NEW YORK
Aaron
Academy
40 East 30th
St., 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10016
212-867-5443,
www.aaronacad.org
Aaron
Academy is a private, special education school dedicated to insuring that all
students will become responsible, successful citizens of the 21st Century as evidenced
by their ability to construct their own knowledge, develop judgment, think
critically and demonstrate civic responsibility. Our commitment is to
provide meaningful learning opportunities so students can maximize their
potential and act wisely as they move through adolescence into adulthood.
Aaron
Academy is a strengths-based school program for middle and high school students
with special needs. The school offers a rigorous academic program, based
in the NY State Learning Standards and College Readiness Standards.
Instruction is modeled in the philosophy of Universal Design for Learning,
which allows students multiple means of access to information, and multiple
means of demonstrating their knowledge. To this end, Arts and Technology
are heavily integrated into all curricular learning in order to engage students
with strengths in areas other than academics. Integrated services are
provided in speech, occupational therapy, and counseling within the context of
the classroom and curriculum to insure depth and applicability of
knowledge.
Aaron
Academy’s 21st Century Learning model approaches instruction from a global
perspective, preparing students for life through education.
Blue School
432
Lafayette St., New York, NY 10003
646-602-7066 ,
www.theblueschool.org
We design both our curriculum and our environment
with the goal of nurturing the innate sense of curiosity and wonder that
children bring into our program, facilitating robust exploration, personal
expression, group collaboration, open communication and active play. Blue
School welcomes applicants for the matriculated program, as well as our year
round enrichment programs that are open to the public for students 2yrs through
3rd grade.
The
Beekman School
220
East 50th St., New York, NY 10022
212-755-6666,
www.beekmanschool.org
The
Beekman School is a private high school for grades 9 through 12 that delivers a
traditional college preparatory program in a non-traditional manner. Beekman is
tailored to nurture the development of each individual student. To that end, we
provide flexible scheduling, rolling admissions, classes of no more than ten
students, and the option of private instruction and customized courses.
Despite
our size, we have a diverse student body with young men and women from all
walks of life and all parts of the world. Beekman students play an
active role in shaping their education, instilling a sense of commitment and
responsibility. They interact on a daily basis with an exceptional faculty that
they come to know on a first-name basis. Our mission is to give students the
tools and the confidence to control their own destiny, to become life-long
learners, and to give back to their community. And when they graduate, they not
only leave with a solid academic foundation, but with a keen sense of what
lies ahead.
Brooklyn Heights Montessori
185 Court St., Brooklyn, NY 11201
718-858-5100, www.bhmsny.org
The Brooklyn Waldorf School
126 St Felix St., Brooklyn NY 11217
718-783-3270, www.brooklynwaldorf.org
Parent/Child classes - 4th grade
The Brooklyn Waldorf School, currently in its fifth year, is a developing member of the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America. We offer programs ranging from Parent/Child classes to Fourth Grade. Our goal is to add a class each year until we reach eight grades. Our mission is to bring Waldorf education to the Brooklyn community and to reflect the cultural, racial, and socio-economic diversity of Brooklyn in our school community. Our school is rapidly growing and is nurtured by dedicated teachers and a strong community of parents.
Waldorf education integrates the arts, humanities and sciences in a manner that reflects and nurtures the developmental needs of each child. With a curriculum rooted in the arts and the power of storytelling, Waldorf teachers awaken in their pupils a life-long love of learning, empathy toward others, creative thinking, and self-confidence.
City & Country School
146 West 13th Street, New York, NY 10011
212-242-7802, www.cityandcountry.org
Preschool - 8th grade
Founded in 1914, in an apartment in Greenwich Village, City & Country School is one of the oldest progressive elementary schools in the nation. Founder, Caroline Pratt, an innovative educator, developed alternatives to "the repression of formal education." Pratt viewed stationary children sitting at stationary desks as repressive and created a classroom where the chairs and tables could be moved, allowing for play and movement. She believed the use of open-ended materials would offer children the opportunity to recreate their world and dramatize the events occurring in it, directly addressing what she observed as the mode of learning inherent in children. Pratt developed wooden unit blocks used today by Lower School students. Seven-year-olds create a city out of wooden blocks incorporating what they've learned about electricity, running water, and the subway system.
Another method of offering children the opportunity to recreate their world was to give students "jobs." City & Country School offers a program for Middle and Upper school students. Nine-year-olds run the school stationery store, learning about supply and demand, sales, bookkeeping, inventory control and the history of the mercantile system. Thirteen-year-old newspaper reporters and editors analyze and write position papers, editorials and news articles.
In addition to academic skills, Pratt's ideas are still the backbone of the school's curriculum. City & Country School also offers summer and a "Behind the Scenes Camp" which takes place during the last two weeks in June. Contact Director of Admissions, Lisa Baker Horner at (212) 242-7802 or e-mail: lisa@cityandcountry.org.
Corlears School
324 West 15th Street, New York, NY 10011
212-741-2800, www.corlearsschool.org
Preschool - 4th grade
In 1968, Corlears School was founded as a nursery/kindergarten school by Irene Neurath and a group of New York City teachers and parents. It was originally located on Grand Street near Corlears Hook on the lower east side of Manhattan. As the school grew, the school moved to its present Chelsea area site in 1971. Corlears School focuses on early childhood and elementary years, up to and including the fourth grade. Class sizes are kept small and offer its young students extra attention. Nursery students are introduced to reading and language skills and are encouraged to communicate their needs and experiences. Letter and word sounds, and rhyming and rhythms are taught using literature and music. Time, spatial relationships, temperature, and weight are used to explore mathematical ideas. In addition to typical toddler creative activities, science is introduced to develop skills of observation and the ability to draw conclusions. Students, kindergarten-through-fourth grade, begin acquiring the basic skills and knowledge for future academic development. The social studies curriculum integrates language arts, math, geography, history, science, and the visual and performing arts. The dance and drama program combines modern dance techniques and creative movement with improvisation and dramatic acting.
The Dalton School
108 East 89th Street, New York, NY 10128
212-423-5200, www.dalton.org
A progressive, K-12 coeducational school in New York City, The Dalton School prepares students to "go forth unafraid."
We
are an intentionally diverse community that challenges each student to
develop intellectual independence, creativity, curiosity, and a sense
of responsibility toward others. Dalton was established on our
founder's belief in the importance of the individual and respect for
differences. This core belief has been integrated into the education,
thinking, and daily life of the Dalton School community. It continues
to be the central charge of the school today.
École
Internationale de New York (EINY)
111 East 22nd
St., New York, NY 10010
T: 646-410-2238,
F: 646-438-9320, www.einy.org
Enrolling
students from Nursery through 5th Grade (ages 3-11)
Head of
School: Mr. Yves Rivaud - yvesrivaud@einy.org
Director of
Admissions: Mr. Clyde Javois - clydejavois@einy.org
The École
Internationale de New York (EINY) opened in September 2009. This
French-American international school offers an academic, bilingual program in
French and English: 60% of instruction is taught in French, 40% in English.
Mandarin is taught in Grades 4-5.
ÉINY
combines the best of both French and American educational systems, offering
students the rigorous, more classical and disciplined instruction of French
education and the more fluid teaching of the American system which encourages
critical thinking, questioning, and creativity. EINY exposes children to a
global knowledge, drawing out of the potential within each student, while
encouraging them to be lifelong learners as well as world citizens.
Students of
ÉINY learn to speak, think, grow, and develop their personality in at least
three languages; they work with teachers and classmates from different
countries, resulting in a rich academic experience. The combination of both
French and American curricula nurtures each child’s gift for languages. Our
family-sized school allows teachers to work closely to each child.
ÉINY
embraces diversity among its students, parents, and employees. The school
educates its student body on all cultures and human differences. We enroll
American students who don’t speak French and whose parents want a bilingual
education, French or French-American children, and students who speak a third
or fourth language at home.
Our French
teachers are certified by the French Ministry of Education and our American
faculty members are certified by New York State and bilingual (in the
elementary section).
Every day
from 3:00-6:30pm, our After School Program FUN’éi offers a wide variety of
extracurricular classes to explore the arts and practice sports in different
languages.
French-American School of New York
525 Fenimore Rd., Mamaroneck, NY 10543
Contact: Beth Wynn
914-250-0408, E-mail: bwynn@fasny.org
www.fasny.org
Nursery – 12th grade
The French-American School of
New York offers a bilingual and bicultural education to more than 800 students
per year on three campuses in Larchmont, Mamaroneck, and Scarsdale. Students
come from a mix of local families, French expatriates, and French-American and
international families from 45 countries. The bilingual curriculum allows for
each student to learn a third language and participate in sports and
after-school activities. Students graduate as bilingual, multi-cultural,
well-rounded individuals.
FASNY began as a 17-student
Nursery School in 1980 and, this past June, graduated its first-ever twelfth
grade class. Members of the class of 2009 have been accepted to top-ranking
colleges and universities, including Columbia, Cornell, Duke, Harvard, MIT,
Princeton, Stanford, Yale, and international colleges, such as Concordia,
McGill, Universities of Edinburgh, Manchester, and St. Andrews. FASNY students
also received acceptances at top French universities, including Institut
d'Etudes Politiques and the Sorbonne. Additionally, each member of FASNY’s
class of 2009 received Honors on the French Baccalauréat, and FASNY is the only
North American school to have a 2009 Concours Général prize winner, a
prestigious French academic honor.
FASNY
continues to offer Extension Program courses to the local community. These
courses vary from basic language acquisition to Capoeria, a style of Brazilian
martial arts, to web design. Classes are available for both children and
adults. For a brochure and other information, please visit www.fasny.org, and
click on Extension Program.
For more information, please
visit www.fasny.org.
Friends Seminary
222 East 16th Street, New York, NY 10003
212-979-5030, www.friendsseminary.org
Kindergarten - 12th grade
Founded in 1786, Friends Seminary is the oldest continuing coeducational school in New York City. As a Quaker school, Friends is guided by the values of equality, simplicity, integrity and peace. In the Quaker tradition, time is set aside each day for Quaker Meeting which provides an opportunity for students to gather as a community and to reflect silently as well as to share their thoughts with others. Friends Seminary values a multicultural program that fosters the understanding of differences of cultural heritage, language, race, religion, socioeconomic class, gender and sexual orientation. The Lower School, Kindergarten - Grade 4, consists of mixed-age groups organized within a two-year span while the Middle School, Grades 5 - 8, and the Upper School, Grades 9 -12 are more traditionally structured. The college preparatory curriculum is complemented by foreign and classical languages, computers, advanced placement courses, visual and performing arts and electives. Friends has foreign study programs in several countries including Spain, France, Mexico and Italy.
Grace Church School
86 Fourth Avenue, New York, NY 10003
212-475-5609, www.gcschool.org
Junior Kindergarten - 8th grade
Grace Church School (GCS) was founded in 1894 by Grace Church as the first choir boarding school in New York City. From the original sixteen choristers, it has grown to its current enrollment of over 380 boys and girls drawn from a wide variety of ethnic, socioeconomic, and religious backgrounds. GCS's curriculum encourages children to appreciate diversity whether the difference is grounded in race, class, cultural tradition, religion, gender, nationality, or personal style. The School is divided into three divisions. Early Childhood Division (Jr. Kindergarten and Kindergarten), Lower School (grades one through four) and Upper School (grades five through eight). GCS's structured curriculum includes Spanish, Latin and French, and extensive computer and religious views of the community. The opportunity for responsibility and personal expression is enhanced through student council, community service, expanded sports and arts programs, and social activities such as dances and extended trips.
The Hewitt School
45 East 75th St.,
New York, NY 10021
212-288-1919,
www.hewittschool.org
The mission of The Hewitt
School is to provide a rigorous and stimulating program that encourages
independent thinking and creativity. The school values each girl’s individual talents
and encourages respect for the diverse interests and backgrounds of others.
Hewitt’s small size and supportive environment enable each student to reach her
full potential and become a responsible and socially aware leader. In keeping
with the motto, “By Faith and Courage,” Hewitt seeks to instill in each girl
lifelong faith in herself, personal integrity, and the courage to face
challenges with confidence.
Little Red School House/Elisabeth Irwin High School
Lower and Middle School
272 Sixth Avenue, New York, NY 10014
212-477-5316
High School
40 Charlton Street, New York, NY 10014
212-477-5316, www.lrei.org
Preschool - 12th Grade
New York City's Little Red School Little Red House/Elisabeth Irwin High School (LREI) has numerous gay-positive attributes. Founder, Elisabeth Irwin, was a model of lesbian leadership. She and her partner, Katharine Anthony, were adoptive parents. A lesbian-and-gay-issues committee of faculty, parents, and administration is an active voice in the school. The committee and the school co-sponsors the "Love Makes a Family; Living in Lesbian and Gay Families" photo-text exhibit which is attended by all students and faculty. "It's Elementary", a documentary about the importance of including lesbian and gay voices and themes in elementary curriculum, was viewed by the faculty and parents. Lesbian and Gay Pride Month is celebrated each October through assemblies and class discussions. Lower School teachers have devised an inclusive family curriculum, which recognizes gay and lesbian parents. The Middle School Adolescent Issues program deals with a wide range of matters, including sexuality and discrimination, with a focus on developing decision-making skills. LREI's library collection includes books for children of gays and lesbians and books which address sexuality.
Manhattan Country School
7 E. 96th St., New York, NY 10128
212-348-0952, www.manhattancountryschool.org
PreK - 8th grade
Manhattan Country School is a co-educational elementary school serving grades pre-k-8. Recognized for its strong academic program, Manhattan Country School is also known for its diverse community and commitment to social responsibility. The School reflects New York City in that there are no racial majorities within any class, and tuition is based on a sliding scale. Housed in an historic townhouse on the Upper East Side, students are well trained in the academic disciplines and value knowledge. With a cohesive, challenging curriculum, teachers rely on experiential learning and creative pursuits to stimulate intellect. Along with acquiring a deep understanding of activism and social justice, students develop the strength and resources to effect change and to pursue their goals. One of the most unique features of the School is the MCS Farm in the northern Catskill Mountains. The Farm program engages students with the natural processes that support life and provides an unparalleled experience of social growth. The high schools chosen by MCS graduates represent the academic goals and interests of the student body; students attend a variety of highly selective high schools- independent, public, parochial and boarding.
Mary McDowell Friends School
20 Bergen St., Brooklyn, NY 11201
718-625-3939, http://marymcdowell.org
Ages 5 - 12th grade
The Nightingale-Bamford School
20 East 92nd St., New York, NY 10128
212-289-5020, www.nightingale.org
K - 12th grade
Mission Statement
The mission of the Nightingale-Bamford School is to educate the minds and the hearts of its students in a challenging, vibrant community that prizes academic excellence.
Founded in 1920, Nightingale is an independent K-12 girls' school that provides a classical curriculum to motivated students of varied backgrounds, interests, and talents. What they share is a demanding academic environment in which their teachers inspire them to love learning and to embrace curiosity, creativity, and hard work. Providing structure and a strong foundation from the start, the curriculum allows for increasing independence as students move through the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools. In each division, small classes permit teachers to find their students' strengths and insist on their best efforts. Our commitment to the success of every girl is absolute.
At the same time, we believe that success comes in many forms. Through the arts and athletics, ample leadership opportunities, extracurricular activities, and community service, Nightingale students are encouraged to discover and to demonstrate that the mind and heart are equally important, and that one is empty without the other.
Riverdale Country School
5250 Fieldston Rd., Riverdale, NY 10471
718-549-8810, 718-549-7780, www.riverdale.edu
PreK - 12 grade
At Riverdale Country School, we educate boys and girls in pre-kindergarten through grade 12 based on guiding principles in four areas: mind, character, commitment, and community.
MIND
High standards are valued, but so are innovative approaches to learning. We invite students to cast a wide net during their years on campus, encouraging them to explore subjects in the arts and sciences that interest them. Students' intellectual curiosity and emotional growth are given thoughtful support even as they grow independent as learners.
CHARACTER
Honesty, self-discipline, resilience, and perseverance are qualities we encourage. A multifaceted support system provides students with the assistance they need as they pursue opportunities and learn life lessons.
COMMITMENT
A successful life is made up of the many commitments we make, both to ourselves and to others. Riverdale's emphasis on commitment to a wide range of activities, including academics, sports, community service, and the arts, endows students with a sense of satisfaction and balance.
COMMUNITY
The Riverdale campuses are an ideal setting for an intimate community of learners. Students also expand their view of community beyond the wooded campuses; they are encouraged to view themselves as citizens of the world, with all the joy and responsibility that implies.
Rockland Country Day School
34 Kings Highway
Congers, NY 10920
845-268-6802 / www.rocklandcds.org
Pre-K - 12th grade
This Pre-K through Grade 12 independent school is based on a humanistic approach to education where each of the 160 students is approached as an individual. Located on a sprawling 20-acre campus, Rockland Country Day School students benefit from differentiated learning techniques, award-winning arts program, strong character education and top-notch college guidance. Nearly 40% of the students receive financial aid, offering a unique and diverse socioeconomic learning environment.
Ross School
Upper School
18 Goodfriend Dr., East Hampton, NY 11937
Lower School
739 Butter Lane, Bridgehampton, NY 11932
631-907-5400, www.ross.org
Pre-Nursery–Grade 12
Ross School is a
co-educational boarding (grades 8-12) and day school (PN-Grade 12) located on
two beautiful campuses in East Hampton and Bridgehampton, about 2 hours east of
New York City. The School offers a global, integrated curriculum with
engaging courses in science, arts, humanities and wellness, taught by
outstanding faculty. Independent study, extracurricular activities, competitive
athletics and travel are also available. Ross has a successful college
placement program with 100% of applicants receiving acceptances at competitive
schools.
Rudolf Steiner School
Lower School (2s - 6th grade)
15 E. 79th St.
212-327-1457
Upper School (7th -12th grade)
15 E. 78th St.
212-879-1101
www.steiner.edu
The Rudolf Steiner School is part of an international community of schools which embraces Waldorf Education. The School's approach recognizes the stages of physical, emotional and cognitive development in a child's life. Through the rich curriculum and innovative teaching methods, Rudolf Steiner School addresses the whole child, working to develop clarity in thought, balance in feeling, and conscience and initiative in action. Theirs is an education that balances individual development with a sense of social responsibility, an education born of devotion and infused with ideals, an education for the future, an education for life. The Waldorf curriculum, developed and refined over the past seven decades, is designed as a unity. In addition to the comprehensive academic subjects, there is a sequential curriculum in two foreign languages, music, speech, drama, drawing, painting, sculpture, movement, physical education and sports. Incoming students at all grade levels easily adjust to the natural progression of the curriculum.
Rye Country Day School
Cedar St., Rye, NY 10580
914-925-4513, www.ryecountryday.org
PreK - 12th grade
Rye Country Day School is a coeducational, college preparatory school in Rye, New York, dedicated to providing students from Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12 with an excellent education using both traditional and innovative approaches. In a nurturing and supportive environment, we offer a challenging program that stimulates individuals to achieve their maximum potential through academic, athletic, creative and social endeavors. We are actively committed to diversity. We expect and promote moral responsibility, and strive to develop strength of character within a respectful school community. Our goal is to foster a lifelong passion for learning, understanding, and service in an ever-changing world.
Saint Andrew's Episcopal School
13601 Saratoga Ave., Saratoga CA 95070
408-867-3785, www.st-andrews.org
PreK - 8th grade
Located in Saratoga, California, Saint Andrew's Episcopal School is a coeducational, PreK through Grade Eight day school. Saint Andrew's offers an advanced, comprehensive academic program plus enrichment in the areas of the studio and performing arts, physical education, foreign languages, technology, character development, religion and community service.
What sets an education at Saint Andrew's apart? We believe it's a combination of contemporary academics and traditional character.
Our approach embraces the Episcopal tradition; it is open-minded, respectful and inclusive. Everyone is welcome in our community, without labels, without preconceptions.
Within our rigorous academic program, students are encouraged to explore, reflect and inquire-and to realize the value of moral lessons like trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship in their lives. Children are introduced early on to the concepts of community service, environmental awareness and their role as citizens of the larger world outside Saint Andrew's doors.
Our students leave with a clarity about their own beliefs and traditions, and the capacity to empathize with and appreciate other viewpoints and perspectives.
Saint Andrew's Episcopal School is accredited by the California Association of Independent Schools and is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools. Visit our website for information: www.st-andrews.org/gpm
St. Hilda’s
& St. Hugh’s
619 West
114th Street, New York, NY 10025
Beginner -
8th grade
St. Hilda’s
& St. Hugh’s is a coeducational, Episcopal day school enrolling 375
students in Beginner – Grade 8. We
strive to create an educational community that reflects unity in
diversity: a unity of purpose and
shared values among a population diverse in race, ethnicity, culture,
socio-economic status, and religious beliefs. A strong liberal arts curriculum promotes the developmental
competencies of each child and readies students for leading secondary schools
in New York City and nationwide.
French, Spanish or Mandarin Chinese is introduced in Nursery; studio art
in Junior Kindergarten; technology in Grade 2; woodworking, drama, and English
brass band in Grade 4; Shakespeare in Grade 6; and Latin in Grade 7. Extended Day Program for Nursery –
Grade 8 is offered until 6:30 pm.
St. Luke's School
487 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
212-924-5960, www.stlukeschool.org
Junior Kindergarten - 8th grade
Founded in 1945, St. Luke's School is located in the West Village of New York City. It is a coeducational Episcopal day school with two hundred students of all faiths from Junior-Kindergarten through Grade eight Since its inception, St. Luke's School has encouraged diversity by seeking both students and teachers of varying backgrounds. The schools unique 2-acre campus includes three outdoor playgrounds. St. Luke's Garden, filled with quiet paths, flowers, lawns, benches, and trees. Facilities include spacious and sunny classrooms, a gymnasium, an art studio, a small theater, an 18,000 volume library and media center, computer, and foreign language rooms. Chapel services and special programs are held in The Church of St. Luke in the Fields, a landmark building, constructed in 1822 and rebuilt in 1985.
Lower School Junior-Kindergarten and Kindergarten students' days are tilled with the "work" of play-paints, blocks, dressups, sand, water, cooking, and regular outdoor activities in the playground. As children become ready, reading, writing and math skills are introduced. In Grades 1 through 4, the focus is on developing proficiency in reading, writing, mathematics, and critical thinking.
The Upper School program. Grades 5 through 8, continues to build upon the base of academic skills and concentrates on study habits, time management and independence to prepare students for high school. All students learn and participate in community service, and St. Luke's Partners Program pairs older and younger children for projects and activities.
The Caedmon School
416 East 80th Street, New York, NY 10021
(Between First & York Avenues)
212-879-2296, www.caedmonschool.org
Preschool - 5th grade
Founded in 1962, The Caedmon School (for children 2.9 years old - 5th grade) is a small, ongoing school that successfully combines high academic standards, a strong arts program (including group violin lessons for all students beginning in Kindergarten), and an emphasis on individual children and their social and emotional development. Children have the unique opportunity to learn and grow within a nurturing and academically challenging environment, among a richly diverse group of peers. The school is dedicated to its mission, focusing on the four tenets: academic excellence and natural gifts, modified Montessori and individual needs, diversity and empathy, and community building and community service.
At Caedmon, we honor and actively explore the varied backgrounds and traditions that are represented among us, and we are committed to fostering a community in which every member feels valued. Our community honors and welcomes all facets of diversity, including race and religion, language and look-ism, family structure and sexual orientation, physical and intellectual capabilities, and cultural, spiritual, and economic diversities. Enthusiastically embracing the challenge to make diversity a more conscious and intentional cornerstone of our mission, we seek a diverse staff and families with a wide range of backgrounds.
Students' early years at Caedmon's Early Program (2.9 - 4 years old) prepare them for our rigorous Elementary Program (Kindergarten - 5th grade), which in turn builds a strong academic foundation through problem solving, cooperation, self-motivation, and critical thinking. Children have specialist classes in art, yoga, music, violin, science, Spanish, library, physical education, and technology. The school provides children with a variety of after-school activities, as well as a summer camp beginning in the summer of 2009. Caedmon's facilities include a gymnasium, a library, a state of the art science lab, an art studio, a music room, a spacious lunchroom, SMART boards in all Elementary classrooms, and a private outdoor playground. Financial aid is available to families applying to all levels.
The Cathedral School of St. John the Divine
1047 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10025
212-316-7500, www.cathedralnyc.org
Kindergarten - 8th grade
The Cathedral School is an independent, K-8, Episcopal school for children of all faiths. The school seeks to develop confident, open-minded people who share a respect for different ideas, cultures, and religions and who accept responsibility as active citizens of their diverse community and the world. The school's spectacular setting, complete with two outdoor playgrounds, gardens, and free-roaming peacocks, provides an oasis in Manhattan.
Cathedral's rigorous academic program offers a strong foundation of knowledge and skills, combining traditional and innovative teaching methods. Individualized attention and student engagement are ensured by a small class size of approximately 15 students. In addition to the French and Spanish programs that begin in kindergarten, Latin is required for all students in the seventh and eighth grades. The students' experiences are deepened through music, visual arts, physical education, field trips, and performance opportunities.
Cathedral students participate in a full range of extra-curricular activities including after school enrichment classes and an interscholastic athletics program. Students have the opportunity to audition for The Cathedral of St. John the Divine's choir, which sings each Sunday and participates in regional and international tours.
The Packer Collegiate Institute
170 Joralemon Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
718-250-0266 , www.packer.edu
Preschool, age 3 - 12th grade
In 1845, the Packer Collegiate Institute was originally founded as The Brooklyn Female Academy, the first school in New York City to offer higher education to young women. In 1853 the original building was destroyed in a fire. Harriet Packer, the young widow of former trustee William Packer donated the $65,000 required to rebuild. Initially the school offered both primary and secondary programs and a collegiate department for students over fourteen. In 1919 the college division became the first junior college approved by the Regents of the State of New York. By 1944 boys were admitted through the fourth grade and in 1972 the school became fully co-educational.
Located in Brooklyn Heights, the school teaches pre-school three-year-olds through grade twelve. Upper School students are required to complete 45 hours of community service and volunteer in soup kitchens, shelters, hospitals, and service agencies throughout the city. Student clubs and organizations include the AIDS Education Committee, SAFE (feminist club), the Multicultural Student Association, and the Social Action Committee. Opportunities to study abroad include the language and culture of Japan. School Open Houses are scheduled throughout the fall.
United Nations International School
24-50 Franklin D. Roosevelt Drive, New York, NY 10010
212-684-7400
Kindergarten -12th grade
173-53 Croydon Road, Jamaica Estates, NY 11432
718-658-6166, www.unis.org
Kindergarten - 8th grade
Founded in 1947, The United Nations International School (UNIS) was founded by a group of United Nations parents to provide an education for their children that fostered global sensibility. What began as a nursery school for 20 children is now a college preparatory school with two campuses (Queens and Manhattan) that enrolls 1,486 children from 109 countries.
The Manhattan campus overlooks the East River and features an inner courtyard filled with plants and a small waterfall. The UNIS curriculum is rich in languages, humanities, literature, science, mathematics, art and music. French and Spanish are offered beginning in first grade and modern languages offered in the secondary school include Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Russian and Spanish.
With a UNIS diploma a student may also qualify for entrance into universities throughout the world by completing the International Baccalaureate (IB) program in the 11th and 12th grades. A student with an IB diploma usually enters a U.S. college at the sophomore level. Financial aid is available.
Westbury Friends School
550 Post Av., Westbury, NY 11590
516-333-3178, www.westburyfriends.org
Toddlers - 5th grade
At Westbury Friends School we believe that children are the heart of the school. For our Toddlers through Fifth Grade, we aim to foster independent learners; children capable of recognizing strengths in themselves and others, accepting and working through challenges and appreciating opportunities for learning.
WFS is a Quaker school under the care of the Westbury Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends. In keeping with the Quaker values of peace, simplicity, integrity, community and equality, learning goes beyond the acquisition of skills and information. Students are taught to ask thoughtful questions in the spirit of curiosity, intellectual integrity and creativity. They learn to resolve conflicts peacefully, through purposeful listening and engagement in the process of reaching a solution that respects everyone concerned. Students explore and embrace cultural, religious, personal and economic diversity through studies of their local and global communities, and through the daily interactions with peers and their families who are both similar and different from one another. Through active service learning experiences in their own communities and around the globe, students develop a sense of responsibility as stewards of the earth, and caring citizens of the world.
Winston Prep Schools
126 West 17 St, New York, NY 10011
57 West Rocks Rd., Norwalk, CT 06851
646-638-2705, www.winstonprep.edu
6th - 12th grade
Winston Prep is a highly individualized and responsive setting for high-potential middle and high school students with learning differences, such as language-based learning difficulties, nonverbal learning difficulties, and attention deficit problems. The Winston Prep program is designed to challenge each student's strengths while developing the essentials of reading, writing, mathematics, organization, and study skills. Each individualized educational program is based upon a continuously modified understanding of each student's dynamic learning profile that evolves as the student progresses and matures. Within the curriculum, skills are taught explicitly, including daily instruction in Reading, Writing, Science, History and Mathematics through grade 12. Small classes of 8-12 students help to create a comfortable learning environment and facilitate the individualization of course work. Students participate in a daily one-to-one instructional period called Focus, designed to serve as the diagnostic, instructional, and mentoring centerpiece of their experience. Art, drama, gym, and a variety of enrichment choices are offered within the school day and during the after-school program. Interscholastic athletic programs are also available after school. At the high-school level, students with appropriate levels of skill mastery may participate in college courses. Ninety-four percent of graduates in the last five years have been accepted to college.
Village Community School
272 West 10th Street, New York, NY 10014
212-691-5146, www.vcsnyc.org
Kindergarten - 8th grade
Located in the west village, Village Community School (VCS) educates children, kindergarten to eighth grade. VCS does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sexual orientation, or ethnic origin. The centerpiece of the curriculum is the social studies program where teachers emphasize the concept of point of view, relationships between past and present the attitudes and activism which underlie good citizenship in a democracy, and the interdependence of peoples. Students of all ages work with specialists in math, science, art, music, gym and library. Ungraded, classrooms through age 10 permit students to advance rapidly without regard to stereotyped grade level expectations.
For 6th-8th graders, the program is departmentalized into small sections for math, English literature, history and science and foreign language. Elective Fine Arts mini-courses balance the required courses and approximately 25% of the student body receives tuition assistance and free transportation is provided to eligible students.
The Vincent Smith School
322 Port Washington Blvd., Port Washington, NY 11050
516-365-4900, www.vincentsmithschool.org
