Whether you've come upon this blog because your child is a STAR student presently, or you're sitting in front of a list of offers from schools for your prospective student—we're here to give you the scoop on the environment we've established here at STAR Academy PS63.
We are a District 1 school in Manhattan's Lower East Side (LES). District 1 brings students and educators together for inclusive 3K – 12 learning environments, but what’s really unique about District 1’s collection of schools is the ability for students from all 5 boroughs to apply to attend! You read that right. Any family living in New York City can apply to attend a District 1 school within the city. It’s a ‘Choice District’, so the STAR Academy community welcomes children from the city, The Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island!
We are a Title 1 school, which means we receive federal funding for the education of low income students. This designation is also how our school has been able to enjoy community-wide Cool Culture passes – that empower our students, staff, and families to enjoy over 80 museums, gardens, zoos, science centers and other cultural spaces for free!
All children are wanted and welcome here. We proudly support children with IEP’s, new Americans who are learning English / getting situated in the United States for the first time, and students who benefit from on-site mental health counseling, physical therapy, speech therapy, and more. We embrace all of what makes each child unique, and create a safe, nurturing environment for them to learn, connect, and have fun in! From our inclusive monthly ‘school spirit’ pep rallies to our outstanding student to teacher ratios, we are a tight-knit school that truly operates as a united community.
If an on-site library is a priority, we’ve just narrowed your search! We have the only in-school, full-time operating library media center with full time Library Media Specialist oversight in all of District 1. Most public schools in the city haven’t had operating libraries since before Covid, but we have a stunning, unbelievably maintained library on the third floor of our building. It serves as an extension of our classrooms and a gloriously-stocked, diverse universe of opportunities for our children to explore. The heart of our school is managed by Cheryl Wolf, who literally curates the children’s reading recommendations on behalf of the New York Public Library (in addition to overseeing our space that includes over 15,000 physical and digital books)!