Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals for Class 482

Each year, District 75 holds an Adaptive Physical Education Parade and Sports Day!  This event is specifically for students with disabilities and is very similar to the Special Olympics.  Teams presented banners, a torch was lit to symbolize the beginning of the games and all students received ribbons and medals!  Students in Ms. Torres class (482) were able to compete in games against students from other schools.  Some of the events were the standing long jump, softball throw, and the 50 meter run.  "I'm very proud of my students", said Ms. Torres.  "They showed their ability to physically compete".  Most of the students in her class, received gold, silver and bronze medals!  Congratulations, class 482!

For more information about the Department of Education's Adaptive Physical Education Program, click here!  Take a look at some photos and videos (taken by Ms. Torres) in the collage below!

Picture collage made with Smilebox

Bar Graphs and the Super Bowl

Ms. Torres, one of two teachers in class 420, is using the enthusiasm of the Super Bowl as a way to teach math skills .  "We are learning about bar graphs", she said, "and we are using the Super Bowl as a way to learn how to create bar graphs.  Students will be turning player statistics and the results of the school's blog poll question into bar graphs."  Jeremy R. can't wait to see all the bar graphs Ms. Torres plans to place on the hallway bulletin board.   "I think the Giants are going to win the Super Bowl", he says, "they're my idols".

For the NFL's website for kids, click here.  For more information on tally charts and bar graphs, click here to watch this FREE BrainPop Jr. video!  To make your own bar graphs, click here!

Ms. Torres with class 420

Meet Ms. Torres!

Meet Ms. Torres, the new teacher of Class 482! Ms. Torres is a New York City Teaching Fellow and has been teaching for two years. She comes from the Urban Institute of Mathematics, a Junior High School in The Bronx. Ms. Torres says she is happy to teach here at P.S. 4 because,

"I like the change and the challenge of teaching younger students."

Born and raised in Park Slope, Brooklyn, Ms. Torres is a former social worker who has worked with anti - gang task forces that try to get and keep children out of gangs. So working with children isn't that much of a drastic change for her. "I like this school, and I love my students." She says that when it comes to her goals for her students that there is one goal in particular that she wants them all to reach. "I want my students to be independent. I want them to be able to survive in the real world with street smarts and the academic world with book smarts." She hopes that the parents of her students can help her reach this goal. " I need parents to help them at home because it is very important for them to reinforce the lessons that I teach in school."

The only criticism that can be said of this bilingual teacher now living in Long Island is that she is getting married to a Red Sox fan. Working just a mile away from Yankee Stadium, she knows that can be dangerous, "I hope no one holds it against me." Welcome to PS4, Ms. Torres!