Ps 87 William Sherman

This is a wonderful school with a great community - especially at the K level. Our son is in his second year at PS009 and loves the school. In fact the school is the only reason we are still living in NY. My son has made amazing friends and has learned so much not just about academics but also about social responsibility and the importance of kindness. Both his K and 1 teachers have been extraordinary and demonstrate that they sincerely care about the children. Unfortunately Mayor Adams has determined education is not a priority in NYC so our class sizes have become rather large (28 in my son's 1st grade class), but fortunately the teachers are qualified to handle these larger class sizes and the school provide small group instruction at least twice a week for every child.

I have been at Calhoun for almost 11 years. The teachers are great. They care a lot about whether the students understand the material rather than just whether they pass. Since Calhoun is so small, the community is very close and care for each other. On the other hand, Calhoun's diversity needs to improve, not only in the student body but also in the curriculum. The athletic program could be improved, especially for girls' sports. Overall, Calhoun's culture encourages students to be involved in numerous extracurriculars and work hard in classes and towards grades.

As a parent, I've always found the teachers and administrators available for any concerns and very tuned in to the students. I've seen fantastic academic growth in both my kids, and I love the way the school allows their students to develop as scholars and human beings. Somehow, Calhoun is a very nurturing place while also meeting a very high intellectual standard. They seem to put a great deal of thought into the "why" and "how" of everything they do. A friendly and relaxed atmosphere has allowed my kids to thrive.This is our family's fourth year at Calhoun. Our two kids entered in ninth grade -- one is currently in 10th grade, one in 12th.We are thrilled with Calhoun and continually marvel that it is such a good fit for our two very different kids. They both love going to school. The other day someone asked my son what adjectives he would use to describe Calhoun and the first word out of his mouth: Exciting. I think the variety of choice both curricularly and extracurricularly has something to do with it. When our 10th grader got his schedule for the year, he exclaimed, "Let's Go!" At Calhoun, the school year is broken into quarters, with five courses in each of the four "mods". His first mod he is taking engineering, algebra, chemistry, Mandarin and a history elective about political dissent and design. Our senior is taking Spanish, Advanced Bio, Calculus, Adolescent Psychology (which is mandatory because she acts as a senior peer leader to incoming ninth graders) and an English course on Family in American Drama. In terms of after-school activities, their athletic department reflects the great vibe of the school. Our son does a different sport every trimester, and enjoys them all. The emphasis is on teamwork, personal growth and commitment rather than excellence or competition. The school also builds time into the school day for clubs to meet so that also allows our busy kids to still enjoy a wide variety of exploration and experience: Model UN, Community Outreach, Debate and even quirky ones started by students like the Cheese Club and Bollywood Club.