Vallone Coasts Through School

City Councilmember Peter F. Vallone Jr. (l.) and a Coastal Classroom instructor dredge the shore of the East River in search of marine wildlife. Inset: Vallone shows several students at P.S. 234 some of the marine wildlife found in the East River.

City Councilmember Peter F. Vallone Jr. joined 34 students from P.S. 234, Astoria on the shore of the East River last Thursday morning, May 31, wading into the water and discovering the diverse ecosystem that lives there. The event was part of the Coastal Classroom program, a free workshop funded by Vallone and run by the City Parks Foundation along the city waterfront that focuses on river ecology, water quality, urban waterfront restoration and preservation.

Vallone met the students and teachers at a small beach in Hallets Cove, between Astoria Houses and Socrates Sculpture Park. After some brief instructions, Vallone donned a pair of waders and walked into the river with a net, used it to dredge the bottom of the beach, and examined the contents when he reached the shore. Discovering many different kinds of marine life- including a baby flounder bigger than any the instructor had ever seen- he picked up several specimens and showed them to the students.

"This class imparts a love of nature that could lead these students to find a passion for any number of scientific or environmental pursuits. That's very difficult to duplicate in a classroom," Vallone said. "The memories from this class could last a lifetime. Most likely, these students won't feel the same way about their next math class."

P.S. 234, located at 30-15 29th St., Astoria, enrolls 697 students in classes from pre-kindergarten through grade five. Special education classes are held in the school as well. This year, all the children attending P.S. 234 receive art, music and technology programs in addition to their regular classroom instruction.

"Children come to school with a natural curiosity to explore and a desire to learn," the P.S. 234 mission statement declares. "Nurturing this desire and guiding it to flourish in the garden of learning can only be accomplished when the teacher nourishes that desire with experiences from all domains of learning." The Coastal Classroom fieldwork demonstrates the school's commitment to "experiences from all domains of learning" by having students explore the natural world as their classroom.

Vallone helped provide money from the City Council budget to support the City Parks Foundation, which runs the Coastal Classroom program at five different locations around the city. Coastal Classroom provides young people and community members of all ages with opportunities to experience the Long Island Sound watershed, which includes the East River, and to explore the history and future preservation challenges for water resources. To register for a class or for more information, call 212-360-2746.

"I always wanted to be a marine biologist, and this class let me see what it would be like," Vallone said. "I encourage children and their parents both to try out this wonderful program.

think I was having more fun than the kids."