Most kids get bumps and bruises during playtime. But at P.S. 166, recess has turned dangerous. In the past year, four kids have gotten concussions, and several more were sent to the hospital, all because of the West 89th Street playground’s unorthodox design.

“Kids do get hurt, kids do play hard, but we do bear some responsibility as a community to make sure that the space they are playing in isn’t inherently dangerous,” said Christine DiPasquale, parent coordinator of P.S. 166.

The public playground at West 89th Street is divided into two areas. On the far side is an elaborate playset and jungle gym. But in the middle is a concrete playing area with two levels divided by dramatically sloping, uneven granite stones. It is very difficult to walk, let alone run, on the wobbly terrain.

To make matters worse, after a rainstorm, the stones become perilously slippery, and after a snowstorm, the cracks between them become icy and loosen. The kids, DiPasquale said, will try to pick up the stones and throw them. In fact, last year after a snowstorm, the playground had to close for two months so that the Parks Department could remove the snow and ice.

“It’s uneven, they have to shovel it by hand,” said DiPasquale. “And Gale Brewer had people come in to hand chip away the ice.”

Even when the playground is dry, children have fallen on these stones, said DiPasquale, and gotten gashes and concussions as a result. One parent, Laurie Frey, recalls how her daughter had to miss a lot of school this year because of an injury on the playground.

“It’s very scary to see your child dazed enough she cannot remember what happened, that she finds it difficult to walk or sit up and with such head pain the tears keep falling,” said Frey.  “We had to miss Thanksgiving, But I’m grateful it wasn’t worse.”

The West 89th Street playground was built in the first half of the 20th century, and has undergone renovations since. But, said DiPasquale, the one thing that has remained the same, has been the sloping granite stones. Last year, P.S. 166 invited Council Member Gale Brewer and Borough President Scott Stringer to survey the West 89th Street playground. Almost immediately, they saw the problem with the design. Brewer, Stringer and the Parks Department granted the school $600,000 to do a safety renovation and level the playground.

“It’s a lovely playground, but it really has become a problem,” said Brewer. “When you run on these stones, you’re going to trip.”

Brewer said that she hopes that the playground will be renovated by 2014, although they are trying to push the project up to the summer, and said that while the playground is under construction, the children will still have recess. DiPasquale said that the last she heard, the Parks Department will have the playground up to safety standards by the summer.

“I don’t believe we’re asking for a lot,” said DiPasquale. “We just want a safe play space for our school.”

With help from students at P.S. 166 on West 89th Street, five little ducklings made their way from the shade of a schoolyard evergreen bush to a lake in Central Park, near West 100th Street. Last month, a wild female mallard duck unexpectedly chose to lay six eggs in the school’s Reading Garden, bringing students a rare wildlife education experience.

Garo Tekeyan, the school’s science consultant, and James Mitchell, the office administrator, fenced off a nesting area around the bush with grass sod to prevent the eggs from rolling away.

On May 14, the eggs hatched and five fuzzy ducklings tested their wobbly webbed-feet—luckily, on school grounds.

Tekeyan brought them a wading pool and stacked a few bricks up to its rim to make an easy entry. Less than a week later, the Wild Bird Fund transported the legion of yellow ducklings in a carrier to their new home in Central Park.

By Shannon Geis

Lauren McIntyre, 25, says she loves teaching 4th grade because students are just old enough to be independent, but young enough to still be excited by education.

“They are like sponges,” said McIntyre, who has been teaching at P.S. 166 for four years. “They are into everything and always want to learn more.”

Lauren McIntyre says parents and P.S. 166 colleagues are a big part of her classroom success.

McIntyre, a graduate of Fordham University, said she wanted to be a teacher since she was little. In high school, she worked with many programs that allowed her to teach younger students.

“I just loved helping others learn new things,” she said. “It’s just so rewarding.”

The New Jersey native said she also enjoys making a personal connection with each student. Former students come back and have lunch with her to catch up.

“It’s very rewarding to have developed that kind of relationship with my students,” she said.

One former student, Robbie Frants, said, “Fourth grade was the best year at P.S. 166 I ever had.”

McIntyre uses facial expressions as an innovative way to catch students’ attention.

“She might open her mouth wide in surprise if she asks a really simple math problem and no one raises their hand. She knows that we all know the answer,” said Anna Frants, a current student in McIntyre’s class. “It’s funny. It makes us laugh and it makes kids start thinking more and pay attention.”

McIntyre is also particularly proud of her read-aloud voices.

“My students always tell me that the voices I make when I’m reading books out loud are wonderful,” she said.

Julia Weston Frants, Anna’s and Robbie’s mother, said it is obvious how much time and care McIntyre puts into her class.

“I’ve noticed that she has a rich appreciation for the material that she presents,” Frants said. “She makes things understandable. She doesn’t lecture. She just has the right touch, the humorous touch. But she still commands their respect. She is attuned to how they need to learn. ”

Connections with P.S. 166 colleagues and parents are also a big part of her classroom.

“I have been very lucky with my colleagues. We are great at working together and everyone is very supportive,” McIntyre said. “The parents are also great with giving me feedback and helping out with projects.”

McIntyre, who is engaged and currently lives in Park Slope, Brooklyn, said all she can hope for is to continue making an impact on students’ lives.

“I want to try to make sure that every day, my students leave differently than they came in,” she said, “whether that means they learned something new, or overcame an obstacle.”

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Lauren McIntyre
4th grade, P.S. 166

With the help from students at P.S. 166 on West 89th Street, five little ducklings made their way from the shade of a schoolyard evergreen bush to a lake in Central Park, near West 100th Street.

Last month, a wild female mallard duck unexpectedly chose to lay six eggs in the school’s Reading Garden, bringing students a rare wildlife education experience.

The mother duck and her ducklings.

After spotting the misplaced duck, the school contacted the Wild Bird Fund for advice on what to feed her as she warmed her eggs for nearly a month. The students, from grades K-5, treated the duck to mealy worms, corn meal, vegetables, cereal and water.

Garo Tekeyan, the school’s science consultant, and James Mitchell, the office administrator, fenced off a nesting area around the bush with grass sod to prevent the eggs from rolling away.

“At another school the duck might not have survived,” said Emily Fano, a parent on the PTA who helped monitor the duck’s progress. “The kids didn’t try to bother her.”

On May 14, the eggs hatched and five fuzzy ducklings tested their wobbly webbed-feet—luckily, on school grounds. But Tekeyan knew the ducklings would need water as quickly as possible.

However, getting to a Central Park basin for a mother duck followed by a line of ducklings is not as simple as it is cute.
So Tekeyan brought them a wading pool and stacked a couple bricks up to its rim to make an easy entry. The students observed quietly and learned about food chains, webs and wetlands. They also scouted out possible habitats for the ducks in Central Park, aware that a schoolyard couldn’t remain their home forever.

Less than a week later, the Wild Bird Fund transported the legion of yellow ducklings in a carrier to their new home in Central Park.