Michael J. Petrides School

The Michael J. Petrides School is a public school located at 715 Ocean Terrace in Staten Island, New York, United States. It was created by Board of Education officials and named for their late colleague and College of Staten Island professor, Michael J. Petrides. The school opened on November 13, 1995, on the former campus of the College of Staten Island. Students apply to attend the school through a lottery system.

Eighth graders going into high school receive automatic admission if Petrides is the first choice on their application. The current principal is Anthony Tabbitas. Petrides educates students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, or senior year in high school. It has an assistant principal for each grade category (elementary, middle and high schools).

The school, like many other New York City public schools, also has paraprofessionals, speech therapists, occupational and physical therapists, deans, school aides, and a widely used bus transportation system.

Admissions

Students join the school through a lottery system for grades K-8. For kindergarten, there are usually more than 800 applications for just 75 to 90 spots, with 15 of these saved for siblings of students already attending. Any open spots in the higher grades are also filled by lottery. When students reach ninth grade, classes become larger and an extra class is added. Thousands of students apply for around 40 to 55 new spots each year, which are filled using the city's "educational option" plan to create a balanced mix of students with different academic levels.

Controversy

In the past, there were some problems with how students were allowed to join the school. Some people thought the way students were chosen was not fair.

In November 2017, a student shared a picture on social media that showed a gun in a bathroom at the school. The school had to close while police looked into it, and after that, they added more safety rules to keep everyone safer.

From January to March 2018, there were reports of serious incidents that happened at the school. The school took steps to address these issues and improve safety for students.

Extracurricular activities, clubs, and athletics

Students at the Michael J. Petrides School have many fun activities to join. They can travel to places like Italy, Hungary, Austria, Vermont, Michigan, and Hawaii. The school also supports trips to help communities through Habitat for Humanity. Students can also help younger children by working as classroom mentors.

The school offers many clubs and sports, such as National Honor Society, SING!, Student Government, Council For Unity, and many others including Cheerleading, Chess Club, Habitat for Humanity, Spoken word, Yearbook, Wrestling, Lacrosse, Tennis, Handball, Fencing, Football, Soccer, Softball, Volleyball, Baseball, Swimming, Basketball, Bowling, and Golf.

PSAL Championships

The Michael J. Petrides School has teams that have won important school competitions. The Fencing Team won in 2023 and 2024. The Football Team won in 2019, and the Baseball Team won in 2017. The Boys' Wrestling Team had wins from 2008 to 2011. The Girls' Bowling Team won in 2008, and the Boys' Golf Team won in 2009.

Notable alumni

The Michael J. Petrides School has had some famous people who went there. One is Tristan Wilds, who is an actor. Another is Christine Evangelista, also an actress, known for her role in The Walking Dead.