Riverdale Country School

PS/MS 279

With the encouragement of the NYC Mayor’s Fund, Riverdale Country School has developed a partnership with PS/MS 279, a K-8 public school in the Bronx.  Over time, the schools have met to strategize how to best implement their partnership.  Out of these meetings with the administrators and the student government, two initial programs have been instituted. 

• Field Day-With the help of PS/MS 279’s championship-winning Flag Football and Rugby teams and Riverdale’s Baseball and Basketball teams, Field Day is intended to let students from both schools teach and learn from one another in a fun and interactive manner.
• Joint Middle School Student Government Meetings- The student governments from Riverdale and PS/MS 279 meet regularly to discuss ways they can help each other.  They visit and tour each other’s school, learn about how their student governments function and plan activities for the schools to do together. 

As a result of this initiative, Riverdale students have been given the opportunity to work closely with and learn about students from PS/MS 279.  With students coming from very different backgrounds (nearly 100% of PS/MS 279 students are on free or reduced lunch), the primary goal of this partnership is to extend the bonds of friendship and community between both schools while also providing both academic and enrichment activities for all students.