Music can be heard ringing out in wonderful chorus across the halls at Upper West Side School as academics celebrate arts through music. All thanks to principal, Katie Banucci-Smith who long considered this as her dream job, arts never gets old in this upper west side of America.

"It feels very much like we're a community school that's meant for kids that really love music ... where kids have a warm, nurturing academic community", principal Banucci stated in DNA Info.

Music has since taken the spotlight in the school. Hence, there isn't any other school that smoothly merges arts and academics like the Upper West Side does.

It is nevertheless worthy to note that test score levels in the school earlier in September this year rose from 43-51 in Math averages alone. The dramatic test level rate among young students in the Upper West Side Schools had other schools citywide challenged to the tee.

All of these achievements in the school have been credited to its K-8 program. Very much likely, other schools who have subscribed to the same K-8 program system have yielded the same results.

Apparently, the middle-school students who attended schools from West 59th Street up to West 122nd Street have improved test results. Without overstating it, these schools herein have the same K-8 program system, NYC Department of Education implicated.

Many have noticed the diversity in the Upper West Side schools' environments. Besides the music ringing across their halls, the classrooms in the school can be seen to be built in diverse settings. There are classrooms with parents in the field, while there are rows without parents in it.

Math, Science and the rest of the academics should not contradict with music or the arts, if it is the kids' welfare we are talking about. This is certainly what the Upper West Side School is trying to show through its K-8 program and arts celebrations.

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Tags Arts, Music, Academics, Academics news, Academic news, School, Schools, Kids