Principal's Welcome

My name is Zeynep Ozkan and I am honored to be the Principal of IS289 Hudson River Middle School.​

IS289 is a dynamic learning community, thoughtfully organized to support its diverse student body in meeting high standards. Our school couples high standards with high levels of support, creating a bridge between challenging curriculum goals and students’ unique talents, needs and learning styles. We believe that sustained effort can yield achievement for all. IS 289 seeks to develop student problem solving skills and cultivates the habits of mind that leads students to thoughtfully applying these skills in a variety of situations, both in school and in their larger world.

We want our students to take on activist roles within their communities, to identify issues and to explore solutions to real world problems. We create opportunities for our students to develop, test, revise, and refine their thinking and then communicate their understandings to a larger audience. We believe that interaction with others helps to deepen our understanding and knowledge. Visitors to our schools will frequently observe students working in small groups or partnerships.

We are proud of our diversity and strength and believe we offer a unique middle school opportunity for our students.