PS/IS 217 is located in one of the newest, most modern school buildings in New York City. This architectural award-winning, state of the art school, which opened in 1992, provides its students with many amenities, including three computer labs, a well-stocked multimedia library, a performance auditorium, a complete glass-walled gymnasium, music and art studios, central air conditioning, and a student cafeteria overlooking the river. The nearby parks on the Island give 217 a unique "campus" atmosphere that is rare in a city school. Located no more than a few minutes’ walk from any child’s home, 217 is in every sense a community school.

A Unique Learning Community

PS/IS 217 is one of only a handful of K-8 grade schools in the city, and beginning in September 1998, it will include pre-K. This gives students a chance to experience continuity in educational programs and to remain in a familiar neighborhood setting throughout their formative years. It provides a sense of family in which our middle school students provide tutoring, guidance and leadership to the lower school children. Several teachers live on the Island, giving them an even fuller relationship with their students, who also are their neighbors. The staff also includes a full-time guidance counselor and psychological counselors who provide personal attention to students who need their assistance.

A Diverse Student Body

Our student population includes children from dozens of countries, and many languages other than English are spoken. This gives all of our students a unique opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge of many cultures. Many students come from UN families.

An Outstanding Educational Program

PS/IS 217 offers interdisciplinary learning, integrating social studies and language arts, accelerated mathematics and science, electives, extensive computer training, and physical education. Special programs include reading clubs, spelling bees, storytelling contests, Science Fair, Peer Mediation, Parents as Reading Partners, Reading is Fundamental (RIF), Read Aloud Week, and Book Fairs.

Students at each grade level from K-8 engage in author studies, genre studies, and thematic studies, while using authentic literature as the basis for the reading program. Shared reading, guided reading, and independent reading are employed to increase student literacy. In mathematics, the focus is on problem-solving rather than computation, and the emphasis is on relating math to real-life situations. Students are taught to communicate mathematical ideas by speaking, writing, demonstrating and depicting them visually.

Extracurricular Activities

PS/IS 217 has a track team, school band, computer club, chess club, and school newspaper. We offer after school tutorials in reading and math, and a tutorial program for 8th graders to help them prepare for the Specialized High School Examination. Electives programs are offered in art, math, and computers.

The school enjoys an ongoing relationship with Symphony Space and Young Audiences, which offer cultural enrichment programs for youngsters in all grades. Activities include creative movement, dance, music, improvisational theater, animation, poetry, architecture, and quilt making. Young Audiences also offers evening workshops in visual and performing arts for parents, and provides theater tickets for parents and their children, as part of its Community Link program.

An Active PTA