Mission Statement
Since 1963, The Brownstone School has welcomed children and families into a nurturing community. Our warm and inspiring educators encourage children to explore, experiment, collaborate and create through guided and self-directed play. Our school fosters the social, emotional and educational skills essential for a joyful approach to learning.
Philosophy
The Brownstone School supports an educational philosophy which holds that children are continually striving to attain emotional, social, intellectual and physical maturity. The teaching staff are trained to provide appropriate experiences and activities in a suitable environment to help children achieve these goals. We also believe that children become successful lifelong learners when they are helped to develop a strong sense of identity and self-worth. In the process of helping children develop, grow and achieve, teachers take into account broad developmental differences due to age, individual rates of development, personality, learning styles, cultural backgrounds, and the ways in which each family functions. It is recognized that the family is the main source of security and identity for the child.
History
The Brownstone School was established on the Upper Westside of Manhattan in 1963 by a group of parents and educators who envisioned a non-profit, high quality early childhood educational center. In 1973 the school acquired its current building at 128 West 80th Street, between Amsterdam and Columbus Avenues. The school was chartered by the New York State Board of Regents in 1983. The school currently serves approximately 75 children, most families who live or work on Manhattan's Upper West Side. However, the school is, and has always been, committed to welcoming children from a variety of cultural, ethnic and economic backgrounds that reflect our diverse society, so families from all over the city have been a part of The Brownstone School. In our 60 year history, thousands of children have passed through our wooden doors.
Over the course of our history, our community has benefited from the dedication of the administration and teachers and from parents who have volunteered in many fundraising events. Several individuals have had a lasting impact on the development of the school, including the former Director, Cristina Huang. Tina guided the school over financial hurdles in the late mid-1990s and shepherded us through the challenges of changing demographics in the city and school's communities in 2000s.