Context Statement

This past fall semester I observed in a third grade class in Gotham Avenue School in Elmont, New York. Elmont is home of the famous Belmont Park, which has a one and a half mile horse racing track, and a backyard family picnic area. Aside from Belmont Park, there are many other parks for children to play and participate in Little League games. There is also the new Elmont Memorial Library, which is host of The Broad Hollow Theater Company. Based on some of the examples I have just mentioned, it is clear that the community of Elmont has great resources for children in and outside of their schools. One must not forget that the Cradle of Aviation Museum is just minutes away from Elmont, located in Garden City, New York.

Gotham Avenue School is one of four public elementary schools in the Elmont district. Grades range from Pre-K through sixth, with an overall enrollment of 800 students, creating an average class size of 20 students (for the 2008 school year). There are 52 teachers, all of them teaching with a valid certification; one principal, and two assistant principals. Elmont is a community comprised of roughly 31,932 residents (as of 2007). The racial/ethnic demographics of the community are broken down as follows: Black or African American (57%), Hispanic or Latino (21%), Asian or Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander (12%), White (2%), and multiracial (9%). Faculty demographics are predominantly White and Black or African American. The demographics of Elmont are well represented by the students of Gotham Avenue School.

As I mentioned earlier, there are 20 students in Ms. L’s class; these 20 are comprised of 8 boys and 12 girls. These students help to make up heterogeneous groups of various academic services. Six students spend 50 minutes in the AIS room (Academic Intervention Services) where they work on reading and writing skills. Two other students spend time in a resource room, and one other student receives ESL help. Within the classroom, there are three reading levels among the students: on-level, above-level, and below-level. Students are broken up into these groups when it is time for reading practice.

Ms. L’s third grade classroom was a wonderful and nurturing environment to be in. The walls of the classroom were colorfully decorated with student artwork, bulletin boards of things to remember, and students’ reading charts. Posted in each classroom was the school’s mission statement:

“A place where we never settle for less than our best

Where each child is special

A team that works together

Respect, responsibility, honesty, pride, citizenship, cooperation

Achievement, sportsmanship, equality, confidence

A PLACE WHERE ALL STUDENTS ARE SUCCESSFUL LEARNERS”

Throughout my time observing, I have seen teachers and students stand true to this mission statement. The classroom had many great resources to help students achieve success with their academics. There were sets of dictionaries, as well as encyclopedias. Every student has a textbook for each academic subject. There are not only books for students’ studies, but there is a large reading area in the back of the room with an abundance of books that students can read for pleasure or for book report projects. This reading area is only secondary to the school’s large library. Every classroom at Gotham Avenue School is equipped with a smartboard, which can greatly enhance the students’ education.

Gotham Avenue School was a wonderful experience. Principal Z was always interacting with students, telling them to keep up the good work with their academics, as well as, their attendance in school. Each teacher in the school knew nearly all of the students. It was evident when walking through the halls that everyone cared for the students. Not only is Gotham Avenue School a great education experience for its students, but for myself as well.