The Teunis G. Bergen Elementary Public School 9 80 Underhill Avenue, Brooklyn NY, 11238 718 638-3260 (phone) | 718 622-2961 (fax) Sandra D'Avilar, Principal Deborah Smith, Assistant Principal
Landmark creation through the Guggenheim museum's partnership program.
PS 9 is a strong adherent to inquiry-based, student-centered education. This is apparent in its social studies-driven curriculum, its enrichment programs, and its partnerships with cultural institutions and service providers. These instructional models reveal the deep interest of the school staff in engaging students in projects and inquiries of personal interest to them.
We believe that there is giftedness in every child—and our job is to tap into the talents that each of our students possess. We do this through a comprehensive enrichment program which emphasizes student choice, inquiry, hands-on activities and project-based learning. At the beginning of every school year, students are surveyed about their own interests and from the survey results, the enrichment courses are developed by school staff. Past enrichment courses have included sculpture, African dance, cheerleading, chess, computer technology, archeology, fitness, theater, set design, math games, modern dance, jewelry making, African art, fashion marketing and design, school newspaper, rhythmic art, and scrap booking. Every enrichment course leads to the production of an end product such as studying set-design and then making props for a school play, studying and practicing yoga and then making a DVD, studying a community issue and then holding an event to raise money and awareness, or writing and producing a school newspaper. In addition to the enrichment courses, students at PS 9 also learn how to use Renzulli Learning, a web-based program that allows students to study topics of their choosing (at school and at home) and also culminates in a final project known as a type III.
We understand that our students must be not only be comfortable, but completely ‘literate’ when it comes to working and learning on computers in order to be prepared for middle school and beyond. Our teachers use technology in their teaching practices, we have SmartBoards and desktops in classrooms, and we have laptops for upper grade research and writing lessons.
Our community partners play an invaluable role in enriching our curriculum and school environment. We work with The Noel Pointer Foundation, Pratt University, Prospect Park Zoo, Studio-in-a-School, CookShop, LAVA Acrobatics and The Guggenheim Museum to bring the abstract into real experiences.
Enrichment
Landmark creation through the Guggenheim museum's partnership program.
PS 9 is a strong adherent to inquiry-based, student-centered education. This is apparent in its social studies-driven curriculum, its enrichment programs, and its partnerships with cultural institutions and service providers. These instructional models reveal the deep interest of the school staff in engaging students in projects and inquiries of personal interest to them.
We believe that there is giftedness in every child—and our job is to tap into the talents that each of our students possess. We do this through a comprehensive enrichment program which emphasizes student choice, inquiry, hands-on activities and project-based learning. At the beginning of every school year, students are surveyed about their own interests and from the survey results, the enrichment courses are developed by school staff. Past enrichment courses have included sculpture, African dance, cheerleading, chess, computer technology, archeology, fitness, theater, set design, math games, modern dance, jewelry making, African art, fashion marketing and design, school newspaper, rhythmic art, and scrap booking. Every enrichment course leads to the production of an end product such as studying set-design and then making props for a school play, studying and practicing yoga and then making a DVD, studying a community issue and then holding an event to raise money and awareness, or writing and producing a school newspaper. In addition to the enrichment courses, students at PS 9 also learn how to use Renzulli Learning, a web-based program that allows students to study topics of their choosing (at school and at home) and also culminates in a final project known as a type III.
We understand that our students must be not only be comfortable, but completely ‘literate’ when it comes to working and learning on computers in order to be prepared for middle school and beyond. Our teachers use technology in their teaching practices, we have SmartBoards and desktops in classrooms, and we have laptops for upper grade research and writing lessons.
Our community partners play an invaluable role in enriching our curriculum and school environment. We work with The Noel Pointer Foundation, Pratt University, Prospect Park Zoo, Studio-in-a-School, CookShop, LAVA Acrobatics and The Guggenheim Museum to bring the abstract into real experiences.