PS 133 William A. Butler School

and where we are going:

Located on a new facility on 610 Baltic Street, Brooklyn our school has a history of being a little and little-known school with a tremendous heart, committed and engaged parents, dedicated teachers, administration, and staff, and hard-working students who each bring their own talents and perspectives to the learning environment. At PS 133, we recognize that school is the most constant environment for children outside of their homes, and so we continually strive to build bridges between the home and school to cultivate continuity for students and their families. They are people, students, citizens, individuals, and members of families, including the PS 133 family. William Allen Butler was a noted lawyer, satirist and poet, leading authority on American admiralty, skillful organizer of important business enterprises, and active supporter of public education. He was born in Albany, New York on February 20th, 1825 and died at home in Yonkers on September 9, 1902. He was an extremely active patron of the University of the City of New York where he served on the council, and for many years taught a course on admiralty law at the law school. He had the reputation of a very successful lawyer and contributed to a number of key cases and important rules of US maritime law. Butler served as president of the American Bar Association and the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, and he sat on the board of trustees of the New York Public Library. He was particularly aware of the needs of society and educational matters. A New York Times article described Mr. Butler as "a man of quiet tastes and domestic habits, but with a mind keenly alive to all questions of the hour which affect humanity and progress". His father, Benjamin Franklin Butler, was one of the revisers of the statutes of New York and served as US Attorney General for the Jackson and Van Buren Administrations. Berry, Earl D. (1897). William Allen Butler. New York Times Magazine, November 28, 1897, p. IWM2. 28 Nov. MISSION
PS 133 is a community school that sets the foundation for students and staff to be life-long learners. We educate the social-emotional and academic needs of every child in order to establish a strong foundation for life. We encourage our students to be prideful about themselves and where they come from, their capabilities and their potential. We commit ourselves to partner with parents in the educational process of our children through communication that is open, honest and respectful. Our staff works collaboratively in small teams in order to develop their ideas and take ownership over projects that have a school-wide impact. We aim to reflect on our practice and the school environment constantly while maintaining standards and high expectations for teaching and learning. We support each other as individuals and team members who take risks, and push ourselves to be great. VISION
We envision PS 133 students to be future leaders who are great communicators, critical thinkers, and responsible citizens who have respect for themselves and the world around. Our students will comprehend ideas of charity and value public service; they will have self-confidence that will allow them to take risks, and see themselves as people who can make a difference in the world. We envision a community where our families are completely invested in the collaborative process of educating children, and feel empowered to voice their opinions because their ideas will be heard at our school. We envision a school staff that brings passion and rigor to the classroom everyday with the understanding that each child’s success is their legacy.