At John Walton Spencer School #16 we focus on educating the whole child by promoting academic excellence, positive character development and strong social-emotional skills. 

We hold high expectations for all students and recognize multiculturalism as a major strength. 

Our philosophy of education is that a principal and staff should love children and believe that all children can learn.

In order for this to occur we know that we must provide a safe and secure environment that is conducive to learning. We also believe that when your child enters School No.16, he or she becomes the responsibility of the principal as well as every staff member in the building; therefore, we must be able to meet the student’s needs by reaching them where they are and raising their standards by teaching appropriate skills necessary to be successful! A self-check we often use is this question. "If I had a child of my own, would I want him or her to be in my school?" If the answer is "no" for any reason, we must be doing something wrong! 

"Academic Excellence: Every Minute Counts!" is the theme we have chosen for our school.

We believe the theme speaks for itself. We, as educators, must take advantage of every opportunity to make sure your child is successful. Our goal is that every student taking the New York State Exam will exceed state standards. We cannot afford to waste a minute when it comes to educating the children.