My favorite word to describe The New School is thoughtful. We are an inclusive and supportive community of students, teachers, and administrators. Our students feel intellectually excited and challenged, and appreciated as individuals. We know that such a culture of thoughtfulness – of the mind and heart – brings out the best in teachers and students and makes for a rich and happy school environment.

Another word that captures The New School is dialogue. We are committed to small classes where teachers and students co-create the learning, and where teachers engage students in supportive conversations about their work and growth. Through class participation and dialogue with their teachers, our students learn to advocate for themselves, understand themselves as successful learners, and take charge of their academic lives.

Our mission has always been to help students learn to use their minds well. Our curriculum focuses on applied learning, critical and creative thought, and mastery of academic skills – what we call “deep learning” – and is, we feel, an ideal preparation for college and life beyond. We know, too, that giving students choices in the direction of their work fosters “ownership” – students feeling invested in their work, positive about themselves, and inspired to set higher and higher expectations for their work.

Our students love school because they are heard and appreciated by their teachers, they are valued members of their classes and school community, and there is a spirit of openness and calm that pervades our ethos.

As always, it’s all about the students.