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2008: Public Elementary School Teacher of the Year

A Community Approach to Kindergarten
Julie Stone puts the focus on learning about the world's connections

Every Friday, the students of Julie Stone’s kindergarten class wear red. It was a tradition that she and an assistant created 12 years ago when she first started teaching at P.S. 166. Stone’s favorite color is red, and she and the assistant picked specific days to show off their colors—a ritual that the 6-year-olds happily keep up today.

Fridays in red is just one of the many ways Stone fosters community within her classroom. She also encourages children to share at “morning meetings,” daily get-togethers where kindergarteners go over the events of the day and tell stories.

The class is also a part of Reading Buddies, a program that pairs kindergarteners with “Big Buddies” from the 5th grade.

“The 5th graders taught the kindergarteners how to tie shoes and they wrote about it,” Stone said. “They really look forward to coming and helping the younger kids.”

Stone, who used to teach 2nd grade, not only creates a close-knit community within her classroom but also uses the neighborhood around P.S. 166 to teach her kindergarteners. The class has visited the American Museum of Natural History and the Central Park Zoo, as well as local fire and police stations, all of which are within walking distance of P.S. 166.

“She takes a lot of field trips around the community so they learn inside and outside the classroom,” said Kelly Plater, another kindergarten teacher.

A year-long project that Stone’s kindergarten class has participated in is creating a community garden on the Upper West Side.

“We go and plant things in the fall. Now that it’s spring, we go harvest and taste things,” Stone said. “There’s a great bond between how we care for each other and the neighborhood.”

She also took her class to the local library to apply for library cards so they could borrow books during the summer.

Both students and parents are fans of Stone’s hands-on approach to teaching.

“My son and I were reading a poem a few days ago. He misread a word and I corrected him and he responded, ‘I’m taking poetic license.’ He takes the concepts he learned in the classroom and uses them at home, which is great,” said Meridith Jamin whose son, Jackson, is a student in Stone’s class.

Stone, a graduate of Skidmore College and New York University, always knew she wanted to teach.
“I liked school. I used to pretend I was teaching when I was little, but when I got to college, I thought it was too narrow. I took business classes, but I always enjoyed the teaching ones more. So when I came out, I went straight to grad school for elementary education,” she said.

Now she is spreading that love of learning to her students, something parents appreciate.

“All the children feel challenged to beat their personal academic best,” Jamin said.

Children love her as well. When asked what makes class great, one girl said nothing, but pointed to a sign that said “Miss Stone.”

— Patty Lee