Sunnyside Community Service, INC@ Ps 343

I am writing this review to express my profound disappointment and frustration with the summer school program at the Walter McCaffery School PS 343. What a sham this program has turned out to be. One of the most significant issues is the extreme disorganization, largely due to the staff being comprised of individuals from various other schools. This leads to constant finger-pointing and redirection when seeking answers, making it nearly impossible to resolve even simple issues. To make matters worse, the school's direct phone line for the summer program is non-functional, rerouting calls to a non-working line, which creates significant communication barriers. I experienced this personally when trying to pick up my child early, facing unnecessary hurdles due to the lack of a reliable contact. The professionalism and character of the staff are deeply concerning. The two school safety officers I encountered were particularly unhelpful and unprofessional, adding to the program's challenges. I've heard multiple troubling accounts from other parents that corroborate my own negative experience: One parent recounted a distressing incident where their child was lost, leading to a frantic search. Another parent shared their ongoing frustration with an incorrectly printed name badge for their child, despite repeatedly trying to rectify the issue with various staff members, only to be redirected each time. Two close friends, parents of children with disabilities, reported that this program is completely unequipped to handle their children's needs, citing concerns about teacher-to-child ratios, lack of necessary services, inadequate staffing, and insufficient equipment. Perhaps most disturbingly, my own child, after only two weeks in the program, began using inappropriate vocabulary, which they explicitly stated came from staff members. It's truly a shame to see a location named after Walter McCaffery, a respected figure in the Sunnyside community, associated with such a poorly managed and disheartening program. The individuals running this program appear to be poor educators and exhibit terrible character overall. This program is a disservice to the children and the community it purports to serve.