Beneath the red brick facade lies a story of academic excellence. This is P.S. 6, The Lillie Devereaux Blake School. It is a public elementary school on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Founded in 1894, P.S. 6 is known as the top elementary school in New York City.
P.S. 6 has about 800 students in grades K-5. Class sizes average 23-28 students. Many Upper East Side families choose P.S. 6 over private schools. The school’s former principal said the out-of-district acceptance rate was very low. It was lower than that of many top-tier universities.
The school was named after feminist author and reformer Lillie Devereaux Blake. Originally, P.S. 6 was located several blocks north on 85th Street. In 1953, the current red brick building was built on Madison Avenue. It sits between 81st and 82nd Streets.
Katherine Blake was the school’s first principal. She was the daughter of Lillie Devereaux Blake. Katherine served as principal for 34 years. She insisted the pacifist hymn “I Didn’t Raise My Boy to Be a Soldier” be sung at every assembly.
P.S. 6 is a Teacher’s College Mentor School. Students are expected to write plays. They also write poetry, essays, and short fiction by graduation. The school places special emphasis on art education. Its location near the Metropolitan Museum of Art provides access to famous art. P.S. 6 received a grant from the Annenberg Foundation. The grant helped fund art projects.
Peter Yarrow has performed benefit concerts in the school’s auditorium for many years. These concerts raise money for the school.
P.S. 6 appeared in the 1979 film “Kramer vs. Kramer”. The film won five Academy Awards.
Many notable people attended P.S. 6. Photographer Richard Avedon. Actress Phoebe Cates. Actor Chevy Chase. Jazz singer Peter Cincotti. Hip hop mogul Damon Dash. Musician Lenny Kravitz. Author J.D. Salinger. Mayor Robert F. Wagner Jr. All walked these halls.
P.S. 6 is committed to students’ success. It focuses on academics, social skills, emotions, and creativity. The school values social and emotional education. It uses an investigative-based academic curriculum. Interdisciplinary teaching is key. The faculty identifies successful strategies. They meet the needs of each student.
The school appreciates cultural literacy. It recognizes that learning happens everywhere. P.S. 6 represents over 45 different cultures. Children participate in programs. They build cultural knowledge. They appreciate our diverse world.
P.S. 6 believes in challenging students academically. It provides assessment-driven teaching. Academic success is linked to well-being. The school adopted Responsive Classroom. This approach promotes positive discipline. It focuses on the relationship between academic success and social-emotional learning.
There is collaboration throughout P.S. 6. Students collaborate. Teachers work together. Administrators work with students and teachers. Education requires partnership. Home and school must work together. Parents are invited into the classroom. The school community collaborates to educate each child.