I don't even know where to start, I wish I could give 0 stars because this school is not worth…read moreanyones time or money. From personal experience this school is extremely controlling and on top of that extremely lazy with academics and neglectful when it comes to actual teaching. The teachers and especially their principal will do whatever they can to intervene in the parents and children's personal lives. On multiple occasions I've seen them force parents to make the decisions, that they want them to make, sometimes these decisions have nothing to do with their kids. If the parents don't comply they will threaten to, and go through with kicking their kid out of the school. Simply because they didn't want to do something in their personal lives which had nothing to do with the school or academics. The teachers and principal Janet Rotter on multiple occasions have intervened where they were not asked or needed.

Why Studio? At Studio, emotional grounding is the basis for…read moreacademic development. We did not understand this until our now 9 y/o joined Studio in 2022. In fact, we did not fully comprehend the meaning of Studio's motto "an education from the inside out," which is intrinsic to its curriculum, until our son started to manifest his academic strengths and weaknesses. The latter in particular have been the most exciting to witness, for it is because of the emotional grounding and academic support that Studio provides that our son has been able to take on academic challenges with calm resolve. But it's perhaps Ms. Rotter's (Head of School) remarkable understanding of child academic development and psychology that Studio has turned into such an integral part of our family and of the way we now approach learning. Unlike other Heads of School, Ms. Rotter knows every single one of the students (and parents) at Studio and, with her team of outstanding educators, develops individualized and highly effective learning strategies and objectives for the family. Each kid learns differently. This fact meets a thriving context at Studio. Moreover, Ms. Mabey's (Head of Teaching & Learning) curriculum expertise, from development to group and individual implementation, seals the academic rigor we experience at Studio. For instance, at Parent/Teacher meetings, Ms. Mabey regularly teams up with Head Teachers to augment our understanding of our child's development more comprehensively (by discipline and across the disciplines), and to identify practicable strategies to contribute to this development at home. This has proven particularly effective for us, and we have been able to create an atmosphere at home that is congruent with Studio's pedagogy. This, in turn, helps our son maintain steady progress. At Studio, we are all developing together. It's a family affair. But Studio's curriculum also shines for its interdisciplinarity, combining language (Spanish and English), math, science and history all in "One World." On any given day at Studio, children can learn US history along with math principles, while concurrently learning the differences between these disciplines. Studio's mathematics curriculum is extremely efficient. My son is learning math is not just a set of numbers, but a language reflected in everyday life, in every board game we play and at the park and at subway stations. Everywhere. Hence, Studio's curriculum is not about academics in a vacuum, nor academics for academics' sake. It's a complete education, making connections from the school to home and everywhere in between. Now that we have seen our kid grow older at Studio, we see someone who is turning into an emotionally intelligent human, and someone who enjoys learning. Someone who understands his weaknesses and is unafraid to work on them. Someone who understands his strengths and actively works on maintaining them. Someone who is increasingly less scared of his inner-self and comfortable bringing his persona to the table. Thus far, this is a clear outcome of Studio's education "from the inside out" approach. This is why we continue to choose Studio.

A terrific UWS school, with strong teachers, a caring administration, involved parents--one of the…read morebest public schools in the city.

I attended Calhoun from pre-K to 12th grade--to this day it's an excellent study in alternative,…read moreprogressive education. if large classrooms scare the fudge out of you, check out Calhoun for your kids. could be a good fit, and it's a great UWS location.

I've been very impressed by the progressive program at Calhoun. Students develop both academically…read moreand socially in this nurturing environment. Students become active members of the community and engaged learners. Relationships between students and teachers are strong. Teachers are readily accessible to both students and parents. Homework expectations are reasonable and assignments are thoughtful to engage the students rather than simply to provide additional work. There is a good balance between academics and the arts with many interdisciplinary projects.

We keep waiting for our kids to come home and say the principal and other leadership and bad…read moreteachers (per them, other parents, and the published reports) are gone, but so far only a couple ... but then not all knew Norris was gone until it was in print. We are searching and interviewing for next year (two rejects so far), want to leave sooner but for the $$ issue. One great result: We know we must develop better communication skills with our children and also how to press in until we are sure what their future schools are really like. BTW: We haven't updated our address yet as it is fluid, job dependent. We are shocked and very saddened at what our beloved NYC has become. The thinking revealed at this school gives me the same feeling as do those things scurrying freely, esp at night. Worst of all: Why are the daily assaults on the poor souls who have to take the subways to work completely ignored by city leadership??? Just horrifying

From the owner: Trinity School is a college preparatory, coeducational independent day school for Grades K-12,…read morelocated on the Upper West Side of New York City. Founded as a charity school at Trinity Church in 1709 for 40 students, it moved to its current location in 1895 and now has an average enrollment of 960. Trinity is no longer sponsored by a specific religious body, and the Trinity community is characterized by religious, racial, and ethnic diversity. In addition to classrooms, science and computer laboratories, art and photography studios, music rooms, and administrative offices, the school includes a garden, a rooftop playing field (known as the ?turf?), a dining room, two chapels, two theaters, two libraries, two swimming pools, three playgrounds, a weight room, and three gymnasiums. Trinity is organized into a Lower School (K-Grade 4), a Middle School (Grades 5-8) and an Upper School (Grades 9-12). The ratio of students to teachers is six to one. The faculty members of the school, wit

St. Hilda's is an outstanding school, with incredible teachers, a warm atmosphere, and a deeply…read morethoughtful approach to learning, community, education, and the whole child. Both of our children have loved coming to school at St. Hilda's each day. Beginners offers a beautiful introduction to school, with a warmth and groundedness in early childhood development--each day, there are new activities to try and things to learn, whether building towers and train tracks, growing plants in the greenhouse, cooking season treats, making water creatures and marble paintings, learning yoga poses, singing songs, and so much more. The introduction to school in Beginners is a wonderful one--the teachers are warm and kind, and foster a love of learning. With each grade, the school expands, and Nursery, JK, SK, and 1st grade, are met with science, art, language classes, the greenhouse, PE, and the playdeck. The curriculum is really integrated - students practice letters and numbers across social studies and foreign language classes as well as in their homeroom work time; when they study world cultures in their classrooms they simultaneously learn games played around the world in PE; their science classes connect with concepts in math worktime; and their art projects often coincide with world cultures and school celebrations. Our boys have loved learning each year about the solar system and outer space, the brain and the body, and the foundations of science, and the nearly 30 countries where French is spoken. It's impressive and thoughtful, and indicative of how St. Hilda's approaches so much of the school--with careful consideration, expertise, and a wonderful implementation. The faculty at St. Hilda's are truly remarkable. Teachers come to school with enthusiasm and joy, and it shows in their creativity in the classroom. Our children have learned so much from each teacher, from art to science to PE, because of the excitement and attentiveness of their teachers. It is an extraordinarily warm environment with an incredibly rigorous intellectual process undergirding how the school approaches each age of development and academic unit. The school is, from top-to-bottom, incredibly thoughtful about the education and experience of the children and their families. One more thing that we wouldn't have recognized until we were in it - St. Hilda's is a school for children, and also a school that values families. Events typically start in the evenings so parents with a range of responsibilities can, by and large, attend. One of the first things the Head of School often says is a thank you to the parents for taking time out of their days and family life to be there. It's small, but we've noticed how deep it runs. The school values the families as people, and families matter here. Activities and other events are similar, and the communication is aimed at making life easier for busy parents. It's perhaps a small thing, but indicative of the approach of the school, and it's created another part of a wonderful experience. In short, St. Hilda's is a truly special place. It has academic excellence combined with a warm and loving atmosphere. It has world-class teachers with deep expertise who have a true love of learning and the children they teach. And it has a wonderful community of people who value kindness, dedication, and the joy of learning.

I just had such a great conference with my son's teacher that I was inspired to write! He is in…read morefirst grade and has had wonderful teachers throughout. We get frequent feedback about his progress, with lots of practical suggestions about how we can support him. I feel like the teachers are really working with us to help him succeed, and that they really "get" him--and us. Now that he is in first grade and the work is a little more academic, he seems to be thriving with the additional structure of a desk and a uniform. Our daughter is now in the nursery (3s) program and so far, we are equally pleased. She is very different from her brother, but she is comfortable, happy, and looks forward to school. Doesn't hurt that the classrooms are beautiful and full of fun things to do! In many ways this school feels like a throwback, in the very best way. There is a wholesomeness and sincerity about the students and families, and it doesn't feel like the program is trying to push them into too much too soon. I feel like the faculty is incredibly thoughtful and smart about what kids need at the various stages in their development. So far, so good, and we are looking forward to many more happy years here!

Positives | The Spanish/Music teacher is very strong. My son came home every week singing new…read moresongs and saying new Spanish words. The science teacher had interesting lessons and interactive activities that my son greatly enjoyed. There is also a good after school program that offers engaging programming for the students. The students also go to central park daily, which is nice. Negatives | Kids are constantly leaving the school. We came in grade K and only half of the class returned the following year. We left midyear grade 1 due to an unacceptable academic experience. We were offered a refund of unused tuition and a refund check was promptly provided. It bounced. A subsequent check was sent to me that cleared. Minimal participation with PTA - if you cannot meet at the school on a weekday at 8am, you will not be able to participate on PTA with the exception of a very small number of events. I offered to host a virtual PTA over zoom for parents who could not make the in person events and this idea was rejected citing the principal wanted these meetings to be held in person. Parent requests were seemingly given minimal consideration. Lack of consistency in teachers - We had a positive experience in kindergarten. The grade 1 teacher was new to the school, but expressed a desire to communicate with parents monthly. When I asked for a weekly update of what students would be learning, the teacher told me "I don't have to do that" and the principal told me to look on their public website. I had to involve other parents before a weekly update was provided by the principal for one month. Then back to monthly updates. Parents regularly did not know what students were doing or learning. In December, I asked some parents of my son's classmates what their kids could do now that they could not do in September. No one could tell me any additional skills that their child had. The teacher refused to provide non verbal feedback (no comments at all, no rubrics, no stickers, etc.) despite me specifically requesting this basic instructional support. I even provided examples that my son received in kindergarten for clarity. I saw minimal authentic work, and my child brought home endless worksheets, of course with no corrections. At curriculum night, the teacher shared that when kids finish their worksheets early, she often gives them additional worksheets from a book available on amazon (it was called "180 days of math", I think), which does not seem rigorous nor engaging. When I asked the teacher about how kids knew what to work on if she was not commenting on their work, the teacher claimed she told each child what to work on and I guess they were supposed to remember her every word. I often had to ask my child if he turned in the work because there was no evidence that the teacher even looked at it. After meeting with the teacher and principal about this, I was assured that this would change. I was specifically looking for positive reinforcement like "great work!", "good job" or anything with an encouraging effect. The teacher never wrote one encouraging word that I was able to see, but did start to correct some capitalization in pencil.. When I wrote to her that my child said that he hated first grade, her response was "that's unfortunate." He cried daily at this school. One major limitation of a school this small is there is not an option to switch teachers if one is instructionally challenged. At his new school, he has not cried once and often makes remarks about his new teacher's kindness.

My children have been attending ARS since 2018 and we are so grateful to have discovered this…read morewonderful school. ARS has the most talented, dedicated teachers I've encountered. The small class sizes allow for plenty of individualized attention, which has been such an advantage for my children. They come home happy and excited every day about what they've learned and their relationships with their classmates. ARS provides a very safe and nurturing environment for them which puts me at such ease. I love that the academics are so strong and the programs are robust. The Head of School is so impressive and simply wonderful. She's helped to create a very close-knit, loving, inclusive nature in the school. She has also handled Covid so well, and was able to keep the school open every day for in-person learning in the 2020-2021 school year, with no Covid cases in the school and no closures. The administration is equally excellent, and ARS has such a diverse and charming group of kids and parents. My children both attend the after school program, which has tons of offerings and an amazing leader. They also have a summer camp which allows the kids to spend much of their day in Central Park and has creative and academic components as well. I really cannot say enough positive things about this school! My family is lucky to have found ARS, and my children are thriving in every way.

Both my daughters have attended Pre K at Ascension, one in 2016 (UPK) and one this year 2018-2019…read more(Pre K 3). The rest of this review is kind of a response to the two old reviews on here about the school... 1.) I've found the school to be a wonderful community. It is EXTREMELY diverse which I'm so thankful for. Not sure what the other parent imagined diversity looks like. 2.) Yes the building is old, but the classrooms are brightly painted and have high ceilings with large windows. Actually, I've toured both a number of public and private schools in UWS and would say it's exactly on par, maybe more natural light than others. 3.) My daughters have had exceptional teachers at this school and made long-lasting friendships with students and their families. 4.) Price point is a huge positive factor. 5.) Staff is extremely friendly and accommodating. Yes, most of the office staff are fluent in both Spanish and English (huge selling point in NYC). Anytime I've ever needed help from them, they speak with me immediately. 4 stars instead of 5 because flow of information coming home to parents could improve. Still on par with my older daughters public school flow of information.

I L-O-V-E Ascension School. The kids there are SO welcoming. Lots of new kids every year. I was so…read morescared at first then at the end of the first day, I had like 5 friends!

Excellent, selective, competitive public school for gifted children.read more