Life After the Magnet Grant
By Wendy Azzouni, Kindergarten Parent
When P.S. 8 was awarded a federal magnet grant of nearly one million dollars in 2004 it was the beginning of a major turnaround for the school. The school population has more than doubled in the last four years and the grant allowed the school to bring innovative programs to our children.
P.S. 8 was also given a new identity to reflect its magnet school status: The Magnet School for Exploration, Research, and Design. It has become a place where out-of-zone parents clamor to get their children into a few spots. This is a far cry from where the school was just five years ago when it was only half full and the Department of Education was considering closing it down.
The grant was paid out over three years and the end of the 2006-07 school year marked the end of the grant payments. This has many parents wondering what will happen to the programs that were funded by the grant. According to Principal Seth Phillips, through careful budgeting there was money left that is currently being used for some enrichment programs, as well as continuing education on the Renzulli model of enrichment for teachers at the University of Connecticut.
The grant also funded the purchase of equipment, like the public address system in the auditorium, and supplies, such as robotics and science kits. The supplies and equipment will remain but going forward the PTA will have to fund the enrichment programs.
"The plan always was to have the PTA pay for the enrichment programs," said Phillips. Before the grant, the PTA raised from $5,000 to $10,000 per year. The PTA expects to raise $150,000 this year.
The grant helped create residencies for programs such as Marquis Studios, the Rotunda Gallery, and the Guggenheim Museum. The latter two programs feature our students' work in their museums. The studio programs are among those that the PTA has chosen to help pay for this year, according to Assistant Principal Bob Mikos. "The PTA enrichment committee looked at all of the programs and decided what worked, and now they are helping to keep those programs in the school," he said.
"The government wanted to see the school form a strong PTA, bring in children and parents, and see the test scores improve," said Bill Maxcy, who left the classroom for three years to function as P.S. 8's Magnet Grant Specialist and now teaches physical education. "They wanted to see diversity as well, and P.S. 8 is now very diverse. Those things have happened."
"Our magnet designation of exploration, research, and design is reflected in the way teachers approach subjects and what children in all grades do in the classroom every day," Maxcy said. For instance, the third-graders are learning tap dance and some Native American dance to enrich their social studies curriculum. He continued, "The grant is still in action, and will be for a long time, because it was used to train teachers, to build a knowledge base from which teachers can learn."
The most outstanding result of the grant, according to Phillips, is the joy our children exhibit while at school. "What kids love and what they are good at translates to a love of school," he said.
P.S. 8 will continue to be a magnet school, according to Phillips. "Although the lengthy magnet name may fade into the background in favor of the simple Robert Fulton School name, the ideals behind it will remain," Phillips said. "We are committed to this."
Posted on: February 27, 2008
