Outstanding Middle School By John Friia “At HVA, we believe that teachers, not programs, are the key drivers of student achievement, and by tapping into the knowledge, talent and passion of teachers, we can achieve groundbreaking results,” Chief of Staff Matt Scott said. Scott explained that the goal at HVA is to guide students to 
Outstanding Middle School As the head of the venerable Horace Mann School in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, Westchester county native and veteran educator Thomas Kelly admits that it’s all about the teaching. “Each and every moment that we are together is a teachable moment, one in which both students and teachers challenge each 
Outstanding Grade School By John Friia The motto of PS 199—Jessie Isador Straus Elementary School, located at 270 W. 70th St.—is “Work hard. Be kind,” and Principal Katy Rosen explains the school strives to fulfill those words. Named after the former ambassador to France and president of R.H. Macy & Co., Jessie Isador Straus Elementary 
Outstanding Grade School For Kelly Shannon, the principal of PS 41’s Greenwich Village School, there was a question early on as to whether she might lead a group of constituents instead of grade school students. “I initially wanted to go into politics,” said Shannon, a Brooklyn native who has been an educator for 18 years 
Outstanding Nursery School Almost 50 years ago, a group of parents in the Lincoln Center area of Manhattan decided they wanted greater involvement in their children’s first school experience and founded the West Side YMCA Co-op Nursery School. The school started as a single classroom with 30 children, one teacher and a daily parent assistant. 
Outstanding Grade School By Emily Field Three years ago, St. Stephen of Hungary School, a pre-K through 8th grade Catholic school, was at risk of closing due to low student enrollment. Like many Catholic schools, St. Stephen found itself in the position of needing more students to stay afloat. St. Stephen focused on attracting more 
This being the 10th anniversary year of the Blackboard Awards, it seems only fitting to recall the involvement of the awards’ patron saint, the legendary teacher and author Frank McCourt. You may remember that McCourt was the career high school English teacher who, in retirement, wrote the mega-bestselling memoir about his childhood in Ireland, Angela’s Ashes. 
