P.S. 9 - Sarah Smith Garnet School

- Prospect Heights
80 Underhill Ave, Brooklyn 11238, NY
See Map | Get Directions - ps9.org
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Reviews (17)
Review from the Fall 2024 Early Education Survey
Review: The pre-k program at PS9 is truly terrific. The students enter the clsssrooms directly from the yard and eat lunch in their rooms so it’s a very contained environment that allows them to have the benefits of a big school (a nice gym, art class) without feeling overwhelmed by it. The teachers are great, the kids all seem truly lovely and happy to be there, and the PTA is wildly enthusiastic. You immediately feel a part of a community. It’s a true neighborhood school.; Amenities: Has outdoor space, Has after-school options, Has early morning hours, Provides meals, Afterschool pickups/transportation to other programs;Review from the Fall 2024 Early Education Survey
Review: This was the first three year for the 3K program at P.S. 9 and we loved it. The teachers were great. The school did the good job incorporating the kids with older kids. There’s a block room and they do yoga on Wednesdays. There were a couple of hiccups as the school figured out the 3K program - like how to drop the kids off in the morning, but everyone was incredibly open to feedback and iterated quickly. There have family days once a month for parents are invited to come into the classroom. I loved it and would choose it again.; Amenities: Has outdoor space, Provides meals; What would you change? I wish they were after school options for 3K all of the afterschool programs currently start at preschool.Review from the Spring 2023 Early Education Survey
Review: My son had a wonderful experience in PreK at PS9. I was worried about the big school feel after he attended a small private nurturing program for 2s/3s but it was really fantastic. The PreK entrances are separate from the rest of the school. The monthly PreK curriculum was fantastic, and the teachers did lots of extra enrichment (planting, garden time, cooking, holiday celebrations, organized field trips). Amenities: Has outdoor space, Has after-school options, Has early morning hours, Provides meals, Afterschool pickups to other programsReview from the Spring 2023 Early Education Survey
Program type: Pre-K Review: There is a lot of love at PS9, operationally the new principal is turning things around. The Dual-Language Pre-K is high recommended. Amenities: Has outdoor space, Has after-school options, Has early morning hours, Provides meals, Afterschool pickups to other programs What would you change about the program, if anything, and why? Dual-Language program does not seems very effective for upper classes, but the principal seems willing and able to turn things aroundReview from the Spring 2022 Early Childhood Education Survey
Location: Prospect heights Type of facility: Pre-K Review: Ps9 has a large, well organized, diverse, program with lots of support from the school. Our teacher was great. My son loved it and learned so much over the year. At school he had special classes each week, including Spanish, dance, time at the grow lab, and gym. He was safe and well cared for. The school has a large playground. What amenities does the facility have? Has outdoor space, Has after-school options, Has early morning hours, Provides meals, Has a garden that the kids work in. Is there anything you would like to add about how the school is handling the pandemic? The school followed state and local guidelines. Parents were informed of what was happening.PS9 preK
It’s been a few years, but my child had a wonderful experience in Pre-K at PS 9. Her teachers were warm, communicative, and experienced. To answer someone’s questions regarding outdoor time and homework— the pre-K classrooms at PS 9 also open directly onto the (massive) outdoor space, very close to the playground. My child went outside once a day, unless it was really cold— I wouldn’t say the outdoor time was extensive, but it was a typical part of their day. There is no real homework in preK, but my child’s class did have a monthly “family project” to work on (things like making a family tree, creating a diorama of a place that is special to your family, etc). I’m not sure if this was true for the entire pre-k, or just my child’s class.PS9 preK
We've had a positive experience overall. We love our teachers, very experienced and communicative. Our son is very happy. It's a big community based school with an active PTO. There's lots of after school options on site.PS9 preK
Both our kids are at ps9 in k and 2nd grade. We had a great experience in pre k (dual language) and if you are zoned chances are high to get a spot.PS9 preK
Our oldest is in kindergarten at PS9 and he did pre-k there last year. We wholeheartedly recommend it! I love that he goes to our neighborhood school, that we can walk there, that we recognize friends in the neighborhood and all that jazz. We applied to ps9 as well as 282 (nearby) 280 (not so nearby) and a charter school (in fort greene) for pre-k just to have a bunch of options available. While we loved his pre-school we did not plan to send him for the fours program just from a cost perspective. This was also at the beginning of the pandemic when preschools were largely all remote and I just couldn’t see paying for remote schooling. We ranked ps9 as our number one and that was where we got in and so it made our decision pretty easy :) This year and last there were seven pre-k classes, two of them dual language and the rest general ed. My son’s class last year had ten kids and two teachers which was a pretty amazing ratio. We adored his pre-k teacher and the class became a tightly knit crew. I like that the pre-k classrooms are in their own section downstairs, with their own separate entrance, feels like it helps the littles feel like they’re in their own separate school within a school for that first year. I think it also helped my son with transitioning from a small preschool program to a big public school experience. The school overall has a strong pto, lots of involved families from all different backgrounds, lots of heavily subsidized after school options (maybe just one for pre-k), four plus various enrichments for k on up, and several private after school programs that do pick up. My son is doing gymnastics once a week and martial arts two times a week just as an example. They are a big school but have good communication and I think have done a great job managing the impossible during the pandemic, trying to hear all parents voices and keep everyone safe.PS9 preK
My son is in PreK this year at PS 9. There are 15 kids in his class. There are 7 pre-k classes. There's an app that has a class discussion as well as various other groups to join to get to know the community. The app has its drawbacks but is helpful. His teacher is great and has been teaching for 30 years. She's engaging and really gets to know the kids and is very responsive to them and to us. Some activities they've done that my son liked: walked around the block and looked at changing trees, another trip looked at construction in the neighbourhood, carved a pumpkin, tasted various apples, tasted dragon fruit. They had a spanish yoga class this fall paid for by the PTO. Like many schools they have activity centers and he spends a lot of time with the blocks. There's also art, science, technology, and civic engagement. We've also been happy with World Explorers after school program. Pre-K and K are totally separate and it's totally fine to join for K without going to Pre-K. One more thing - I should have mentioned that there are two teachers for his class of 15.Seeking opinions on PS9 Sara Smith Garnet
Our daughter is in 1st grade at PS9 and has been there since pre-K. We are very happy with the school! It is a lively, vibrant school with a real commitment to equity and equality. The student body is incredibly diverse - far more so than most NYC schools - which makes for a wonderfully fertile ground for learning. The school is in the process of many positive changes. It elected to phase-out the G&T program a few years ago (so has no G&T for K or 1st grade), has a new Principal and new APs (all since winter 2020), is in the process of becoming an IB (international baccalaureate) school, and has a revamped slate of enrichment. Our daughter has been enrolled in the Spanish dual-language program, which has been restructured this year to encourage 50/50 language instruction. Of course like any NYC public school, it has some challenges and downsides (it is a large school, some teachers are stronger than others, in normal years classes are large, funding is tight, Covid quarantines are inevitable) but we have been very happy there.Review from the Fall 2021 Early Childhood Education Survey
Type of facility: Pre-K Review: We are loving UPK.at PS9. The teacher is warm and attentive, the day is much more structured and intentional than we expected, and our daughter is having a great time. Good after school options too. Would definitely choose to do again. What amenities does the facility provide? Has outdoor space, Has after-school options, Has early morning hours, Provides meals2019-2020 Year Review
PreK classrooms have a separate entrance and room bathrooms which make sending your kid to school if 1000 less intimidating. The PreK teachers are all lovely and provide a very warm and safe space to learn. Enrichment activities include dance, technology, and science with specialized teachers. My kiddo loves his assistant teacher, the class pet (a rabbit), and their new indoor play room with hula hoops, mats for tumbling, and large foam legos (they previously used the hallways or auditorium for PreK indoor play). They do many walking field trips (leaf hunt, fire station, Barclays center, etc). The early morning hours are largely unsupervised and I wouldn’t recommend for a young child but many great after school options many available for PreK. … About the facility: Has outdoor space, Has afterschool options, Has early morning hours, Provides meals … What would you change? Communication at PS9 can be a challenge.PS 9 - What's your experience?
I have 2 kids at PS9. This is our 6th year there and we love it. Dedicated teachers and staff, diverse student body, lots of involved parents, very warm community. The PTO is great and brings in a lot of outside organizations to run programs like music and art. There is an interim principal right now since the long-time principal left at the end of last year for a job with the district. I think there will be a new permanent principal starting next fall.Review from the 2016/2017 PSP Daycare, Preschool, PreK, Kindergarten Survey
Type: Pre-K About the facility: Has outdoor space, Has afterschool options, Has early morning hours, Provides meals Review: Pros: Excellent teacher. Very well run school. Good diversity and inclusiveness. Decent classrooms and facilities. Some good after school options. Cons: School lunch not very healthy. Playground not big enough for all kids in after school. Bathrooms need updating. What would you change about the program, if anything, and why? Healthier lunch options (even if they cost more money).Review from the 2016/2017 PSP Daycare, Preschool, PreK, Kindergarten Survey
About the facility: Has outdoor space, Has afterschool options, Has early morning hours, Provides meals Review: My son loved the program, they had a science project each month. They also had 3 performances at the school auditorium, and with a lot of practice sessions and it was a big hit with the kids. They get a lot of outdoor or gym playtime. What would you change about the program, if anything, and why? I wish my son's teacher was a little more polite.Review submitted via the PSP 2016 PreK Survey
The program is excellent. They are learning a lot and having a lot of fun and they are well integrated into the rest of the school. About the facility: Has outdoor space, Has afterschool options, Provides meals Review submitted via the PSP 2016 PreK Survey