The Parkside School

Step into the art room and you'll find a wall of watchful eyes! Our young artists shaped and painted these wonderfully detailed reptile and creature eyes — each one bursting with color and personality. From fiery oranges to deep purples and electric greens, no two are alike. We love seeing where their imaginations take them.

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Class 4-2 took their bug knowledge on the road! 🐛🦋 We've been deep into mealworms and their life cycles in the classroom, so a field trip to the American Museum of Natural History's Insectarium and Butterfly Vivarium was the perfect next step. Students marveled at larger-than-life insects, explored hands-on exhibits, met a golden-eyed stick insect up close, and lit up when butterflies landed right on their fingertips. Seeing a life cycle come to life — from the mealworms back home to the fluttering wings at the vivarium — is learning our 4-2 friends won't soon forget!

Curiosity doesn't slow down as the year winds down — it takes flight. In one class, students raised butterflies from chrysalis to full transformation, then set them free in Central Park, cheering as they fluttered up into the trees. Elsewhere across the school, classes explored Mexican alebrijes and the murals of Diego Rivera, and students dug into NYC landmarks and the lives of Civil Rights trailblazers. So much wonder packed into these final weeks.

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Friday's All-School Picnic was everything. ☀️ Students, families, and staff took over Riverside Park for a day filled with giant bubbles, pool noodle games, face painting, balloons, and so much joy. A huge thank you to our Specialty Department for planning an incredible day — you made the magic happen! 🫧🎨

🎧 New episode of In Conversation: A Parkside Podcast!

Director of Placement Andie Levinger sits down with Parkside parent Adam Francique to talk about his son AJ — a swimmer, a reader, a math lover, and a soon-to-be middle schooler with a huge heart.

Adam opens up about parenting AJ as a single father, navigating the special education journey in New York City, and the community that supported him every step of the way. He talks about teaching AJ to find his voice, celebrating how far he's come ("it was one time where you just couldn't read… and look at you now"), and paying forward the guidance he received to other families.

A beautiful, honest reminder that it truly takes a village. 💙

Listen now at https://www.parksideschool.org/podcast

Speech season is here. 🎓 Across our classes, students are writing their Achievement Ceremony speeches — reflecting on their proudest moments, favorite memories, and how far they've grown this year. From persuasive paragraphs to graduation caps, our students are finishing the year strong.

Metamorphosis in action! 🦋 Class 3-1's Theme study of the butterfly life cycle reached an exciting milestone last week — all five of our classroom caterpillars have formed their chrysalises. Students made predictions about how long they'll stay tucked away and what colors will emerge. Science you can watch happen.

🥇 Gold-medal math! Before the long weekend, Ms. Takahashi's math group officially mastered 0–12 multiplication and division — and they celebrated the achievement in style at their Math Olympics Closing Ceremony. Medals, certificates, and very well-earned smiles all around. Congratulations to our Math Wizards on a year of hard work and big growth!

🌱🍪 The Parkside Flower Power Bake Sale took over our front steps today — cookies, succulents, balloons, and the best community around. Thank you to our incredible Parents Association and everyone who baked, donated, and showed up! 💙❤️