Admissions

Who We Are

We are an elementary school located in NYC School District 3, serving 413 students from Pre-K to 5th Grade. Led by Principal Donny Lopez, who is in his 10th year at PS 163 this fall, we have a high-performing staff, with 73% of teachers having 3+ years of experience. Our student body is diverse, with their families representing multiple countries. For additional information, please visit NYC DOE’s 2020-21 School Quality Snapshot at https://tools.nycenet.edu/snapshot/2021/03M163/EMS/.

Our Programs

Outstanding academics are the foundation of PS 163. Our teachers bring to life literacy, math, and social studies curricula and give our students a solid grounding in science and technology. Our differentiated programs, listed below, meet the needs of individual learners and their families exactly where they are.

▪Spanish-English Dual Language (DL): Pre-K to 5th Grade

▪Gifted and Talented (G&T): 3rd to 5th Grade in Fall 2023

▪General Education (GE): K to 5th Grade

▪Integrated Co-Teaching (ICT): Pre-K to 5th Grade

Admissions

PS 163 is a zoned public school in New York City, so any family living in New York City can apply. However, families living in the zone (surrounding neighborhood) will receive priority.

Below is admissions information for our differentiated programs:

If a family is not zoned to PS 163, they will need to go through the Family Welcome Center to receive a placement. The Family Welcome Center is located at 123 Morningside Drive, Room 235, and can be reached via email at MorningsideFWC@schools.nyc.gov. Please feel free to also reach out to our parent coordinator if you’re interested.

Contact Us

For any questions, please reach out to our Parent Coordinator, Norma Montaleza, at NMontaleza@schools.nyc.gov.

Educational Enrichment

In addition to core curricula, vibrant enrichment programming is a hallmark of a PS 163 education. Our deep commitment to the arts is shown in music, visual art, and dance/movement instruction our students receive weekly. Thanks to our parents’ support and participation through the PS 163 PTA, we provide the following enrichment classes during the school day throughout the school year:

▪Art, Music, Physical Education: K to 5th Grade

▪Library, Computers, Science: K to 5th Grade (Science Lab Beginning in 2nd Grade)

▪Elective Clubs (Clubs Are Subject to Change Every Fall):

3rd Grade: Games, Origami, Italian, Sports, Theater, Social Emotional Learning (SEL)
4th Grade: Games, Beading, Art, Ukulele, Computer, Sports, Theater, SEL
5th Grade: Indoor Sports, Beading, Origami, Computer, Outdoor Games, Outdoor Sports, Theater

▪National Dance Institute Workshop: Pre-K to 5th Grade

▪NYChessKids: K to 5th Grade (10-12 Consecutive Weeks)

We also offer after-school programs:

▪WildArts (fee-based): An on-site program for Pre-K to 5th Grade

that includes music, theater, visual arts, sports, homework help, and more. Visit www.wildartsnyc.org.

▪Chess (fee-based): High-quality instruction from NYChessKids instructors in small group settings, on-site at the school.

▪The Voices of PS 163: A free after-school chorus program offered to 3rd to 5th Grade once a week.