Dear Applicant Families,
Raising children in New York City is very exciting as well as challenging! Manhattan offers many opportunities as you search for the best possible preschool experience for your child. In the past few years, we have seen more daycare and city run programs opening up in Manhattan. In an effort to help you make the best decision for your child, please read below to see what The Great Little School offers your child and family.
Warmly,
Jaya Misra, GLS Director
How does GLS differ from universal 3 and 4K?
The Great Little School adheres to a very purposeful philosophy. Our philosophy is both Progressive and Project Based. The Progressive Education model focuses on understanding each child’s individual development and experiences (the concept of the Whole Child) and providing children with developmentally appropriate, hands-on, learning experiences. Children learn through exploration and to inquire, create, and to think abstractly. Through “projects” children delve into areas of interest and teachers build a curriculum based on children’s passions. Children are well prepared for Kindergarten when they leave GLS as they have learned literacy, math, science, music, art, and social emotional concepts through inquiry and exploration instead of simple memorization. You can read more about this research based philosophy here.
We are able to meet the needs of different family structures by providing part or full day schedule options for children, while still maintaining a meaningful curriculum. As a non-profit program that follows a specific learning philosophy, our teachers are highly educated and continue their professional development journeys on topics such as curriculum and child development.
Universal 3 and 4K programs differ in quality and size city wide. Some things they have often have in common compared to a setting like ours are:
-A curriculum that is less play based, less child centered, and more structured around memorization instead of hands- on inquiry.
-Rotating assistant teachers who can be placed in different schools each year.
-Questionable funding from year to year which affects teacher salaries, classroom materials, and ongoing learning resources.
-A larger teacher to child ratio.
-Limited after school options.
-Limited or no counseling or help with ongoing school exmissions. This especially limits the likelihood of children having the option to attend specialized or private programs.
-Limited parenting support.
How does GLS differ from Daycare?
The Great Little School operates as a not-for-profit school with 85% of all tuition collected going directly to staffing and being able to provide our staff with a living wage. Every classroom has a Masters-level Head Teacher certified in early childhood education along with an Assistant Teacher(s). Many of the Assistant Teachers have degrees or are working towards getting their credentials to be Head Teachers. We also have Specialty Teachers whose expertise is in Music and Art.
In addition to their annual salary, our teachers have a comprehensive benefits package that includes health and dental insurance, tuition reimbursement for their educational studies, a retirement plan that the school contributes to, as well as ongoing professional development opportunities. Being able to provide these benefits results in minimal turnover of teachers and staff, allowing for maximum continuity throughout your child’s years at GLS.
The Great Little School has a well-planned, age and developmentally appropriate curriculum based on a particular early childhood philosophy referred to as “Progressive Education” with a focus on “Project Based Learning.” Teachers write weekly lesson plans that are submitted to the director for approval. Everything that is done at BPCNS has a purpose with the child’s learning in mind. The children are given developmentally appropriate, hands-on activities that speak to their interests and inquiries. This sets the stage for a lifelong love of learning and preparation for future academic success.
We recognize that many of our families have different needs in terms of the length of the school day. As a result, we offer a number of different options – Morning Session (9:00am – 12:00pm), Full Day (9:00am – 2:30pm) and Extended Session (9:00am – 5:30pm). We also have early drop off available based on need.
One of the greatest things about BPCNS is our active parent community. The school has an open door policy. We welcome parents to come into their child’s classroom to share an activity or read a story. Teachers are easy to access via email, Remini, or telephone.
Our teachers all have a one-year contract, which provides consistency in who cares for your child every day. Our Director has a background in Early Childhood Education and Development, as well as many years of experience in independent schools and is a resource to both parents and teachers in the areas of child development, curriculum, and New York City ongoing schools (public and private).
GLS is part of a professional network including the following organizations:
-Independent School Admissions Association of Greater New York (ISAAGNY)
-Parents League of New York
Daycare:
Most Daycare centers are for-profit businesses established as a corporate enterprise. To do this, they must keep their costs down. This means:
-A revolving door of part-time workers who have no benefits
-A minimum amount of Masters-level, certified teachers
-Employees and Directors who aren’t educators
-A curriculum that is primarily babysitting