PA Sponsored Residencies: 2014-15

Our Residencies 2014-2015
This year, for the first time ever, the PA funded residencies for each grade, with the exception of Pre-K. In total, the PA gifted over $35,000 in residency programs to our school. Residencies are typically 7 to 8 week programs aimed at enriching our children’s education and overall well-being at PS 101.

Kindergarten
Queens Botanical Garden: Kindergarten students will visit QBG to participate in the Plants We Eat workshop. They will tour the garden to see plants that provide the food we eat. They will learn about the different parts of the plant, their functions, and discover which parts we eat. The students will then create a Tabletop Pizza Garden to take home.  Status: In Progress

1st Grade
The School Yoga Project: Our 1st graders completed  a yoga and mindfulness residency program. Once a week for a total of 7 sessions, each 1st grade class participates in a yoga class and were taught to Connect, Breathe, Move, Focus and Relax. The program was run by Little Flower Yoga which is a New York based organization dedicated to making the tools of yoga and mindfulness available to all children and teens. The  School Yoga Project , a program of Little Flower Yoga, currently serves over 700 children per week with in-school and after-school yoga classes. Little Flower Yoga also conducted a Professional Development program for our teachers as well as led a Mindfulness Workshop for our parents.

Status: Complete.

 

2nd Grade
Engineering For Kids: Children are naturally curious about the world they live in. Engineering For Kids builds on that curiosity by teaching engineering concepts through hands-on learning. This STEM residency helps children build problem solving skills, encourages children to discover how things work, increases children’s’ desire to explore engineering as a career option and motivates them to learn math and science concepts by engaging them in real-world engineering problems. Status: In Progress 

3rd Grade

Treehouse Shakers: Treehouse Shakers, a dance and theater company, is committed to creating work that encourages children to experience their feelings and their connection to the greater community. Their residency for our 3rd Graders encouraged them to think, learn, and truly be engaged through the discipline, innovation, and creativity of the arts. The teaching artists taught the children to build, tell and understand movement using their own bodies, rhythms and imaginations. Status: Complete 

 

THANK YOU!
Our residencies were made possible through the generous donations of our parents. Thank you so much!

 

We would also like to thank the administration and our teachers for continuing to be open to new ideas and initiatives. 
Finally, we would like to say a special thank you to Soumaly King, Maria Kaufer, Christine Memoli, Julia Sprules, Sarah Swain and Randy St. Germain who each played a key role in making these residencies happen.

 

 
Thank you again to everyone who made these residencies possible.

Looking Ahead to Next Year
Through our continued collaboration with the administration and our teachers, the PA has permission to propose an additional residency per grade. Thus, in the 2015-16 school year, we hope every grade will have two, 7 to 8 weeks residencies.

Interested in Helping?
The PA is in the process of forming a Residency Committee to research, identify and propose for school approval, next year’s residencies. If you are interested, please email: contact@pa101.org

4th & 5th Grade

Dancing Classrooms: This 10-session program uses ballroom dancing as a tool for getting children to break down social barriers, learn about honor and respect, treat others carefully, improve self-confidence, communicate and cooperate, and accept others even if they are different. The dancers from this program have been featured in the film Mad Hot Ballroom, and participated in citywide competitions. Parents will be invited to a performance at the school at the end of the residency. Status: In Progress

6th Grade

Queens Museum: Our 6th graders worked with contemporary artists in the classroom and at the museum, using the museum’s permanent and temporary exhibitions as inspiration. In addition to focusing on technical skills, the QM program inspires creativity in applied design as well as fine art. Our QM partnership includes ArtsAccess – programming especially geared toward children with varying abilities providing tools that may be used every day in the classroom.  Status: Complete.