UES Preschool Partially Closes After Child Left At Park

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Two classrooms at Petits Poussins, an Upper East Side preschool, have been closed by the city after a student was left unattended at a playground in John Jay Park.

The school, which is three blocks from the park at First Avenue and East 75th Street, was partially closed on May 6 after the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene launched an investigation.

"The child was quickly reunited with staff, and the school immediately implemented additional safety measures and conducted staff retraining on supervision procedures," Vanessa Handal-Ghenania, the founder of the French bilingual preschool chain, told Patch in an email.

"At this time, our staff is participating in further training focused on active child supervision and safety protocols," Handal-Ghenania said.

The founder told Patch that the city's health department is working closely with the school to strengthen supervision procedures.

"We are cooperating fully throughout this process and are implementing a stricter supervision protocol to ensure the continued safety and well-being of all children in our care," Handal-Ghenania told Patch.

The school is expecting to reopen at full capacity within the next week.

In the meantime, the school's four Infant and Toddler classrooms remain open and are completely unaffected by the investigation, Handal-Ghenania said.

For questions, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.