FiDi School Earns National Honors Based on Diversity, Aspiration, Respect, and Excellence
P.S. 150, at 28-42 Trinity Place in the Financial District, has been named a National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education. This program recognizes high-performing schools around the United States. One of only 21 schools designated in New York State this year (a dozen of which were New York City public schools), P.S. 150 is a non-zoned district school, which gives admissions preference based on two criteria: students who live within District 2 and those who qualify for free and reduced lunch. The staff of 22 teachers, administrators, and support personnel oversee 241 students from all five boroughs, in grades three-k through fifth.
P.S. 150 students meet or exceed New York State standards in English and math at rates of 88 and 90 percent. (The corresponding metrics for all New York City public school students are 50 and 52 percent.) Forty-five kids in the P.S. 150 student body are eligible for free or reduced-priced meals, while 18 have disabilities ranging from autism to speech and language impairment. Thirty students have an Individualized Education Plan (meaning they are eligible for special education services) and five are English-language learners.
“At P.S. 150,” the school’s application for Blue Ribbon recognition reads, “we value Diversity, Aspiration, Respect, and Excellence. We DARE.”
“We encourage our students to dare to be their best through the relentless pursuit of knowledge and self,” the application continues. “We see students as wholistic individuals and we see learning as a continuous process of opening their minds to critical thought and creativity. We build a curriculum that encourages compassion, empathy, and accountability to empower each student to achieve their maximum potential in all aspects of life: academic, social, emotional, and physical.”
Enrichment programs offered by P.S. 150 include theater, painting, architecture, music, dance, cooking, chess, and debate, as well as a MakerSpace (created in partnership with Borough of Manhattan Community College, in Tribeca).
The school is also marked by an emphasis on “social and emotional learning” (SEL): “At P.S. 150, SEL and mindfulness are part of our everyday practice. Each class has SEL once a week, which is taught by our school social worker and guidance counselor. The goals of the courses are to teach children the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.”
P.S. 150 (which won the same award in 2014) hopes to double its original size by 2027, and plans to use the Blue Ribbon award “to attract students and families willing to travel from other neighborhoods and boroughs for a unique educational experience that emphasizes self-expression, relationship-building, and artistic discovery alongside academic excellence,” as well as to draw “highly motivated educators from all over the country who believe in our vision and mission.”