Staten Island School Unveils New Spaces for Students & Teachers

A Staten Island elementary school is proving that when you build with vision, amazing things happen in just two years.

The Waverly Academy of Empowered Learners, also known as PS 84, recently held its second annual "84 Day Celebration" in Stapleton. The day-long event featured student performances and the grand unveiling of new specialty rooms designed to transform learning.

Founding Principal Kamor Olayokun watched the school building rise from the ground in 2022, walking past the construction site daily with big dreams. He imagined a place where students would become teachers and teachers would become students, where everyone felt empowered to learn and grow.

That vision became reality Friday as students took the stage for drumming and hip-hop dance performances. The energy reflected what District 31 Superintendent Dr. Roderick Palton called a culture of love, where adults pour everything into helping kids succeed.

The celebration included tours of several new specialty spaces. Students now have access to dedicated art and STEM rooms, a computer lab, and a science room complete with a hydroponic planter. The school also unveiled a brand new podcast studio where young voices can be heard.

Why This Inspires

But PS 84 didn't just focus on students. The school opened a UFT Teacher Center Room, a dedicated space where educators can collaborate, learn together, and develop their leadership skills. It's a powerful statement that when teachers thrive, students thrive too.

UFT Teacher Center coach Tania Renna called the new space a reflection of the "sense of community and collaboration that makes this work so meaningful." In a time when teacher burnout makes headlines, PS 84 is investing in the people who invest in children every day.

Principal Olayokun's daily walks past that construction site weren't just about watching bricks stack up. He was building something deeper: a community where everyone, from kindergarteners to veteran teachers, sees themselves as lifelong learners. Where specialty rooms aren't luxuries but necessities for growing curious minds. Where celebration isn't saved for the end of the year but woven into the school's identity.

Two years in, PS 84 is showing other schools what's possible when you lead with empowerment instead of limits.