A heartwarming morning at P.S. 222Q as we honored the legacy of our school's hero, Firefighter Christopher A. Santora!

Our amazing students gathered for an interactive story with Ms. Tanisha Dorvil, Assistant Principal (I.A.), and shared songs and poems celebrating our everyday heroes — from brave firefighters to dedicated police officers and lifesaving EMTs!

The spirit of helping others shined bright as our young learners discovered how they too can be everyday heroes in their own special ways. From lending a helping hand to spreading kindness, these little champions are learning that heroes come in all sizes.

What a beautiful reminder that when we work together and care for one another, we make our community stronger!

In Ms. Santora's 3-K classroom, the children are enthusiastically learning their daily routines and gaining confidence each day. They are recognizing and sounding out their names, with many already identifying letters—such as the letter “A” found in several of their names.

Throughout the day, they engage in a variety of enrichment centers, including blocks, housekeeping, puppets, the sand table, cards and the carpet area. They also enjoy visits to the library, water table and art station, where they explore expressive, self-guided art activities.

The children are becoming skilled at following the schedule, putting away their belongings and smoothly transitioning from home to school. It is wonderful to see their growing independence and excitement as they master this important step in their learning journey.

On September 3, 2025, the staff of P.S. 222Q came together to reflect deeply on our shared purpose as educators and to reignite our school’s mission and vision. This collaborative process reaffirmed what we believe about teaching and learning, and how we bring those beliefs to life every day in our classrooms.

Our Vision
At P.S. 222Q, we teach so that every child feels safe, engaged and excited.

Our Mission
Our mission is to provide daily opportunities for language-rich talk, cultivate joy and belonging through classroom routines and strengthen learning through strong family partnerships.

To make our mission visible in every classroom, we identified three daily practices that guide our work:

1. Daily Opportunities for Language-Rich Talk
   Students engage in meaningful conversation across all subjects through turn-and-talks, partner routines, songs, chants and structured sentence frames that build vocabulary and confidence.
   
   

2. Joy and Belonging
   Classrooms are joyful spaces where students feel seen, heard and valued. Each day includes positive greetings, affirmations, movement breaks and opportunities for self-expression and reflection.
   
   

3. Strong Family Partnerships
   We believe learning is strongest when families are involved. From Meet the Teacher Nights and publishing parties to family workshops and ongoing communication through ClassDojo, we actively partner with parents to celebrate and support every child’s growth.
   
   

Together, these practices reflect our commitment to creating a safe, language-rich and joyful learning community—one where children, families and educators learn and thrive together.