In This Issue

In the 2022–2023 school year, PS1 began to feel like itself again. Our school emerged from the distancing and masking, the remote and hybrid learning of the pandemic, craving our sense of community. Once again, the warmth of PS1, the hugs and smiles indicative of our joyful learning environment, shone through. Students of all classes and clusters shared the yards and play structures. Parents gathered on campus before school, at DEAR time, and for numerous events and volunteer opportunities. Just as PS1 aspires to support each student to be their best selves, this year, our school expressed its best self.

This was the first year of PS1 without co-founder Joel Pelcyger leading our community. So much of what was established and cultivated over 51 years endured. All faculty members returned from the previous year, an extraordinary retention rate that signifies a deep connection to our school’s mission and program, the faculty’s professional culture, and the family community’s generous support. The teachers continued to be committed to the deep understanding of each student—a fundamental tenet of pluralism. They inspired the students with relevant, creative lessons and, with pandemic restrictions eased, reinvigorated field trips which allowed students to see their city as a learning resource. Cherished traditions from the entire community gathering amidst the bubbles on Opening Day to All School Camping Trips contributed to the vibrant memories of our connected and caring community.

In my one year at PS1, I experienced our school culture and program through a prism of previously leading a number of elementary schools. One element of PS1 that stands out is the confidence of the students. While other schools may feature a selection of students who display confidence, at PS1 it seems nearly universal to all students from Kindergarten to 6th grade. The students move about the campus freely with purpose and a spirit of exploration and imagination. They converse with the adults on campus naturally, believing that every adult is someone who can be helpful. This year the students demonstrated that they have something to say with our new Classroom Reporters program. Every single student had the opportunity to speak about an aspect of their learning to the entire school community at Circle Time. The confidence of our speakers derived not only from their preparation, but also from their belief that every other person in the audience has their back. Success begets success; the students will hold their positive experiences at the microphone this year and aspire to develop what they choose to share and how they will present as they anticipate being a Reporter in future years.

Looking ahead to 2023-2024, as the headship transition progresses into its new phase of welcoming Susannah Wolf, the forces for continuity and stability at PS1 are impressive. The Vision Statement— Celebrate the Many; Build One—is as valid and urgent now as ever. We welcome each student and family to bring their full identity into our community, where we are committed to learning about one another, from one another, and for one another. Our teachers and administrators design for a “radically student-centered” program where students’ individual socialemotional and academic capacities are developed with precision. The changes at PS1 next year reflect a more refined pursuit of these long-standing ideals. For example, our community rallied together in our Annual Fund this year to make possible a new position for 2023-2024—our Math Specialist. Our Math Specialist will work with teachers, students, and families to provide an even more differentiated mathematics experience throughout the grade levels.

I am confident that PS1’s founding principles, the strength of our community, and the expertise of faculty and administration will continue to provide an exceptional elementary experience for our students, who see themselves as contributors and difference-makers in their ever-expanding communities.