Mary G. Clarkson School

1415 East Third Avenue, Bay Shore, NY 11706

631-968-1205

Principal: Ms. Erin Lentini

Assistant Principal: Ms. Kayleigh Navarra

Grade Levels: K-2

School Hours: 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

Total Enrollment: 450

Average Class Size: 24

PFA Presidents: Danielle Castagna and Jaime DeKenipp

School Motto: I Think I Can, I Know I Can, Together We Can!

School Mission Statement: We, the parents and staff of Mary G. Clarkson School, believe that every child has the potential to be a responsible, caring, cooperative individual.  Our goal is to enable children to develop physically, emotionally, socially and academically so that they will become confident, mature, involved citizens.

Special Recognition and Honors:

Suffolk County Reading Council Honor School for Language Arts Program for 22 years

Islip Town Youth Achievement Winners

Social Studies Teacher of the Year

Nationally-recognized Teacher of Whole Language

Teacher of Excellence recognized by the Association for Childhood Education International

Foster Grandparent Program

Bay Shore TAWL (Teachers Applying Whole Language) established by a Mary G. Clarkson School teacher

Literacy Collaborative school

Actively involved Parent Faculty Association (PFA)

Parent-painted murals highlighting literature, music and nature

School Background: Mary G. Clarkson School was built in 1963 and named to honor Mrs. Mary Griffith Clarkson, an active resident of Bay Shore and distinguished member of the Board of Education.

School Staff: In addition to the 39 professional teachers, additional support personnel make our school a safe haven for children: special area teachers, paraprofessionals, custodians, cafeteria staff, secretaries, school nurse, social worker, speech teacher, resource room teacher, occupational and physical therapists, and a school psychologist.

Code of Conduct: A Board of Education-approved Code of Conduct outlines rights and responsibilities of students, staff and parents.

Curriculum: At Mary G. Clarkson School, we are proud to provide a nurturing, inclusive, and enriching learning environment for students in Kindergarten through Grade 2. Guided by our team of highly qualified early childhood educators, our students build a strong foundation in literacy, language development, hands-on mathematics, science, and social studies.

We celebrate and foster a lifelong love of reading. Through evidence-based programs such as Literacy Collaborative, Heggerty, and Orton-Gillingham—and by modeling the joy of reading quality literature—our teachers and families work together to support each child’s literacy journey.

We also nurture a love and curiosity for mathematics through the i-Ready Math program, which offers hands-on opportunities, student-centered discourse, and personalized learning pathways. This approach builds both skill mastery and a positive mathematical mindset in our young learners.

Character development is an essential part of our school culture. Our Bucket Filler Program and daily schoolwide character pledge promote kindness, responsibility, respect, and empathy. These daily practices lay the foundation for responsible citizenship and introduce students to the values embedded in our school’s Code of Conduct.

To support the development of the whole child, our teachers thoughtfully enrich academic instruction with engaging experiences in art and music. Additionally, our physical education staff provides a program that encourages physical well-being, teamwork, and motor development—while reinforcing concepts from the classroom.

At Mary G. Clarkson, we believe in educating the whole child—academically, socially, emotionally, and physically—in a joyful, safe, and supportive environment where every child can thrive.

Special Needs: Remedial and support services are available, including self-contained and class-within-a-class inclusion placements, reading, speech, counseling, occupational therapy, physical therapy and English as a New Language.

Testing: Within the district, literacy growth is assessed using Literacy Benchmarking and the Acadience assessment. Mathematics progress is measured through the i-Ready assessment platform.

Student Promotion: Scholars successfully completing the curriculum attend grade 3 at South Country or Gardiner Manor Schools.

Extra-Curricular Programs and Club: A variety of activities are available to 1st and 2nd graders after school.  In addition, we offer before and after school support and enrichment programs.

Computers and Technology: Classrooms in Grades K–2 are equipped with Smartboards and a Chromebook cart, ensuring that every student has access to their own device during the school day. In addition, all students visit our computer lab once a week, where they continue to build digital literacy skills using Chromebooks. 

Students also participate in a weekly STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) class. In STEAM, students engage in hands-on problem-solving activities, explore the basics of coding, collaborate on creative projects, and develop critical thinking skills in a fun, inquiry-based environment. 

Parent and Community Involvement: Our Parent Faculty Association (PFA) is an active partner in the learning process and provides support through in-house cultural arts enrichment programs, after-school activities, book fairs, District Goals Team, parent newsletters and special trips.  Teachers often seek parental help with classroom special events.

Special Events:

Ice Cream Social
Pumpkin Picking
Character Parade
Book Fairs
Fire Safety
Winter Wonderland
Sweetheart Dance
Sports Night
Author Visits
Interdisciplinary Art Show and STEAM Makers Fair
Field Day
Memorial Day Parade
June Fest

Visitors: If you’d like to  visit Mary G. Clarkson School, please call the main office to schedule an appointment.