STAR Academy- PS 63

Guidance Counselor, Social Worker, Occupational Therapist, Physical Therapist, Speech Therapist, ESL Teacher, Psychologist

Students wear school shirts to school.

Our staff recognizes that all children learn differently and it's our job to build on their strengths and determine how to best reach each student. At P.S.63 we encourage students to be active participants in their education and school-wide community. We believe that this philosophy will guide our students on their path to becoming lifelong learners.

Our classroom instruction and school environment clearly support our philosophy, that today’s learners are tomorrow’s future. Located in the historically rich East Village, STAR ACADEMY P.S. 63 has been the “Hidden Gem of the Lower East Side” for over one hundred years. Our elementary PreK-5th grade school features small class sizes to enhance differentiation of instruction, so that each child has individual goals. Because of its small size, every teacher knows every child, allowing for a sense of safety and family in the community. Our staff believes that collaboration is key, in order to ensure the success of our students. Consistent planning through grade team meetings, inquiry teams, school leadership team, and pupil personnel teams encourage accountability and responsibility as each stakeholder invests in ensuring each child’s academic and social progress.
At STAR ACADEMY P.S. 63 our school curriculum prepares students to become active citizens in their communities, by becoming critical thinkers who make responsible choices. We use Depths of Knowledge (formerly Bloom’s Taxonomy) as a guide for questioning and planning how we want our children to think and work independently. Through differentiation of instruction, we are able to assess each child’s abilities, talents, and weaknesses, so that we can help each child achieve academic progress on a weekly, monthly, and yearly basis. Teaching using the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project’s Workshop Model encourages our students to become authors as they experience reading and writing in various genres at their individual levels. The Do the Math Program uses real-life situations, students’ prior knowledge, and games that re-create realistic math experiences. In Science and Social Studies, we believe in hands-on, inquiry based learning. We use the Common Core Standards, NYC Scope and Sequence and Backwards Planning (UBD) as tools for collaborative planning, similar to Heidi Hayes Jacobs’ and Janet Hale’s Theories of Curriculum Design. Our extended day program provides intervention and enrichment for targeted students. School electives expose students to Music, Art, and Physical Education. STAR ACADEMY P.S. 63 has partnerships with the following:
• University Settlement FREE After School Program
• Recess Enhancement Program through Asphalt Green
• NYU America Reads Program
• Hunter College, Teachers’ College and Syracuse University Student Teacher Programs
• Hudson Guild Family Support Services-On-site facility
• NY Historical Society
• Notes In Motion Dance Program for grades 1-5
• 2nd grade swim lessons at YMCA