Your child is like no other. At The New School we build our relationship with your child based on the understanding that each child processes their thinking and actions based on prior experiences, unique ways of accessing information and expressing their understandings. 

Each week we develop an individual plan for your child. This plan, what we call a contract, takes them through each week. During a week it connects your child to whole group, small group, formal classes, read aloud time, individual work, and games that we feel will best support their growth and learning. 

Teachers work closely with each child and depend upon time to build a relationship as they see children in many different lights. Teachers participate with children throughout the day, in lunch, gym, art, camping, and trips as well as academic times. As their image of the child grows contracts evolve to reflect their needs and interests. Most assessment is done as observation of children as they work. This allows for regular adjustment of their program. 

Each month we have a child study day that allows teachers to share insights and experiences with each other and build a team approach to our school day. We use that day to think about what particular children may be needing in their days and which other children might be able to be paired. Children’s abilities are most likely to vary across content area and our mixed age setting allows pairing that matches growth and support.