PS 200 James McCune Smith Home

principal belton smiling in a red blazer jacket and pearls

Principal's Message

Greetings and welcome to The James McCune Smith School also known as CS 200, the home of the Panthers! I am Principal Belton and I am thrilled that you have decided to view our school’s website in order to learn more about our wonderful students, staff, and programs we have to offer. Our commitment at CS 200 is to provide a safe and intellectually challenging environment that will empower students to become innovative thinkers, creative problem solvers and inspired learners prepared to thrive in the twenty-first century. We continue to meet our challenges with great enthusiasm and anticipation of new opportunities that will enhance our instructional program and school community as a whole. As you visit our website, you will notice that all of our teachers have created and maintain a webpage to keep parents informed of news relevant to their classrooms. We are committed to providing innovative lessons to our students, a variety of extra curricula activities and the incorporation technology in order to meet the needs of the 21st century learner. Our school community is dedicated to providing our students with a well-rounded educational experience. While the core curriculum is provided for all students, we believe that it is critical to provide leadership opportunities, character education, and exposure to the technologies in order to prepare students for college and careers. We encourage you to visit our wonderful school and see that we are a school committed to children and their families. You will find that this is a nurturing and engaging community of teachers and learners. To our parents, we believe that your involvement is an essential component to the academic success of your child. I encourage you to visit our website often, meet your child’s teacher, and to get engaged in all that CS 200 has to offer. Your participation in our school is needed and greatly appreciated! I look forward to partnering with you on behalf of our future leaders as we are… “CS 200 Where the Search for Knowledge begins and Never Ends.”

yellow pencil on a white background with the words return to school plan

Chancellor's Family Letter

All teachers and staff will also be returning to in-person instruction this fall. We are very grateful for the dedication of all our principals, teachers and school staff and recognize the hard work they have done during this challenging year, and we’re excited for your children to re-connect with their beloved teachers and school staff, in addition to their peers, this fall

Summer Rising Grades K–8

Summer Rising is New York City’s free summer program for any City student in grades K–8, including students with disabilities, who wants to participate. We are planning the City's most exciting summer ever! For the first time, we will fully integrate the strengths of DOE academics with the Department of Youth & Community Development’s (DYCD) school-based enrichment programming. Students in grades K–8 will get outside, learn, and engage with peers and caring adults in safe, supervised, and enriching ways. All K–8 students participating in programs will have access to academic classes and enrichment programming, including field trips, arts activities and outdoor recreation. Students will engage in daily community building and social emotional learning activities. Summer Rising will address academic and social emotional needs of our youth through tailored support. These programs will provide a bridge to next school year and allow students to reconnect with one another and with their schools. They will address unfinished learning while providing avenues for recreation, exploration, and fun. Follow these 3 steps to participate in Summer Rising!

Gifted and Talented Information- Apply By April 9th, 2021

Happening Now: Apply to Gifted and Talented! The application for kindergarten Gifted & Talented (G&T) programs is now open, and the deadline to apply is April 9, 2021. Interested families can apply one of three ways: Online at MySchools.nyc(Open external link) Through a Family Welcome Center By phone at 718-935-2009 For children entering G&T programs in fall 2021, offers will be made differently this year. We will not be administering a G&T test; instead, families and educators will help identify students for accelerated learning. Sign up for our Gifted & Talented email list: we'll send you updates and reminders throughout the admissions process. Who Can Apply? All families with children born in 2016 who live in New York City—including those who have temporarily relocated due to the COVID-19 pandemic—can apply now to enter G&T programs in fall 2021. We encourage all NYC families with children of this age to apply, including current pre-K public district or charter school students, private or parochial school students, and children who are new to NYC schools. All G&T programs are expected to welcome and support all students including children with accessibility needs, children with disabilities, children who speak a language other than English, and children in temporary housing. All families, regardless of immigration status, are welcome and encouraged to apply!

Don't Miss The 3K/PreK Virtual Fair Kickoff Event! 3/22 to 3/26

This is a great opportunity for new families to the District as well as families who may have children moving up into PreK to learn about schools in D5 as well as ask questions!

Pre K Talented and Gifted Information Session

Parents and Caregivers of CURRENT PreK children and/or those born in 2016. It will be a townhall Gifted and Talented information session presented to families in collaboration with CEC5. It is taking place on Tuesday, March 23rd at 10:00am. Zoom link information is provided below and flyers attached. I would sincerely appreciate it if you could send the flyers and links out to your PreK families and encourage them to attend. I think it would also be great, if possible, for Parent Coordinators to attend.

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