Ps 1 Alfred E Smith

Strong PTA, great curriculum with additional support available to top up in reading and maths where needed. Good after school coverage and my child is always excited to go to school every day!

I'm a parent of 2 children at PS124 (one in general ed and one in G&T) and am impressed by the dedicated teachers and staff admin who truly care about the students. Many of them have been with the school for 10 to 20 years and some have/had their own children attend the school. My older child started right after the end of COVID when social distancing was in place, so I didn't have a feel about the school initially. But with each passing year, there have been many more opportunities to visit and see my children in the classroom. There have been family class visits where parents can visit your child's class for about an hour and do an activity together, fun and educational field trips which my children still talk about 2 years later, and even a monthly Friday morning Tea & Talks with the Principal if you want to chat with her face-to-face about recommendations or concerns. Through these experiences, I got to know the staff and other families. There is a sense of community and learned that some of the parents were also alumni here, which is a testament to the strong community. PS124 also offers many wonderful enrichment programs including in-school chess instruction and arts connections. My children love telling me about what they learned and tried to teach me chess when they were learning as well. My oldest is also learning cello, through one of the afterschool programs offered called Harmony. There are many other after-school enrichment programs provided including Theater Club, National Dance Institute, Running Club, and Modern Rock Band that my children can participate in as they get into the higher grades. One of the reasons I chose PS124 as my top choice, even though I was zoned for another great school, was the strong academics paired with the community. Usually schools, have one or the other, but not both. I wanted my children to be happy going to school, which helps them focus on learning. A second reason I selected PS124 is all the after-school activities available (both provided by the school/PTA and fee based). With two working parents, my children need to be in after-school programs. There are many to select from that are offered on-site and with pick-up options.As a family, we've been at the school for 4 years currently, have no regrets sending my children here and have encouraged our friends to send their children here as well.

My 3rd Grader and Kindergartener both love PS 126. My youngest says this is the first school where he wants to hug his teachers, and my oldest cried when I said she couldn't go back to school after her annual checkup. The Parent Coordinator, Ms Johnson, in particular is super helpful and always thinking of new ways to engage students and families.

My kids are all attending PS 130M, my older one already graduate and younger one still in. I have so many years experience with this school and I love this school so much. Lots of art programs, very responsible teachers and quick response to any bully issues. The High Asian percentage gave this school a unique culture like every lunar Chinese New Year, school will give kid red envelop for good luck. The chance to learn lion dance and put a show on Chinese New Year. Yearly banquet with a feast of Chinese food with a few to say. PS130 gave my kids and I very happy memories.

Unfortunately after Covid this school has been is considerable decline as far as teachers and overall staff. They just don’t care about the students. My kids have been at this school since preK and now in middle school. Extremely high turnover for teachers. All the best ones left during Covid. There’s no real education. Everything is very disorganized in every subject. There’s no textbook or basic handouts for studying. They set them up for failure and then wonder why these kids are failing! The teachers have to take some accountability here as well. It feels like the kids are just being moved along through the system but they aren’t even able to do basic things that they should have already learned in previous grades. This school is very disappointing. Just because it’s in an expensive neighborhood don’t be fooled. Most parents don’t even know what’s happening. I do not recommend this school at all!

Peck Slip is a wonderful local school with a strong, experienced teaching staff and supportive, involved parents. If this is your zoned school or you live nearby, definitely check it out!