State Sen. Mike Gianaris presents PS 122 with a check for $450,000. Photo courtesy of the office of Sen. Mike Gianaris.
June 3, 2025 By Shane O’Brien
State Sen. Mike Gianaris presented PS 122 in Astoria with a $450,000 check Saturday afternoon to fund new air conditioning units throughout the school.
Gianaris made the announcement at the school’s Centennial Carnival on Saturday, May 31, which saw hundreds of families visit PS 122, located at 21-21 Ditmars Blvd., to celebrate its 100th anniversary.
Gianaris said the funding will provide the school with a new HVAC system and air conditioning units to ensure students and faculty are able to focus on education instead of keeping cool during “brutal heat waves.”
He said that he had heard that students were having trouble focusing on their studies because classrooms were too hot, prompting him to fight for new air conditioning units for the school.
“It is a priority for me that students have an educational environment conducive to learning so they can be the best they can be,” Gianaris said in a statement.
PS/MS 122Q The Mamie Fay School. Via Google Maps
Principal Michael Pascarelli said air conditioning infrastructure upgrades will help PS 122 thrive for another century, after the school celebrated its 100th anniversary last Saturday.
“This will go a long way to ensuring another one hundred years of excellence at PS122 and we thank the Senator again for his tireless support for our school,” Pascarelli said in a statement.
Parent Teacher Organization Co-President Nick Masson said the funding would help create a comfortable environment for every student and teacher at PS 122.
“This allocation of money towards the air conditioning infrastructure will go a long way for the students, teachers and every person in that building,” Masson said. “Not just in the immediate, but for future generations of 122 students, teachers, and staff alike will be able to attend school in a comfortable environment.”
Saturday’s Centennial Carnival drew hundreds of people to PS 122 for a variety of activities, including crafts for children, games, music and bounce houses.
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