The New School

Our son has been attending The New School for the past several years. We're impressed that it's just not focused on intellectual pursuits but also on the wellbeing and emotional side of things when interacting with others. Being exposed to freedom vs. structure helps prepare students for the real world and learning to be self led.

My son is almost 7, and has attended The New School for a year and a half. At the school, he has lots of opportunities to play outside and explore, to make up games with other students his age, and to observe older students and adults engaged in academic activities. While spending much of his time playing, and with a minimal amount of class time, he has learned to read and do arithmetic very well, and to tell stories and make arguments surprisingly effectively. The attention given to each student and his needs and abilities is very impressive.

Walking into The New School, you can feel the richness of the learning environment. You`ll see pockets of the older students deep in discussion about weighty topics. You`ll see waves of younger ones playing freely inside and out. You`ll see staff members nearby to coax them toward an educational turn, with the subtlety and effectiveness borne from years of experience and keen familiarity with each student. Sometimes it looks smooth, but usually it`s messy and chaotic and gritty and robust. But The New School never settles for superficial. They are driven by a passion to help kids think deliberately and grow into true members of society - not just spectators. Here kids learn as much about themselves as about anything, and they become better people for it.

We sent our 6 year old to this school because we saw public school just wasn`t capitalizing on her love of learning. We have received so many blessings over the past 10 years she has been there. We are happy our other two children go there, too. They are learning how to be engaged citizens in a community, how to be responsible for the direction of their own lives and how to face many different challenges with people and themselves. Our children truly believe anything is possible with hard work, determination and skills. This school welcomes situations that often baffle families in public schools. If you are discouraged with a broken school system and disengaged youth - the New School may be for your child!

This school will teach your child how to learn, how to communicate, and how to find and defend their place in society. Here, your child can engage and learn whatever takes their interest, with guidance from staff members who really care about your child. My child is currently focused primarily on coding, but there is just no limit to what your child can study to their hearts content. I''m so glad I rescued my kid from his miserable public school, he has grown so much as an individual.