The PS 396 community accepts the challenge to create and support schools that are “child centered and that involve students, staff, parents and the community at large in the learning process.
Our primary focus is to build a community of learners that encourages active participation and exploration, by placing special value on personal growth and development, acquisition of knowledge, development of critical thinking skills, as well as, the ability to use and produce knowledge. We embrace the tenets of school-based planning which include collaborative decision-making at the local level.
We recognize the need to meaningfully engage and involve the universities, the business community and community-based organizations. We will seek to increase the resources through proposal development and other strategies.
We believe that all students can and must attain rigorous academic standards as set by the city and state. To do so, they need to be provided with nurturing, safe, supportive, open and encouraging environments where they are challenged to the maximum of their potential.
This includes an acceptance, and understanding, and an incorporation in the curriculum of who they are, their personal history, their language, their culture, and their contributions.
