525 E 12th St, New York, NY 10009

The Children’s Workshop School PS 361 (cwsnyc.org) is a great example of why small public community schools deserve recognition. In 2025, with two classes per grade from 3K through 5th, it offers an intimate environment where children are truly known. My first grader practically skips to school and still stops to hug former teachers. Even as a sometimes quieter kid, they feel deeply at ease, and it’s wonderful to hear how confidently they join class discussions.Much of this comfort comes from the school’s thoughtful approach to transitioning children into the community. Each age group—3K, Pre-K, and K—is introduced to school spaces and staff at a developmentally appropriate pace. Classroom commitments, where students agree on how to treat one another, genuinely shape daily life. Every Friday the whole school gathers for Community Meeting, where families are welcome and kids eagerly await the Kind Act awards.In Pre-K, families play a central role. Each one chooses a day to share something meaningful—heritage, traditions, hobbies—and the weekly updates are a highlight. The kids also love the homemade treats that often appear, from onigiri to taralli to hamantaschen.By Kindergarten and 1st grade, new rituals appear, like the tiny tooth-box necklace the Principal gives each child who loses a tooth. My own kid spent many “choice time” moments making drawings for the Principal.Academically, the school is grounded in the science of reading, giving children a strong foundation so reading clicks in Kindergarten. The Bridges math curriculum is playful and game-based, helping fluency grow naturally. Students also enjoy movement, music, drumming, yoga, dance, theatre trips, a hydroponics lab, community-garden workshops, computer classes, and multi-night trips for 4th and 5th graders. Affordable after-school clubs add even more. Their 2024 book In Their Own Voices offers deeper insight.Social Studies is especially distinctive. First graders study NYC waterways and visit them firsthand. Joining trips to the Little Red Lighthouse and the High Bridge amazed me as much as the kids.The building has history, natural light, a great playground, a peaceful multicultural library, a block room for long-term projects, and even school turtles in the hydroponics lab.A strong PTA anchors community-building events, and DOE surveys show high satisfaction among families and teachers. It truly is a gem of a school.