Academic Intervention

Response to Intervention (RTI) provides academic intervention support to students at a necessary level of support that works best for them. RTI is a three-tiered model. At each step, more support is offered to students who need it. Please see the three tier model below for more information on the varying levels of student support:

• Tier 1: For all students. This is high-quality, differentiated instruction provided in a general education classroom.

• Tier 2: May include small group instruction or additional instructional time.

• Tier 3: More intensive instruction that may include materials or programs to target your child's needs.

Our academic intervention teachers are:

• Jessica Caldwell, Special Education Intervention Teacher, JCaldwell5@schools.nyc.gov

• Vincenzo Lo Cricchio, iRead Master Teacher, VLocricchio@schools.nyc.gov

Dual Language

The overall goal of our Dual Language program is for all students to be bilingual, bi-literate, and bi-cultural. By the end of 5th grade, students will be able to​ use 2 languages comfortably and effectively in social situations appropriate for their age level​. Students will learn to communicate effectively through reading and writing in 2 languages at a level appropriate for their age​.

The first Spanish Dual Language class began in 2018 with one Pre- K class, as the students moved up, the class has been growing with them. Today, P.S. 124’s Spanish Dual Program has classes starting in Pre-K until Grade 4. At P.S. 124 students learn both languages in an immersion environment. Our program follows a biweekly schedule: during week one, all instruction is conducted in English, and during week two, instruction in Reading, Writing, and foundational skills is conducted in Spanish.

Social Emotional Learning (SEL)

• Morningside Curriculum: Morningside Center works hand in hand with educators to build students' social and emotional skills, strengthen the classroom and school community, and make our schools more caring and equitable through restorative practices and brave conversations on race.

• SEL Days: Monthly full-day sessions comprised of activities oriented around a theme (i.e., kindness, anti-bullying, gratitude, etc.) that are guided counseling and other staff. While students are engaged in scheduled activities, teachers complete required professional development trainings and activities.

Special Education Services 

• Intensive Reading Education and Development (I READ): The I READ Early Literacy Program is a special education program that serves certain students in grades K-3 with reading-based disabilities (e.g., dyslexia) who have Individualized Education Programs (IEPs). The program is designed to address the needs of these students by incorporating targeted literacy intervention into the classroom. 

• Integrated Co-Teaching (ICT): Classrooms with Integrated Co-Teaching (ICT) services include students with IEPs and students without IEPs. No more than 12 (or 40 percent) of the students in the class can have IEPs. There are two teachers—a general education teacher and a special education teacher. The teachers work together to adapt materials and modify instruction to make sure the entire class can participate. PS 124 currently has an ICT classroom on every grade level in Kindergarten to 5th grade.

• Special Class: Special Class (SC) services are provided in a self-contained classroom. All of the children in the class have IEPs with needs that cannot be met in a general education classroom. They are taught by special education teachers who provide specialized instruction. In elementary and middle school, special classes have up to 12 students. The students in the class are within a three-year age range and have similar educational needs. PS 124 currently has a Kindergarten-1st grade bridge special class, and 2nd-4th grade bridge special class, and a 5th grade bridge special class. 

• Special Education Teacher Support Services (SETSS): This service provides specially designed and/or supplemental instruction to support the participation of the student with a disability in the general education classroom.​ These services are designed to be flexible, helping students to remain in the general education classroom and use the combined expertise of both the general and special education teacher. They may be provided within the general education classroom or in a separate location. 

• Therapy Services:

• Occupational Therapy: Occupational therapy is designed to maintain, improve, or restore function of students in all education-related activities, including neuro-musculoskeletal function; motor function including fine motor, oral motor, and visual motor integration; sensory and perceptual function; cognitive, and psychosocial function. Activities emphasize independence in daily living skills and school participation in various settings including classroom, bathroom, cafeteria, and playground. Our school occupational therapist is Maddox Meneses, MMeneses4@schools.nyc.gov.

• Physical Therapy: Physical therapy emphasizes physical function of gross motor skills and independence in different settings. Physical therapists increase a student’s ability to participate in various school functions by remediating or compensating for musculoskeletal, neuromuscular, or cardiopulmonary impairments. Physical therapists employ various techniques including addressing deficits in body structure and function, suggesting adaptations to physical tasks, recommending assistive devices, and adapting the environment. Our school physical therapist is Jenny Chan, jchan@schools.nyc.gov.

• Speech & Language Therapy: Speech therapy helps students develop listening and speaking skills. It helps students learn and build the necessary skills needed to effectively express their thoughts and understand what other people are saying to them. It can also improve skills such as memory, processing, expressive and receptive language and ability to solve problems. Speech and language therapy may address auditory processing (understanding and using the sounds of language), phonological skills (organizing speech sounds), comprehension (understanding language), articulation (forming clear sounds in speech) and social language skills. Our full-time, monolingual, school speech therapist is Tara Scoza, TScoza2@schools.nyc.gov and our part-time, Spanish bilingual, school speech therapist is Dolly Gutierrez, DGutierrez13@schools.nyc.gov.