PS 6

P.S. 6, The Lillie Devereaux Blake School, is a public elementary school located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, New York City. Founded in 1894, P.S. 6 is regarded as one of the top elementary schools in New York City.[1]

The Lillie Devereaux Blake School (P.S. 6)
Location
Manhattan
,
New York City

United States
Information
TypePublic
Established1894
FounderKatherine Blake
School district2
PrincipalLauren Fontana
GradesK-5
MascotPale Male, the Redtailed Hawk
Websitehttp://www.ps6nyc.com

Overview

P.S. 6 has about 800 students in grades K-5. Average class sizes are 23-28. The school's student body is 78% Caucasian, which is somewhat unusual for a public school in NYC.[2] The school is popular with families on the Upper East Side who often choose to send their children there rather than to private school. The school's former Principal, Carmen Fariña, claimed that the acceptance rate for out of district students was 1/7, lower than that of many top-tier Universities.[3]

History

P.S. 6 was founded in 1894 and named after the feminist author and reformer Lillie Devereaux Blake. The school was originally located several blocks to the north on 85th Street. The current red brick building on Madison Avenue between 81st and 82nd Streets was constructed in 1953.

The school's first principal Katherine Blake, the daughter of the school's namesake, served in that capacity for 34 years and demanded that the pacifist hymn I Didn't Raise My Boy to Be a Soldier be sung at every assembly.[1]

Academics

P.S. 6 is a Teacher's College "Mentor School." It offers a particularly strong writing program based on the principles of Lucy Calkins. Students are expected to write plays, poetry, essays and short fiction by the time they graduate. The school also places a special emphasis on Art education. Its location, two blocks from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, allows the students particularly good access to view the works of famous artists. P.S. 6 was also the recipient of a grant from the Annenberg Foundation to help fund art projects in the school.

Special events

Peter Yarrow has played a special benefit concert in the school's auditorium for many years to raise money for the school.[4]

The school is featured in the 1979 film Kramer vs. Kramer, which won five Academy Awards.[5][6]

Notable alumni

References
  1. Michael, By (August 24, 1994). "ABOUT NEW YORK; A School To Mark A Century Of Success - New York Times". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-12-06.
  2. "Insideschools.org :: School Profile - P.S. 6 Lillie Devereux Blake School". Insideschools.org. Archived from the original on 2010-06-01. Retrieved 2008-12-06.
  3. Hartocollis, Anemona (February 24, 1999). "In School; A principal with a will of steel makes a public school as prestigious as a private one. - New York Times". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-12-06.
  4. "Playing In The Neighborhood: UPPER EAST SIDE;Peter Yarrow's 'Puff' Piece for P.S. 6 - New York Times". New York Times. February 4, 1996. Retrieved 2008-12-06.
  5. http://www.movietrip.me/scenes/view/1939/kramer-vs.-kramer(1979)-ps-6-the-lillie-devereaux-blake-school
  6. "New York Magazine". 1987-05-04.

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