D&D School Profile

PS 165 is the center of a vibrant community located on the Upper Westside of Manhattan. The school building sits in the middle of West 109th street between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue.

Signs of the many families, predominantly Dominican and Puerto Rican, can be seen all around the community and in the school. On any given morning streams of children with parents and other family members are seen entering the building. They are greeted by the many welcoming faces that make up this multilingual, multicultural school that provides a creative and cooperative learning environment for all learners.

The Dual Language Program has been recognized locally, regionally, and nationally for improving the quality of education of English Language Learners (ELLs). Its success can be attributed to its high level of parental support and volunteerism, its multitude of programs offered in partnership with city-wide initiatives, and its strong collaboration with area universities.

Parents and other family members of the children are present at every level of the school's functioning. There is a very active PTA. Parents volunteer throughout the school, take on fundraising projects, and serve on the Schoolwide Projects Committee. Added to the expertise of these "first teachers", PS 165 has continued to build partnerships with various city-wide initiatives. Paintings, sculptures, drawings and structures created by children with the guidance of Studio in a School artists can be seen from the moment you enter the building. Other enrichment programs include music with the New York Philharmonic, dance with the New York Ballet, and social studies activities with the American Museum of Natural History.

Moreover, PS 165 is a Professional Development School with Teachers College. Teachers are given many opportunities to partake in study groups, to engage in teacher research, to attend conferences and to take credit-bearing courses. The school's collective knowledge base is continuously strengthened and enlarged by teachers' willingness to give of themselves and of their time. As a member of the Writing Project through Columbia University, many teachers at PS 165 agree also to try new methods and to meet to discuss what they learn.