The Studio School

Our daughter will graduate from 8^th grade at The Studio School in June. We placed her in the school starting in 6^th grade, and it was one of the best decisions we ever made for our family. On arriving at The Studio School (from a different elementary school), our child was anxious, frustrated, disengaged & lacked confidence. From the very start we worked closely with Janet Rotter, Head-​of-​School, as well as an invested & passionate group of educators who understood how «Jane» was experiencing & processing school. During her three years at Studio our daughter blossomed into a genuinely curious learner, and a lively & engaged young person.
The Studio School environment validates how exceptional every child is, and they partnered with the three of us (our daughter is an «only») to provide a uniquely challenging & nurturing education. Our «Jane» went from a child who hated & refused to go to school to a kid who advocates for herself, regulates herself and meets her education head-​on, with open & eager arms. It’s been a wonderful & enlightening process for all of us.
My husband and I occasionally get caught up in «if only we’d sent her there from the start.» But if our previous school experience did one thing, it led us to The Studio School. Every child should have this kind of whole, meaningful, educational experience. Our world would be a much better place.
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The Studio School is an extraordinary place. My three-​year-​old twin sons spent a wonderful year in the toddler program last year and asked every morning, «Is this a day we go to Studio?» because they were so excited to go to school. Now we’re eagerly awaiting September so Studio days start again.
Studio talks a lot about kids being able to «ask for what they want and need,» and the head of school, Ms Rotter, says, «There’s no learning without feelings.» So the approach focuses a lot on social-​emotional growth and development, which I always thought is appropriate for preschool, but now I’m completely sold on how important it is for the higher intellectual development in elementary and middle school as well.
I spend most of my time at Studio in the early childhood program with my kids, but earlier this year I gave a career talk to a group of Studio middle school students. I do a lot of these sorts of talks, usually for middle and high school students, and the Studio kids were hands down the most attentive group I’ve ever spoken to. They had appropriate, considered questions for me, and behaved like no group of middle schoolers I’ve ever seen before. The only class I’ve ever spoken to who were more sophisticated was an NYU graduate seminar!
If I’d had any second thoughts about whether Studio was the right place for our kids as they get older, they were washed away after that experience. If my boys are that thoughtful and articulate when they are 13 years old (a notoriously difficult age), it will have been worth every dollar of tuition we’ve paid.

As a four-​year-​old, our daughter has been enrolled at the Studio School for two years now and the growth we’ve seen in her is amazing. Yes, the school is nurturing… yes, the school is supportive to both the children and parents dealing with separation issues and the like. But once you get past the acclimation period, that’s where the magic happens. We expected at the very least a high quality daycare environment, but what we are actually seeing is our daughter now being able to READ… and process mathematical concepts like basic addition, subtraction and even some multiplication. And yes, she’s just four and a half. This isn’t because we’re forcing her to listen to Baby Einstein CDs or running flash cards by her… she’s really taking what she’s being exposed to at The Studio School, and coming to her own conclusions… it’s quite amazing to watch. I think what we’re seeing is our daughter being taught the TOOLS for how to think and process problems, not the act of adding up 2 + 2, but the concept of math itself (in a very age-​appropriate way of course).
Well, go see for yourself… the school is incredibly welcoming to parents and families and better yet… if you ever have the chance to speak with children who have been at the school for any length of time, you’ll notice right away how articulate and thoughtful they are in what they say. Amazing stuff.

We love the Studio School. Our daughter has been there for one year — since she was 20 months old. She completely took to the structure of the class and by the end was seamlessly transitioning from one activity to another. I was amazed to see my little girl who was previously throwing her food all over the floor suddenly able to sit down and eat with the other students, then clear her plate and clean the table without being prompted or pushed. We feel so lucky to have found such a special place.

We love the Studio School! Little Guy has been there for seven years and we are very happy with the program. We started out thinking we’d send him there for preschool and see how things went. Well, things have gone great. The academics get tougher as the kids get older (as it should be) but the teachers and administration at Studio continue to work WITH the child not AGAINST the child just as it was described in Norah E’s review.
As the Little Guy has grown, we’ve been amazed at how Studio’s approach has helped us to raise a self-​sufficient, self-​trusting person. At nine, he is far more emotionally aware than many adults. Plus, in a small classroom setting, the children are able to push past grade level where they excel and they get a ton of support in areas where they are struggling. If you are looking for a school where the development of each child and the strength of the group are in healthy balance, Studio is a great school for you!