center is the learning center of the school.  It is a place that will support the school community, students, parents and staff.  It fosters the love of books. The media center contains materials that support the school’s curriculum with resources that will promote critical thinking skills.  It supports the learning of information literacy skills, which will provide the students with the knowledge they will need in the future to achieve their academic goals.

Art

The art and music department at PS 189M provide many opportunities for students to create, perform, observe, and critique art

Occupational Therapy

School occupational therapists (OT) are key contributors within the education team. They support a student’s ability to participate in desired daily school activities or “occupations.” They help children to fulfill their role as students by supporting their academic achievement and promoting positive behaviors necessary for learning. School occupational therapists support academic and non-academic outcomes, including social skills, math, reading and writing (i.e., literacy), behavior management, recess, participation in sports, self-help skills, prevocational/ vocational participation, transportation, and more. Occupational therapy practitioners have specific knowledge and expertise to increase participation in school routines throughout the day.

At PS189M, we focus on the students’ strengths, and can design and implement programming to improve inclusion and accessibility. We offer services along a continuum of prevention, promotion, and interventions and serve individual students, groups of students, whole classrooms, and whole school initiatives. We collaborate within the education team to support student success. In this way, we can contribute within both general and special education.

Mathematics

P.S. 189’s primary mathematics curriculum for grades K-4 is Go Math! and grade 5 uses Go Math! and Algebra for All.  This scholastic year we have added a 2nd curriculum for our Problem Solvers mathematics program consisting of Eureka Math.
In our Problem Solvers program the students learn the same content as in the primary curriculum but they problem solve by applying different strategies. Students are also engaged in differentiated mathematics technology instruction via Khan Academy, Think Central, Zearn, and/or Compass Odyssey. 
All of our programs are Common Core aligned.  At P.S. 189 we use the concrete, representational and abstract (CRA) approach.  We use manipulatives, draw models and finally use equations and number sentences to promote a deep conceptual understanding of mathematics.  
We are constantly revising, adapting our curricula so that our students are actively engage in doing mathematics and solving challenging problems. We create real-life situations to ensure that our students maximize their elementary school learning of mathematics.   Elementary math is the foundation and crucial to ensure that students are successful when they go onto middle school and leave high school ready college and career.

Technology

Our classrooms are equipped with Smart Boards, document cameras, Chromebooks, Apple laptops and iPads.  Students learn digital citizenship, keyboarding, coding, word processing, digital presentations and spreadsheets.  We also have a state of the art Mac Lab where students enjoy 21st century learning skills and lessons. Because we are a Google School, all students and staff have a G-Suite account, providing access to all Google Apps, unlimited cloud storage and seemingless collaboration.

Dancing Classrooms:

Ballroom Dancing

At PS189M our fifth grade students participate in Ballroom Dancing.  The students learn five different dances: Merengue, Fox Trot, Rumba, Tango and Swing.  The students work with their partners to learn teamwork and the skills necessary and inherent to each dance.

After their completion of the program the students have the opportunity to audition for a spot on the Ballroom Competition Team.  The team consists of twelve students, six ladies and six gentlemen, who show off their skills and compete at the Color of the Rainbow matches against other schools across the five boroughs. There are two to three competitions leading up to the Grand Final. We hope to see you there!

Physical Education

Our Physical Education program includes:

 

1. Mighty Milers program

2. 3rd Grade Basketball After-School program

3. Senior Specials: Basketball Showcase and Volleyball camps

4. Chess After-School program

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Physical Education Overview

 

By aligning our program to New York State Physical Education Learning Standard, we are providing every student a variety of physical activities and utmost challenges that may contribute to their physical, cognitive and affective development.

 

Students learn to demonstrate the qualities of basic movement as they perform various fundamental locomotor movements (running, hopping, skipping, jumping, sliding and galloping) and non-locomotor movements (bending, twisting, turning, stretching, pushing and pulling).

 

Our students also learn playground rules which relates to our sports equipments (basketball, volleyball, soccer, tennis, bowling, frisbee and stacking cups/buckets). Each unit of instruction also includes social skills, movement education, fitness routines and use of various manipulatives.

Music

The PS 189M Music Program is a comprehensive experienced-based program that train basic musical skills, including reading and writing of music.

 

It provides services to hundreds of students every year offering classes in General Music PreK-5 during the school day, and Steel Drums Band, Strings, Recorders, Handbells and Chorus out of school time (after/before school). 

 

Classes are taught in a group setting, meeting 1 to 2 times a week depending on the grade level, ensemble and proximity of a performance event.

 

Performance opportunities during the year include a Winter Concert, Spring Concert, District Art Festival and Graduations. Past off-site performances include "The Cloister" Met Museum, River Bank State Park, George Washington High School and Yeshiva University in Washington Heights.

 

This program follows the guidelines of MENC (Music Educators National Conference), ASTA (American String Teacher Association), NYSSMA (New York State School Music Association), OAKE (American Association of Kodaly Educators), New York State Standards, New York City Blueprint for Music and Arts and the Common Core Standards.

Counseling

Our goals are:

*  To help students with personal, social and academic growth in order to be successful at our school and beyond.

To develop educational and career-decision making skills in order to explore future options.

*  To promote the development of students’ interpersonal skills in order to increase effective communication.

*  To provide services and information to parents and the community in order to assist in the growth and learning of every student.