Fabulous Facilities for a Small NYC Preschool
Classrooms
Our school currently serves up to 90 children and their families in a warm and dynamic non-sectarian school environment on the 6th floor of Christ Church. All this takes place in a physical space that is carefully designed and maintained. We understand that the use of classroom space and the overall feeling of light, sound and color have an impact on a child’s ability to learn. We are proud of our efforts to continually upgrade and create a responsive physical environment.
Rooftop Playground
New York City children crave the freedom of outdoor play. It is as essential to their growing bodies, connections to friends and the pursuit of imaginative play as any other part of a comprehensive early childhood program. Our spacious outdoor play space is one of the largest in Manhattan and is where many children will learn how to create games and play cooperatively. This is the place where they will master climbing to the top of a ladder and experience the joy of sliding down the curvy slide. Our roof also has a thriving garden which the children help to plant and nurture in the growing season.
Library
A wonderful school library conjures up many things in all of us; quiet moments, reflection and reading. It is a resource that nurtures children and teachers alike. For very young children, it is a place where imagination, understanding and affirmation can grow through good books that are read out loud. When our librarian reads the classic book by Marie Hall Ets, Will I Have a Friend? to a group of three-year-olds who are starting school for the first time, something transformative happens. They are often relieved to hear that they are not alone with their unarticulated thoughts or anxieties. A library is essential to a complete early childhood program.
Movement Program
Movement classes are fun, safe, and structured group sessions held in our well-equipped movement room. Classes offer a wide variety of movement experiences so that children can learn at developmentally appropriate levels, refining their naturally emerging motor skills. Our movement curriculum is more than just play— it's a holistic approach to child development that integrates social, emotional, and cognitive skills along with the physical.
In small groups, children engage in body and spatial awareness activities, fitness and Yoga practices, creative movement, and interactive stories and games. These dynamic activities improve physical skills while supporting self-knowledge, self-regulation, and self-esteem– all while having a tremendously fun time!
Music Program
Our music curriculum is Dalcroze and Kodály-influenced; singing and movement activities are at its base. During each session, we sing songs with and without words, do rhythmic chants, dance and play singing games. We play pitched and non-pitched rhythm instruments and echo tonal and rhythmic patterns. Some of the songs we sing are the old standbys that our grandparents sang, and others are more unusual! We take the songs we know and change them in unexpected and fun ways. We work with language and patterns through the medium of music. We practice modulation of volume and tempo, and engage in active listening. As the children move through their years here, our approach to the elements of music becomes more refined and explicit. One goal is to help each child take his or her next step toward musical skill, but joy and engagement in the musical experience is our highest priority.