Sixty-First Street Elementary School

2-3 Teachers are dedicated here. They TRY very hard with the limited resources they have. They care about their students and work to meet specific needs. This is a school that would benefit from some type of educational foundation support.

I am now in my 20s and I attended this elementary school as a kid. I was a classified as a gifted student there and was a part of their bilingual program. I am not sure if they still have these programs but I now have a college undergraduate and graduate degree. I had a positive experience and although the education wasn't the best, their programs at the time were.

The kids are lively and happy to be there, but (coming from abroad) I am impressed with the discipline and rigor of the education at the youngest level (kindergarten). It must depend a lot on the teacher, but very happy with ours. The children in my son's class are not talked down to, and expected to be attentive and to learn, not simply docile and non-disruptive. Communication with parents over what is being taught is excellent (daily notes go back and forth in folders), so there's every opportunity to reinforce classroom learning at home. Learning is structured, and I've been surprised how quickly reading/writing has progressed. Math less so, but it's early days. Yet the children have fun - never heard my son say he didn't want to go in the morning. Incoming kids during the school year have integrated quickly in a welcoming atmosphere. Afterschool program choices are extensive. Facilities are cramped and there's not enough time/space to cycle the kids through lunch properly, but that's Manhattan for you. Overall, I think it's a great school.