Waterside Children's Studio School

This school is fantastic. The standards are way up in this school. If you ever go to any events where Dana explains the curriculum, you would know how high the standards and expectations are at this school. That is why they got an A on the progress report. I know about the new common core learning standards because P.S. 317 principal and staff explains it to us in great detail. The arts are implemented within the standards and keep the kids engaged. My child knows how to read because of this school. The community LOVES this school and so do I. I hear all the talk about how great this school is and I am so happy to live in the zone so that my child can go to the best school in the city. This school is so safe and any unsafe behavior is dealt with on the spot, it never escalates. I love everything about this school!!!!!
—Submitted by a parent

It is so clear that what is being done at this school is not effective. The learning is so fragmented that the students never catch up or have time to complete a task or project completely or adequately.

Students are pumped through and the standards are very low at this school. It is such a shame.

There is too much focus on the arts and not enough on academic subjects. So many of these students have not mastered the basic skills they will need in the future.
—Submitted by a teacher

Waterside children s studio school 317 is a great school; the principal is approachable and knowledgeable, promotes an active and social environment for the students and the parents. The teachers are involved with the school and active in its desire to make it better. The teachers are involved in what they call enrichment courses, sewing, arts and crafts, basketball, cheerleading and more. They are also involved in the PTA, which promotes parent and child socialization, with extras like movie night and social gatherings. My child has shown great improvement academically and in self-esteem. My child has been encouraged to propose enrichment programs, like clean our beach. The school is a safe environment and attentive to a child s and a parents needs.
—Submitted by a parent

2 yrs ago I was torn because being a homeowner I believe that my tax dollars should be reflected in the school in my community. Almost two years ago to the day I met Dana Gerandasi & this was one of the best chance encounters ever! I explained my concerns & she asked me to give her 1 year to show me what an amazing education she would provide to not only my daughters but children of our community. Here we are just about 2 years later & my daughters are excelling academically! Her team of teachers are all as dedicated as she is & share in her vision! The culture of the school is one that is inviting, parent friendly, very informative & JUST AMAZING! Dana, Katy McGulliciddy, Zoraida Quiles & all of the teachers have provided an amazing foundation for my children! Every time I have had a question, I have been received by open arms. My daughters are very lucky to attend this school & I wouldn't have it any other way! I wish this school could be duplicated everywhere, in every community all over the city! Thank you Dana for everything you have done so far & everything you will do! You are a woman of your word and I am honored to know you! Mr. and Mrs. Joseph and Cynthia Nieto
—Submitted by a parent

I'm so happy with this school. Teachers are incredible, faculty is super helpful, security guards are diligent. I love all the opportunity they give us parents to get involve, if only more parents will take advantage of this!
—Submitted by a parent

Working at this school, you can feel the wonderful energy. Everyone walks into the school with a smile and a laugh. The energy is contagious! The professional development is worthwhile, the learning is authentic and the teachers are all hardworking. It is a pleasure working with such a talented staff that is dedicated to learning.
—Submitted by a teacher

I love this school! My son loves this school!! The teachers and the principal have completely transformed this school from what the old school (ps 225) was. The old school, P.S. 225, had bulleying and very mean teachers. My son never learned anything because the teachers did not care. He hated coming to school. In comes Waterside Children's Studio School and my son finally loves coming to school and has learned a tremendous amount. He has changed in so many ways and it is this school that has done it all. The arts programs that they offer allows my child to have a creative outlet. Thank you to his teachers in 3rd and 4th grade and to Principal Gerendasi for giving my child the BEST education!
—Submitted by a parent

It is surprising that the negative reviews about PS317 the Waterside Children's Studio School were posted early in March, the week in which the school received rave reviews during a peer quality review, scoring Well-Developed and Proficient in indicators such as curriculum and instruction, teacher development, and school culture. Our school stepped into a building to replace a school that was being closed down. Around this phase-out was a great deal of negativity, and many parents felt disenfranchised. We have created an arts and literacy rich environment which makes our children excited to come to school and their families proud of what their children can and have been accomplishing. I am proud to work with a team filled with tireless, passionate teachers, from Pre-K to 4th grade; an administration that values its staff and actively supports our work and development; and most of all, I am proud to work with the children of Rockaway Park, who have risen to the challenging and rigorous academic programs we have put in place, which build our students to be independent and critical readers, writers, and thinkers. It is a school where the success of children is always put first.
—Submitted by a teacher

I am also saddened by some of the comments below. Textbooks in the content area would be useless to the students who struggle reading them, as well as boring to those who need to be challenged. Hence, we have brand new social studies books with authentic texts on all levels. EVERY student is engaged, excited and learning so many new facts, especially social studies. Being that this school has one of the most successful inquiry teams, I am led to believe that not only is data used effectively, but it drives most of the instruction. The teachers are hard working and dedicated. The students enjoy coming to school and are eager to learn. In my opinion, that is what makes a school.
—Submitted by a teacher

The negative comments below really surprised me. Yes, we receive a lot of professional development -- it means that our principal wants us to be better teachers! Yes, we focus on the arts -- because that is what our school was founded on! That doesn't mean that we ignore the content-areas -- all teachers teach math, reading, writing, social studies, and science -- and we try to integrate the arts into all subjects. I think it's wonderful that our students receive Drama, Music, Art, and Creative Writing, something that is missing from many elementary schools. We also offer Enrichment Clusters, which the children adore, and I can't say I remember our schedule ever changing for that, since it's the same time every week. The teachers at our school are smart and dedicated to learning the best practices for our students. This is not the school for you if you want no creativity and boring textbooks.
—Submitted by a teacher

As a teacher at this school, I am saddened and surprised by the misleading "reviews" below. They appear to be written by the same person, who I can only surmise is a disgruntled and frustrated employee of another school. Hands-on, authentic learning is at the heart of what we do, but extensive libraries are available for all subjects. A wide variety of materials are used across the curriculum to keep students engaged and reach ALL learners. Schedule changes for enrichment clusters (which have been a phenomenal success) are rare; they are held the same time every week. Most of these claims are baseless and without merit. I can say with conviction that the staff at Waterside is deeply committed to helping our kids succeed in every capacity.
—Submitted by a teacher