From the Ground Up

Since P.S. 151 was shuttered more than 10 years ago, elementary-aged children living in the Yorkville neighborhood have been assigned to schools in neighboring areas by lottery. As of September 2009, these students now have a school of their own in the former home of Our Lady of Good Counsel, at 323 E. 91st St. At its helm is innovative educator Samantha Kaplan. â??This school was built by dedicated parents and me, Kaplan said. â??It was a partnership. There was a need and parents fought for it. The new location was announced in May 2009, and during the summer the property underwent a head-to-foot remodeling. The school, which has a three-year lease on the property, now houses an indoor recreational space with freshly painted pale yellow walls and white ceilings's colors Kaplan selected herself. The kindergarten currently has 77 students and will incorporate a new grade each year. Prior to assuming her role at P.S. 151, Kaplan served as assistant principal at P.S. 41 on West 11th Street. Yet it was her experience growing up in Greenwich Village as the child of art collectors that helped form her vision as an educator. â??When I went to school in the Village, there was a lot of project-based learning and I was so engaged in the curriculum, she said. â??Then when I taught there, I integrated the curriculum. Math was taught through social studies and reading was taught through studying old New York. But I also followed the standards. Although it was a creative curriculum, it was rigorous and standards-based. Despite her diminutive stature, the tall black boots she wore as she gave a tour of the school suggested a slightly edgy quality. She coupled a flowing, asymmetrical sweater with a traditional tweed skirt and crisp shirt. As she talked about the school, her blue eyes sparkled, offset by a chunky turquoise and silver ring. â??Some kids are excited about math, she said. â??Some kids are excited about reading. And some kids don"t know yet what they are excited about. We are making the school a place where they can try things, take risks and experience opportunities. At P.S. 151, children begin their morning singing and dancing through a collaboration with the group Arts Connection. On a visit to the Guggenheim, kindergarteners studied shapes at the Kandinsky exhibit and then used the paintings as inspiration for their own art. Through a partnership with the Parks Department, students recently planted 500 daffodil bulbs at nearby Ruppert Park as they explored plant biology. For Kaplan, the experience of seeing the school grow is laden with emotion. â??I know it sounds silly, but when I talk about it I sometimes get teary, she said, waving a hand across her eyes as she walked past the artwork, â??because I can"t believe it. I am just so proud.