Community Programing

Garden School wants to say
Thank You Jackson Heights!
During the 20-21 and 21-22 school years, Garden School worked hard to remain open during the COVID-19 pandemic. While we have a spacious campus, it ultimately would not have been possible without the NYC Outdoor Learning Initiative and the support of the Jackson Heights community.
The temporary use of the tennis courts for outdoor learning and a segment of the 78th St Plaza enabled us to keep in person learning available for 250 children in Garden’s core program as well as 200 children in our PKFA programs. This year, we want to show our gratitude by sharing some free community programming, activities for children, and a parent education series.
We hope that the community will take advantage of these offerings and enjoy a small token of Garden’s gratitude for the support we felt while navigating such a complicated and difficult time for our school.
Free Fall Community Programs
Sunday, October 16th
Saturday October 29th
Saturday November 5th
Thursday November 10th
Thursday November 10th:
For more information contact info@gardenschool.org!
- Facilitated by Flance Dervishi, Garden School’s Athletic Director, Varsity Men’s Basketball Coach, and former pro player for Peristeri BC Greece. Assistant Coaches include several Varsity ISAL players from Garden School
- For children in grades 4-6
- Overview: Interested in sharpening skills or getting more comfortable on the court. Come hang with the Varsity Coach and AD at Garden School and some of his best players for a few hours of fun and skill building to learn about sportsmanship and teamwork, and make some new friends.
Details: This is held on Sunday, October 16th in the Gym inside the new Mitchell Slater ’79 Fitness & Wellness Center at Garden. Sign in begins at 10:45am and the clinic runs from 11am – 1pm.
- Join us for a community Halloween Party hosted by the Garden School’s Key Club. Come enjoy music and snacks while students in Garden’s service focused Key Club are running outdoor table games, face painting stations, and pumpkin decorating. (Free Admission for Jackson Heights Residents)
Date: October 29th from 12-3, come anytime!
- Facilitated by Carl Holder, Garden School’s Theater & Performing Arts teacher and co-facilitated by his High School Improv Troupe.
- Session I is for children in grades 1 – 3
- Session II is for children in grade 6 – 8
- Overview: Improv workshops offer an opportunity for engaging and challenging classes where students learn new improv skills, and then take ownership of these new skills while building confidence, developing strong relationships with peers, and having a great time in the process. Improv groups are framed by creating grounded, yet playful scenes where students can explore and take some theatrical risks!
Details: This is held on Saturday, November 5th on Garden’s main stage. Session I runs from 11-12 and Session II runs from 12:15 – 1:15.
- Facilitated by Paula James, Dean of Primary Grades and 2nd Teacher
- For parents and teachers of early childhood and emerging readers.
- Overview: Exposure to language through read-alouds is a key way parents and families support the budding literacy of young children. Attend this session to learn ways to maximize development of vocabulary, oral language, and linguistic structures along with questioning techniques that promote strong reading readiness and teach young children to explore text in meaningful ways.
Details: This is an in-person session on Thursday, November 10th at 6pm in the Henry Roberts Library at Garden School.
- Facilitated by Brad Battaglia, Director of College Counseling and UD Director
- For parents of students in grade 7 and up
- Overview: Navigating the college process can be complex, and parents can use all the help and guidance they can get. Attend this session to learn about how parents and families should approach this process. From timelines, to SATs, to FAFSA, and more, Brad will help demystify and set you on a clear path.
Details: This is an in-person session on Thursday, November 10th at 6pm in the Michael Ricatto ‘74 Science Lab.