P.S. 160, Queens

School Snapshot

Principal: Jermaine Garden
Student Population: 801
% Receiving Free or Reduced Lunch: 90%
2011 CFK Program Hours: 1,667

School Story

Since August 2000, Change for Kids has been committed to helping P.S. 160, located in Jamaica, Queens, fulfill its motto: "Where Futures Begin." We learned about P.S. 160, also known as The Walter Francis Bishop Elementary School, through the Center for Children and Families.

What started with school supplies for kindergarten students has grown to literacy programs and exposure to cultural experiences for the entire student body – experiences that further the school's mission of creating “a learning environment that nurtures the greatest level of student achievement, builds self-esteem, and champions the value of education.”

CFK Programs

Literacy
Story Pirates: serves more than 220 students
Pearson ABC Book Program: 50 students and families receive books

Classroom Support
School Supplies and Book Donations: hundreds of dollars of donations each year
School Beautification Days: school murals and classroom organization
Field Trips: museum outings and skateboard competitions

Greatest Needs
One-on-One Tutoring: CFK is currently seeking volunteers to participate in the tutoring programs
Fitness and Nutrition: students receive limited gym class time and there is no school-wide health curriculum
Music: the school's only music teacher has been forced to cut early childhood programs in order to serve older grades

Did You Know?

The school takes its name from Walter Bishop Sr., a be-bop songwriter who was friends with jazz musicians Fats Waller, Eubie Blake, Sonny Rollins, and Art Taylor, and who recorded with Art Blakely's quartet and with jazz legends like Stan Gets and Miles Davis. His son, Walter Bishop Jr., was also a jazz musician.