Our Third Annual Daffodil and Tulip Planting Event

Just before the first snowstorm of the year, PS4 scholars in 3K, 4K, Kindergarten and grade 2 spent an afternoon planting daffodil and tulip bulbs with Ms. Diane! For the past three years, Ms. Diane Pobuda, an active member of the PS4 school community, has donated hundreds of bulbs to beautify our school. Because of her efforts, the NYC Parks Department re-planted the trees in front of our school building when they were destroyed by scaffolding. With her vision of making 160th Street become a tree lined street, not only did she get more trees added, she also helped to put the railings around each one. 

During this year's annual daffodil and tulip bulb planting event, Ms. Diane spoke to each class about daffodils and tulips! She gave scholars specific instructions on how to plant each bulb. "Pointy side up and root side down", she reminded them. She also discussed the importance of roots and then told them that the tulips will be red when they bloom!  Ms. Diane brought shovels, rakes and soil for students to use. She instructed them on how to use the tools to dig the holes for the bulbs. "My students were so excited", said Kindergarten teacher Ms. Benenson. "The mere excitement of getting out of the classroom during these unprecedented times was priceless...it was a joy to see how engaged they were in examining our green community space and making connections to our science lessons about plants".

Ms. Estevez, Special Education Teacher, found that her students also used the information that they learned about other seeds (ex: raddish) to make comparisons to the size of the tulip and daffodil seeds! "It was amazing to see my scholars make connections about what they learned in school to real life experiences", she said. "These opportunities allow the students to not only make science connections, but also to understand the importance of community... planting seeds might look like something simple to adults, but to a child it can give them a sense of pride because they helped to make their community beautiful".

When asked what they most enjoyed about planting daffodil and tulip bulbs, most students said they loved dropping these large seeds into the ground. But, for members of the school community, the best part of this annual event is watching young scholars develop and strengthen their community roots by actively participating in the beautification of where they live. Mr. Cantu, Leadership Education Apprentice Graduate/PBIS Coach/SBL/SDL spoke about the true importance of the event. "In essence, it’s an honor to witness generations of our students engage in enriching projects that help them grow academically, socially and emotionally."

On behalf of Ms. Martin, Assistant Principal for early childhood grades, a big thank you goes to Mr. Cantu, Ms. Estevez, and Ms. Benenson who helped us dig! A very big thank you goes to Principal Stevens, our visionary and inspirational leader, for giving his permission and support. A very special thanks goes to Ms. Diane Pobuda for her unwavering dedication to making our school community beautiful and educating young scientists from PS4. To see what red tulips look like when they bloom, click here!

Pre-K For All

Pre-K scholars in Ms. Beltran's class go on a neighborhood walk.

In free, full-day, high-quality Pre-K, teachers spark wonder and ignite learning in children. NYC's Pre-K for All gives children stronger math and reading skills in elementary school and a better chance at success in life. Studies show that early childhood education improves performance throughout a child’s school experience. Families of children born in 2016 can apply to Pre-K starting between February 5, 2020 and March 16, 2020. During the application period, families can apply online with MySchools.nyc.

Pre-K scholars watch neighborhood firefighters drive a firetruck.

For more information about NYC's Pre-K programs, click here. If you are interested in meeting our Pre-K teachers and taking a tour of the school, please contact the main office at (212) 928-0739.

PS4 Parents Play With Play Dough

Parents, Pre-K Teachers; Ms. Vdokakes, Ms. Beltran and Ms. Almanzar (Para), pose for a photo after the workshop.

Do you know how to make play dough from scratch? Pre-K teachers Ms. Vdokakes and Ms. Beltran do and now so do a group of PS4 parents!  During a recent Parent Engagement session, Ms. Vdokakes, Ms. Beltran and Ms. Almanzar (Paraprofessional) facilitated making play dough from scratch! The parents then used the play dough to make letters and counters for Math Games.  This activity supports letter recognition and spelling and is an activity used by teachers in Pre-K.

Parents learn how to make home-made play dough.

Making and using play dough is not a good learning tool, but it also supports a child's physical development. While poking, rolling, and squishing play dough, children develop the small muscles in their fingers and hands. They also gain strength and improve dexterity in their hands and fingers, critical areas of physical development for writing, drawing, and other purposes. This workshop allowed for parents to have an understanding of one of many activities used by Pre-K teachers that support their child's development. Parents also walked away with a recipe for home-made play dough.  Click here for a play dough recipe from PBS Parents!

A parent molds hand made play dough into numbers.

Ms. Beltran, Pre -K teacher, facitates a workshop on using play dough to help young scholars.

While the parents were learning, Mr. Lagares (Physical Education Instructor) and Ms. Hinton (Paraprofessional) watched the scholars and and provided them with educational activities to do.  Special thanks to parents that participated in the workshop and Ms. Levin for taking these amazing photos! To read about some fun ways to use play dough as a way to support learning, click here!

Join Our Family

Ms. Martin (Assistant Principal) speaks to prospective parents about PS4.

Are you a parent of a preschooler and looking for a school for your child? Please consider joining the Duke Ellington Family!  Recently, PS4 hosted an open house, specifically designed for parents of preschool and kindergarten children! Hosted by Ms. Martin, Assistant Principal of lower grades, neighborhood parents were invited to attend an informational session where they received a tour of Pre-k and Kindergarten classrooms.  They were also given a token of appreciation and valuable resources to support their decision making with regards to which neighborhood school would be a best fit for their child.  In attendance, was a recent graduate whose 3 year old sister may be attending PS4 next year. “I miss this school”, she told Ms. Martin. “I want my little sister to go here”.

We currently have two Pre-K classes and plans are underway to add a 3-K class! 3-K for All, is an expansion of the city’s popular Pre-K for All program, which now serves 70,000 4-year-olds across the city. 3-K gives children stronger math and reading skills in elementary school. Studies show that early childhood education improves performance throughout a child's school experience. If you are new to NYC and need to find a pre-K program, click here or speak directly to our Parent Coordinator, Denise Nuñez.

For more information about our school, click here.  If you would like a guided tour of our school, click here.

Pre-K At Play

Pre-K teacher, Ms. Beltran laughs with one of her students.

Have you visited Pre-K lately? If it seems like these young students are playing, you're right!  Pre-K programs provide a nurturing environment where children's natural curiosity is used as a springboard to learn skills that are necessary for success in school.  These programs can be half-day or full-day; half-day programs may take place in the morning or afternoon. At PS4, Ms. Beltran teaches two session of Pre-K each day!  With nearly twenty years of teaching experience, Ms. Beltran says, "play is important for language and social development and gives them practice with the life-long skill of sharing".  According to Anita Gurian, PhD, Clinical Assistant Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the NYU School of Medicine...

"The child at play is a child at work. She's not merely having a pleasant time; she's busy learning lots of things. She's finding out how her world works and where she fits in. Play helps a child scale things down to a manageable size. The years from 2 to 6 are often called "the play years" since play thrives during these years and contributes to many aspects of a child's development."

For ideas on activities for Pre-K activities, contact Ms. Beltran or click here!