Admissions

  • Students Sitting on Floor in Classroom

2023-2024 Kindergarten Admissions

December 7-January 20

If your child was born in 2018 and lives in New York City, they are eligible to attend kindergarten in fall 2023.  The application for Kindergarten Admissions for the 2023-2024 closed on January 20, 2023.  

If you missed the deadline to apply to kindergarten, you can still participate in admissions by adding your child to programs’ waitlists! The way to do this is online with MySchools, learn how in our "How to Add Your Child to Waitlists” video. Please keep in mind that you can no longer apply to kindergarten G&T programs or add your child to kindergarten G&T waitlists.

Admissions Priorities for Zoned Schools

All zoned elementary schools make offers to students in the following order:

  1. Students who live in the zone and have a sibling at the school
  2. Other students who live in the zone

If space allows, students living outside the zone may also be admitted, in the following order:

  1. Students with a sibling at the school who live in the district
  2. Students with a sibling at the school who live outside the district
  3. Students who live in the district and are currently enrolled at the school for preK
  4. Students who live outside the district and are currently enrolled at the school for preK
  5. Other students who live in the district
  6. Other students who live outside the district

 

General Education

PS 166 is a Kindergarten - Grade 5 School. We do not currently have PreK or 3-K Classes 

 

General Education / ICT

PS 166 has an Integrated Co-Teaching (ICT) class on every grade level. ICT classrooms include students with and without disabilities and have two teachers, a general education teacher and a special education teacher. The teachers work together throughout the day to adapt and modify instruction for special needs children and make sure that the entire class has access to the general education curriculum. Students with special needs may be in an ICT classroom all day or for a portion of the day. The number of students with disabilities in an ICT classroom  does not exceed 40% of the total class register.
 
Parents of children with special needs applying to kindergarten must submit an application through MySchools. 

If you have recently moved to our zone,  please send an email to admissions@ps166.org . Include your name, address, child(ren)’s name, date(s) of birth, current grade(s) and school. We will contact you as to next steps for registration.

Kindergarten Open House

Kindergarten Open House

We hosted 2 Open Houses for prospective Kindergarten parents in January. If you did not attend, please see the Open House 2023 presentation  and the Virtual Tour.

Gifted & Talented 

PS 166 has G&T classes in all grades, K-5. Application was through MySchools but is now closed. 

If you listed a G&T program on your child's application, the Office of Enrollment reached out to your child's Pre-school teacher regarding nomination. Your child's current Pre-school teacher can  nominate your child for G&T placement. If your child does not currently attend pre-school, the Office of Enrollment reach out to you to set up an interview. There is no longer a G&T test of any kind. Eligibility is determined by the office of Enrollment and cannot be appealed. 

 

There are two types of G&T programs:

  • K-to-5 G&T programs
    • These existing programs serve children throughout elementary school, from kindergarten through grade 5. Please note, PS 166 will continue to have two G&T classes on every grade, including kindergarten.
    • Children can enter these programs in kindergarten, grade 1, grade 2, or grade 3.
  • NEW - Top Performer ("Grade 3") G&T programs
    • These 32 programs––one in each NYC community school district––serve children from grade 3 to grade 5. Please note, PS 166 does not have this program. 
    • Children enter these invitation-only programs in grade 3. Top-performing grade 2 students (whose grades are in the top 10% at their school) are invited to apply. 

Click HERE to learn more about how and when to participate, as well as how G&T offers are made. It's different and more complicated than in past years so please read carefully if you are interested in applying to the G&T program. 

 

Registration Checklist

To Register a child for school you need to submit: 

  1. Proof of your child’s age (child’s birth certificate, passport, or record of baptism)
  2. Your child’s immunization records 
  3. Your child’s latest report card/transcript (grades 1-5, if available)
  4. Two documents below verifying proof of address
  • Lease agreement, deed, or mortgage statement for the residence;
  • A residential utility bill (gas or electric) in the resident’s name issued by a utility company (e.g., National Grid or Con Edison); must be dated within the past 60 days;
  • A bill for cable television services provided to the residence; must include the name of the parent and the address of the residence and be dated within the past 60 days;
  • Documentation or letter on letterhead from a federal, state, or local government agency, including the IRS, the City Housing Authority, the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement, the Human Resources Administration, or the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS), or an ACS subcontractor, indicating the resident’s name and address; must be dated within the past 60 days;
  • A current property tax bill for the residence;
  • A water bill for the residence; must be dated within the past 90 days;
  • Rent receipt which includes the address of residence; must be dated within the past 60 days;
  • State, city, or other government issued identification (including an IDNYC card), which has not expired and includes the address of residence;
  • Income tax form for the last calendar year;
  • Official NYS Driver’s License or learner’s permit, which has not expired;
  • Official payroll documentation from an employer issued within the past 60 days such as a paystub with home address, a form submitted for tax withholding purposes, or payroll receipt (a letter on the employer’s letterhead is not adequate); must include home address and be dated within the past 60 days;
  • Voter registration documents, which include the name of the parent and the address of residence;
  • Unexpired membership documents based upon residency (e.g., neighborhood residents’ association), which include the name of the parent and the address of residence;
  • Evidence of custody of the child, including but not limited to judicial custody orders or guardianship papers; documents must have been issued within the past 60 days and include name of student and address of residence.

 

  

 

 

FAQs (updated November 2022)

We live in the catchment for PS 166. Do we need to apply?

Yes! In-catchment applicants for Kindergarten must submit an application through Myschools. Parents may rank multiple schools on one application. No applications are accepted at individual schools. Visit the DOE website www.schools.nyc.gov for more information.

Are we guaranteed a seat if we live in the catchment zone?

We hope to be able to offer seats to all in-catchment applicants but if there are more applicants than seats, some in-zone children could be wait listed.

What if we live out of the catchment zone? Out of district 3?

Parents can list any schools, in or out of their catchment zone on their application but priority is still given for zoned families.

Only children who were born in 2018 may apply for kindergarten for 2023-2024 school year. A child with a 2017 birthdate will be eligible for first grade.

 

About PS 166

How many children are in the school? Each class? How many classes in the school?

There are approximately 600 children in the school in the 2022-2023 year.

Kindergarten classes have 25 students; Grades 1-5 have between 18 and 30. 

Generally, we have: four kindergartens, four 1st grades; four 2nd grades; four 3rd grades; four 4th grades; and four 5th grades.  This is subject to change.

We currently have two G&T classes on every grade and two General Ed classes, one of which is an ICT (Integrated Co-Teaching.) 

Do you have any Special Education classes?

We have one ICT class (Integrated Co-Teaching) on every grade level, which is comprised of both general education and special education students (60/40) and 2 certified teachers (one gen-ed and one special ed).

How long is the school day?

Our school day is from 8:20 AM - 2:40 PM.  

Are there teaching assistants?

Kindergarten and grade 1 classes have full day teaching assistants. Grades 2-5 have part time assistants who rotate among the classes. TAs also help supervise lunch and recess. The assistants are funded by PTA Annual Giving and fundraisers throughout the year. The TAs are hired and supervised by our administration. 

Do you offer breakfast and lunch? How much does it cost?

We offer breakfast and lunch every day. On early dismissal days we offer a bagged grab-n-go lunch. Lunch is free for all DOE students regardless of family income. We follow the DOE alternative lunch menu for K-8. More about school food can be found at https://www.schools.nyc.gov/school-life/food/menus

Students have a 25 minute lunch and a 25 minute recess every day.

Who supervises the children during lunch and recess?

Lunch and recess are supervised by administrators, TAs and other school staff members. We also have recess coaches who engage the children in exercise and games during recess.

Do you have a library?

Yes. Our library has just reopened after a major renovation. All students visit the library.

What specials classes do students have each week?

Phys-ed, art, music, theater, library and technology.

What literacy program do you use?

We use the Teachers College Reading and Writing Program which encompasses balanced literacy with a focus on the Common Core Standards. Reading includes word study, phonics, spelling, decoding vocabulary, daily read-alouds, guided, shared and silent reading. There is writing in every subject area.

What math program do you use?

We use a standards based math program that includes many components. Students use Math Rotations and Number Talks, working in small groups at math centers. Students are assessed using ECAM (Early Childhood Assessments in Mathematics) a research-based, comprehensive interview assessment tool in K-2 and Screener Centers in 3-5.

Is there homework in kindergarten?

Teachers assign homework to students to both reinforce units of study and to deepen the level of understanding of classroom lessons. Homework promotes student responsibility, helps to foster independence and helps students to budget their time and organize their work.

Kindergarten teachers begin sending reading book baggies and abc sound cards (based on need) home in October. Spelling words will be shared in October but formal spelling homework and any and all written homework will begin in January. Students should read (or have parents read to them) 20 minutes nightly. Reading 20 minutes a day increases a child’s vocabulary by 1.8 million words a year.

Are any foreign languages taught at PS 166?

No, but some language classes are available in the Re-Create Arts and Athletics Afterschool Program.

What outside organizations do you work with?

Organizations we have partnered with recently include Metropolitan Opera, NY Historical Society, Child Mind Institute, Liberty Science Center, Art Farm and more.

Do students go on field trips?

 At PS 166, teachers takes advantage of being in a city with so many cultural institutions and opportunities. Our students visit many museums such as the Guggenheim, the Whitney, the Met, the NYC Fire Museum, the Tenement Museum and more and see performances at Symphony Space, the Met Opera, and the Swedish Cottage, just to name a few.

What is the interaction between programs?

We are one school with 2 programs –General Education (which includes ICT classes) and G&T. Teachers in both programs plan lessons together across the grade. Students visit other classrooms for publishing parties, science fairs, etc. In recess and lunch, students are grouped by grade. Performing Arts shows, assemblies, field trips and afterschool programs are also opportunities for all students to get to know other children outside of their classroom.  

Where do the 5th graders move on to?

Fifth graders move on to many different schools. In recent years, the largest number of students went to MS 54, followed by West End Secondary and the Computer School. Some went to Anderson, Columbia Secondary School, Mott Hall II, Lafayette Academy and MSC, among others. A few move on to attend private schools.

Do you have an afterschool program?

Re-Create Arts and Athletics is our afterschool provider. They offer a wide variety of classes as well as supervised activity/homework help. Afterschool begins when school ends and runs until 5:40 PM. Students may attend from one class per week up to 10 classes per week. Please visit their website http://artsandathletics.org/ for more information. 

Is there yellow bus service?

Transportation is available to students in accordance with the eligibility guidelines of the Office of Pupil Transportation (OPT) Please visit https://www.schools.nyc.gov/school-life/transportation/bus-eligibility for more eligibility requirements.