The Michael J. Petrides School is a public school located at 715 Ocean Terrace in Staten Island, New York. It was created by Board of Education officials and named for their late colleague and College of Staten Island professor, Michael J. Petrides (1941–1994). 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. 8th graders going into high school, receive auto-admission if Petrides is the first choice on their application. The current principal is Joanne Buckheit. 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 school, high school). They are: Jennifer Ponzi - Elementary School (Grades pre-K - 5) BettyAnn Souffrin - Middle School (Grades 6-8) Anthony Tabbitas - High School (Grades 9-12) The Petrides 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. Overview Set on what was once was the College of Staten Island campus, P.S. 80 serves students from kindergarten through high-school. The school opened in 1995, had its first graduating class in 2001. Its first group to complete all 13 years of schooling graduated in 2008. The school enrolls about 90-100 pupils per grade from kindergarten through middle school and about 125 per grade in high school. Close to 1,000 students apply for about 75-90 kindergarten seats, and the school receives more than 1,200 applications for the 40 to 50 seats that open in 9th grade. Teachers work at every academic level, from the youngest grades through high school, and the "seamless" curriculum promises a smooth progression from year to year, with ample opportunity for arts, music, Advanced Placement classes, and electives. Students in grades 6 through 12 are assigned personal laptops, and can take advantage of the school’s technology resources. The school features hallways named with street signs for famous artists, architects, and inventors. High-school students have the opportunity to travel overseas. Destinations have included Italy, Hungary, and Austria. Vermont, Michigan, and Hawaii were also destinations. Fundraisers are also held to help finance the high school's annual trip Habitat for Humanity. In addition, high school students can work with younger students in the elementary school, as classroom student mentors. Special education "All classes