- P.S. 6
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The Lillie Devereaux Blake School (P.S. 6) Established 1894 Type Public Principal Lauren Fontana Founder Katherine Blake Grades K-5 Location New York City, NY, USA District 2 Mascot Pale Male, the Redtailed Hawk Website http://www.ps6nyc.org 
P.S. 6, The Lillie Devereaux Blake school, is a public elementary school located on the Upper East Side in New York City. Founded in 1894, P.S. 6 is regarded as one of the top elementary schools in New York City.[1]
Contents
Overview
P.S. 6 has about 800 students in grades K-5. Average class sizes are 23-28. The school's student body is 78% Caucasian, which is somewhat unusual for a public school in NYC.[2] The School is popular with families on the Upper East Side who often choose to send their children there rather than to private school. The school's former Principal Carmen Farina claimed that the acceptance rate for out of district students was 1/7, lower than that of many top-tier Universities.[3]
History
P.S. 6 was founded in 1894 and named after the feminist author and reformer Lillie Devereaux Blake. The school was originally located several blocks to the north on 85th street. The current red brick building on Madison Avenue between 81st and 82nd streets was constructed in 1953.
The school's first principal Katherine Blake, the daughter of the school's namesake, served in that capacity for 34 years and demanded that the pacifist hymn "I did not raise my son to be a soldier" be sung at every assembly.[1]
Academics
P.S. 6 is a Teacher's College "Mentor School." It offers a particularly strong writing program based on the principles of Lucy Calkins. Students are expected to write plays, poetry, essays and short fiction by the time they graduate. The school also places a special emphasis on Art education. Its location, two blocks from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, allows the students particularly good access to view the works of famous artists. P.S. 6 was also the recipient of a grant from the Annenberg Foundation to help fund art projects in the school.
Special events
Peter Yarrow has played a special benefit concert in the school's auditorium for many years to raise money for the school.[4]
Notable alumni
- Richard Avedon, Photographer
- Phoebe Cates, Actress
- Chevy Chase, Actor
- Peter Cincotti, Jazz Singer/Songwriter
- Damon Dash, Hip Hop Mogul
- Tam Farrow, daughter of Mia Farrow[5]
- Jose Feliciano, Guitarist
- William Hurt, Actor
- Jonathan Katz, Actor/Comedian
- Lenny Kravitz, Musician
- Lorna Luft, Actress, Singer, Daughter of Judy Garland
- Tony Roberts (actor), Actor
- Ann Rosenzweig, Chef
- J.D. Salinger, Author of The Catcher in the Rye
- Herbert Solow (journalist), Writer, Editor of Fortune magazine
- Andrew Stein, Former President NYC Council, Former Manhattan Borough President
- Robert F. Wagner, Jr., Mayor of New York and Ambassador to Spain
- David L. Wolper, Producer
- Peter Yarrow, Singer
- H. M. Naqvi, Author
References
- ^ a b Michael, By (August 24, 1994). "ABOUT NEW YORK; A School To Mark A Century Of Success - New York Times". New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9904E3DB1239F937A1575BC0A962958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all. Retrieved 2008-12-06.
- ^ "Insideschools.org :: School Profile - P.S. 6 Lillie Devereux Blake School". Insideschools.org. http://insideschools.org/index12.php?fso=25. Retrieved 2008-12-06.
- ^ Hartocollis, Anemona (February 24, 1999). "In School; A principal with a will of steel makes a public school as prestigious as a private one. - New York Times". New York Times. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0CE7DF1E3DF937A15751C0A96F958260. Retrieved 2008-12-06.
- ^ "Playing In The Neighborhood: UPPER EAST SIDE;Peter Yarrow's 'Puff' Piece for P.S. 6 - New York Times". New York Times. February 04, 1996. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C01E1D61739F937A35751C0A960958260. Retrieved 2008-12-06.
- ^ Orth, Maureen. "Mia’s Story." Vanity Fair. November 1992 4. View entire article as one page. Retrieved on October 1, 2010
External links
Categories:- Elementary schools in New York
- Educational institutions established in 1894
- Schools in Manhattan
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