West Islip Home to New Schooling Option

The West Islip School District wasn’t the only educational institution opening doors on Monday as West Islip is now home to a brandnew not-for-profit school called The Bridges Academy.

According to information provided on the school’s website, the school is a grassroots effort led by educators and parents following the closure in June of St. Peter’s Day School in Bay Shore. The school, governed by a board, is located at 339 Snedecor Avenue, West Islip.

The fully-independent federally approved school, which offers classes from preschool through eighth grade, is described by its founders a “world class program” that includes Mandarin and French language, robotics, theater and advanced reading skills.

”Bridges provides an academically accelerated curriculum in a nurturing environment with a teaching staff dedicated to preparing students for life in an interdependent world,” states the school’s web site.

The school’s state of the art robotics lab will be the centerpiece of a STEM initiative to prepare students for the future demand for science and engineering skills, according to leaders.