A Bilingual Education
that values American
Sign Language.

Public School 347
The American Sign Language & English Lower School

P.S. 347, The American Sign Language & English Lower School, is a PreK-to-8 public school in NYC serving d/Deaf, hard-of-hearing (DHOH), CODA (children of deaf adults), and hearing students.
We are a non-zoned mainstream school centrally located in Manhattan.

Our families come from all over NYC to be a part of this special place - a place where hearing differences are the norm, and everyone feels like they truly belong. We are on a quest to become the most inclusive school for the Deaf community, and strive to create a new generation of hearing allies and advocates.

The PS347 mission is to provide a bilingual education that values American Sign Language and Deaf culture and to help bridge the Deaf and hearing communities in New York City.

“The students who come here feel like this is their home.
This is where people understand me. This is where I belong.”

— Principal Pam Pritzker-Ridley

We teach a rigorous, standards-aligned curriculum and offer the least restrictive environment for D/HOH in the New York City Department of Education (DOE). Our expectations are high and our class sizes are small. There are two teachers per room following an Integrated Co-Teaching (ICT) model. We pride ourselves on differentiated learning strategies to develop students' academics through individualized and small group instruction.

Our staff, administration, and community are dedicated to and care deeply about our students. We are committed to inspiring and encouraging curiosity, empathy, and social awareness by developing higher-level thinking skills and exploring real-world issues. Our small school fosters independent thinking and good citizenship.

Admissions priority is given to deaf and hard-of-hearing children and those with deaf relatives. This includes siblings of D/HOH children (SODAs), children of deaf adults (CODAs), grandchildren of deaf adults (GODAs), as well as other family members. There is DOE bus service from all five boroughs.

NOW HIRING! ASL TEACHER!

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NOW HIRING! ASL TEACHER! !!!!

P.S. 347 is the perfect option for families who want their child to learn American Sign Language as
a second language. We use a bilingual approach that incorporates both English and ASL. This makes communication fully accessible for all. The DOE provides interpreters for students and families whenever needed.

BILINGUAL
ASL & ENGLISH

American Sign Language is its own complete visual language. It is not a derivative of English and follows its own rules and grammar. It is the third-most commonly used language in the United States after English and Spanish and the third-most studied foreign language among college students. ASL is the backbone of American Deaf Culture, which brings with it a long and rich history of storytelling, poetry, theater, and visual arts.

THE ARTS

We believe in weaving the arts into the fabric of each and every school day. P.S. 347 has a visual arts teacher and hosts various residencies, including the Children’s Museum of the Arts, Dancing Classrooms, and IRT Theater.

Our students are also exposed to the magic of theatre by attending plays throughout the year at venues including the Tribeca Performing Arts Center and the New Victory Theater in Times Square.

P.S. 347 has a dedicated visual arts teacher who teaches art techniques and art history with students in the P.S. 347 art studio.

GARDEN & PLAYGROUND

Although we are located in the middle of Manhattan, we are fortunate to have a beautiful courtyard garden, greenhouse, and playground, which are at the center of our school—and in the hearts of our students. These spaces provide an important outlet for city kids to access fresh air, outdoor exercise and socializing, and time with nature.

The greenhouse, trees and planting beds for vegetables and flowers also allow us to offer our students experiential STEM-based learning. Many classes work on garden projects during science and recess periods, as well as after school. We have also secured a DOE grant to host a spring City Growers garden residency whose mission is to “utilize the wonders of nature to teach kids where their food comes from, why it matters, and how they can change the world.”

BROADWAY BOOKS FIRST CLASS

This special program, founded by our kindergarten teacher Dr. Gary Wellbrock, invites members of the Broadway Community into P.S. 347 classrooms to read children’s books and share stories about life in the theatre. The visits promote literacy and arts appreciation. We’ve hosted dozens of guests over the years, from Nathan Lane to Stockard Channing to Julianne Moore.