Ps 88 Seneca

60-85 CATALPA AVE

School District

New York City Geographic District #24
Grade

PK, K-5
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:12
Type

public

School Map for New York City Geographic District #24

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by parent on June 23, 2023

My child has had a wonderful experience at this school, starting in 3K. Her teachers are communicative, kind and always eager to support me as a parent in finding ways to bridge the connection between school and home. The school's principal, Mrs. O'Shaughnessy, is incredibly responsive and ambitious in her leadership. She is deeply involved in every aspect of the school's functioning and truly wants the best for every student. Equity is highly valued here. The school is constantly developing new programs and opportunities for its students and I've felt welcomed and encouraged to participate as a parent in getting to know the school. I know my child feels cared for and the environment overall is warm and loving. In 3K and PreK my child has made great friends and connections with teachers, developed social skills and help with emotional regulation. The importance of play and collaboration using art making, dance, STEM activities and phonetic awareness of words and early reading have been areas of learning and it's a joy to see my child grow at this school.As a parent I would encourage other parents to contextualize the data they see on sites like these. It's hard to get a sense of a school without being in it and something like overall test scores only tell part of the story. Get to know your school's community by learning about its challenges as well as its progress!
Submitted by parent on May 31, 2023

We love ps 88, our neighborhood school! It is a welcoming and friendly environment with plenty of opportunity for academic enrichment, physical education, and the arts.
Submitted by parent on May 30, 2023

PS88 Principal and all star staff are amazing. Not only do they go out of their way to keep families informed, they are also very supportive and creative in their approach. They are kind and caring and really make the whole learning process inclusive and fun for the kids and their families. We are very grateful for this school:)
Submitted by parent on May 29, 2023

I feel so lucky to have landed the teachers and class that my kid is in for Kindergarten. She's in the STEM program and the teachers are always available and approachable, they really know my kid, and my she has really blossomed. The principal at 88 makes herself available to everyone and encourages anyone to email her with any issues or questions. it's a wonderful neighborhood school and they seem to take into consideration the surrounding community when creating events for families.
Submitted by parent on May 29, 2023

PS 88’s staff and culture is amazing and beautiful. The environment is safe, exciting, and inclusive.
Submitted by parent on May 27, 2023

My son goes to this school and he is in 5th grade now. The school principal, the counselors, teachers and all the staff have been very supportive and of great help. We feel at ease when he is in school since we know he will be safe and will be taken care of. We are very grateful.
Submitted by parent on April 28, 2023

Both of my kids have went to PS 88 and I couldn't be more happier. All the teachers are great ! My daughter still enjoys going to visit even now and she has graduated and moved on. They have made many memories and learned so much in the time they where here at 88 .
Submitted by parent on March 26, 2023

This is my son's first year at this amazing school. Ive never seen him soo enthused about school and learning . I love the weekly news letters and how informative the principal is. Amazing
Submitted by parent on March 26, 2023

My last 3 kids have gone here and I have been able to get along with a lot of teachers and get to know them as well. I have a great communication with the principal she’s a great person and understands the well being of us parents and takes our thoughts into consideration.
Submitted by parent on March 23, 2023

We absolutely love PS88! My two kids started going at PS88 around the same time that Mrs. O’Shaughnessy took over as Principal, and every year is just getting better in every possible way. Mrs. O’Shaughnessy is a an exceptional Leader, a lovely and devoted person. She is always there to greet and support every child and every parent, morning to evening, and on the weekends. She definitely has built a wonderful team, because the teachers at PS88 are just as wonderful. Plenty of activities take place at PS88 and all the children are engaged with more than one activity, like band, chorus, dance, basketball, theater, coding and so much more. GRYC, the afterschool program is another asset that PS88 is offering. Kevin and his team are doing a fabulous job! Thank you everyone for ALL you do!!
Submitted by parent on March 23, 2023

Tengo 2 niños el mayor se graduo de esta escuela el pequeño esta en 4grado las mestras MRS.PEARSON,MRS.PEARSON son unas de las mejores maestras mi niño se siente agusto hiendo a esta escuela. academicamente nunca mis niño an tenido ningun problema.
Submitted by parent on March 23, 2023

My daughter started at PS88 during Kindergarten. It was September 2020, during the pandemic, and school was entirely virtual. The Principal, Ms. O'Shaughnessy, and all of the teachers that she had that year - Ms. Sharabi and Ms. Demarco, Mr. Dumont, Ms. Corniel, etc. - they were so incredible, loving, and engaging - not just with the students, but with the parents, who were going through a lot on the other side of the screens. They created opportunities to be together for fun and also for learning. We never felt like there wasn't enough communication or support. First grade was our first time in person in the school building! That was an amazing year, but not without it's challenges. The PS88 staff worked tirelessly at this new transition to in-person learning. For some children like my daughter, it was their first time learning in the building, and it wasn't easy, but the community at PS88 thrived. My daughter had Ms. Iancolovici and Ms. Perez that year, and they communicated with us daily about everything she was learning, where she was doing well, and where she was struggling. The school also prioritized safety and cleanliness, which was important to us. This year, my child is in second grade at PS88. It's our third year with the school, and it is so exciting to be on the other side of the pandemic - attending performances in the school building and other family activities like coding class and STEM night. Mr. Nolan and Mrs. Bonney are fabulous and communicate with the parents constantly. We always know what the kids are learning and how they're getting on. Many of the children are still a bit behind from the virtual year, and the teachers are completely on top of it with getting them where they need to be. The 504 team has been super supportive, too, and I never doubt that my daughter is in an incredible place that truly wants her to thrive. The para-professionals and school nurse are all engaged and communicative, too. The guidance councilor, the art and music teachers, the phys. ed. team - all top notch. The school aides are also absolutely lovely. Everyone seems to know my daughter by name, and they know the parents, too. The PS88 team cares about the kids and their families, and it shows. I am so glad to have this school in our community. If it's unclear from anything that I have written, we are very happy with our experience at PS88.
Submitted by parent on March 23, 2023

My daughters started at PS88 the same time Mrs. O' Shaughnessy was principal and we love how caring, transparent and communicable she is. She listens and always welcomes ideas from everyone.She is humble, respectful- a true kind and knowledgeable leader. Since she started her magic in the school, our test scores have gone up in every area ELA, Math and in parent satisfaction (amazing that the progress is also reflected with real statistics!)! With the limited time she has been there, there's already been improvement! She has a background in assessment when she was an Assistant Principal from the other school she came from and PS88 is one of the few schools where I-Ready was already in effect before DOE mandated it to monitor student progress in the pandemic. She shares data with the SLT team (and all the other teams within our awesome school, such as Attendence Team, SEL Team, Literacy Team and more) and thoroughly answer any questions (any questions!!). She redid the entire school website, welcomed a new logo made by a PS88school parent and created the school tag line with input from her SLT team. When the pandemic is happening, she even went physically to school on non school days when there were unexpected school closures for parents who may have missed her auto dialer to personally greet them.She spends part of her weekend writing our families a super informative newsletter to communicate activities, highlights and events for the week sharing EVERYTHING our students and school teams are working on. She autodials parents and sends home letters the often the same day she receives important information she needs shared. She has meet and greets and Coffee with Mrs. O’ Shaughnessy throughout the year. She listens to every parent and their concerns and addresses things right away. You will never feel like she doesn’t care. And the clubs we have are phenomenal and she willkeep adding them in as long as we have enough families interested. We have 2 EXCELLENT art teachers, 2 PASSIONATE music teachers (Band AND Chorus), the BEST gym teachers! We have Cooking, Coding, dance and a very involved Student Council as well.No school is perfect, but I feel PS88 is because of the great leadership we have. Our assistant principal Mrs. Lowe is also excellent and super caring and sweet- she hand picked books for our then new school library! I believe the bad ratings here were from before Mrs. O' Shaughnessy became the principal at PS88.
Submitted by parent on March 22, 2023

Our daughter attended as a prek student and currently in kindergarten. We are very happy with her enrollment and hope to complete her education here through fifth grade.
Submitted by parent on March 22, 2023

My son has been going to PS 88 for 3 Years now. The principal, the teachers and the entire staff are great.. Every teacher my son has had since kindergarten have been excellent. I have never had a doubt in my mind about my child safety or education. Before my son my nephews went to this school we are happy with the education the kids are receiving.
Submitted by parent on March 22, 2023

At PS88 - The Seneca School in Ridgewood, NY, there is a sense of community. My son loves his teachers/instructors. They have become family and make every effort to keep me informed. My child gets speech and OT services at 88. Within the time he has been at this school, he has made leaps and bounds. He continues to thrive here.There is family engagement as well, which is wonderful to see. As well as meet and greet time with our Principal, Linda O'Shaughnessy.The school also has a wonderful afterschool program, GRNY, which is loved by all!Safety is always top priority in addition to education. Parents are informed when drills/incidents occur.There are also many ongoing activities and clubs students can be a part of. I couldn't be happier, but more importantly nor could my child. Wonderful nurturing environment.
Submitted by parent on March 22, 2023

I am a member of the PTA, and consider myself an involved parent within the school. My daughter is finishing her first year within the school (Kindergarten). We have her enrolled in the ICT STEM program, which provides extra classwork each week with a STEM-related goal. Between the small class size, engaged teachers, and challenging work, I have seen such amazing progress in my daughter's math, reading, writing, and critical thinking skills. The Principal tries to involve the parents with STEM nights, coffee meetups, yoga, and other programs throughout the month. The school has a long way to go, but it's (a) amazing to be part of the change (b) seeing progress first hand (c) concerns being dealt with immediately.
Submitted by parent on March 22, 2023

PS 88 is an exceptional school lead by an exceptional principal. Mrs O'Shaughnessy values the families and their cultures. She writes a beautiful newsletter every week to bridge the home- school partnership. My child also has amazing teachers. He came to the school as a new admit and it was the best decision we ever made. His teachers not only focus on getting children on grade level but they push students like my child to continue to excel far beyond grade level. There is open communication between the teachers and the parents and the principal and the parents and her staff. The PTA is also amazing. They put on events, they help the parents, they are what a true PTA should be. If there is any doubt in your mind whether PS 88 is the right school for your family, just ask the parents and they will tell you, choose PS 88!
Submitted by parent on March 19, 2023

My daughter is now in the 4th grade and we started at this school in Sept 2019. I had no idea what to expect during the pandemic. But the caring, open communication, out reach and community building we experienced during and after is a Testiment to strong leadership and an amazing team of teachers that believe in their children. I absolutely love this school. The Music teacher is amazing! And the level of effort placed far beyond music is admirable! The Gym Teachers are engaging and positive! They really build up our children and their self esteem! Our art program brings the best out in the kids.Our STEM program is inspiring and has even gotten parents interested in coding!Our School Aids are an extension of family! They commit to learning everyone’s name and really love our kids like their own!Our ICT classes really allow all of our kids to thrive! And as a parent to a special needs child, the 8:1:2 program was a true blessing! My ASD son excelled and thrived in the Pre-K program!Our counselors and school teams never limit their roles! They add so much fun into our days! Our school is active on social media. We are on Instagram, PTA is very active on Facebook, and we have a YouTube channel and stream in school activities so even our working parents never miss a chance to be there! There is no better elementary school in district 24!
Submitted by parent on January 25, 2023

Students are engaged and encouraged in high level learning. Project based learning is used in a lot of lessons. The teachers truly love their students and care about their success.