WE SEE IN EDUCATION THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD A BETTER SOCIETY.
BANK STREET COLLEGE MISSION STATEMENT
Progressive means you’re encouraged to find your own ways to solve problems and be a contributing member to the community.
Zoe, Upper School Student
Welcome to Bank Street
NEW YORK CITY’S LEADING PRESCHOOL-8TH GRADE PROGRESSIVE SCHOOL
Bank Street School for Children provides students, from preschool through eighth grade, with an education that engages their natural curiosity, nurtures critical thinking, and helps to develop a sense of community and social responsibility.
Through a teaching approach that is fundamentally hands-on and child-centered, Bank Street students develop the courage and confidence to think independently, work collaboratively, understand themselves and others more deeply, and make informed meaning of the world around them.
A Better Society Begins With A Progressive Education
Bank Street School for Children is a pioneer of progressive education. But what is a progressive education? What kind of student thrives in it and what kind of adult does it produce? What kind of world does it seek to build?
INDEPENDENT THINKERS. PROBLEM SOLVERS. PERSPECTIVE-TAKERS.
Progressive education begins at Bank Street with a dynamic, experiential, inquiry-based curriculum responsive to the needs of the whole child at every stage of development. Bank Street children are immersed in joyful learning through age-appropriate challenges relevant to their lives.
Collaboration, as a cornerstone of socialization and community.
At Bank Street, learning becomes an active, lifelong endeavor in which children and adults alike engage as careful observers, experimenters, and creative thinkers.
WHAT IS “INQUIRY-BASED CURRICULUM”?
Children learn best when they arrive at their own meaning. Bank Street teachers encourage and facilitate student questioning, exploration, collaboration, and discovery.
At Bank Street, you have to do the thinking behind the problem. You are not told how to solve it. You have to work to find the answer.
Mani,
Upper School Student
My son learns best when he experiences things firsthand. Bank Street kids spend so much time outdoors and on field trips, engaging directly with the real world.
Lisa, Parent
The World Is Our Classroom
A DYNAMIC CURRICULUM THAT FEEDS CHILDREN’S
NATURAL CURIOSITIES
In our classrooms, hallways, gym, art room, and shop; on stage and in nearby Riverside Park; on the streets and in the cultural institutions of New York City, Bank Street students discover the world around them by entering into and engaging with it.
Our educators look for the teachable moments within each child’s reach, and assist students as they develop new understandings.
Teachers design curriculum knowing that learning takes place within a social and emotional context. The direction of the study connects directly to children’s personal experiences and interests.
We are also proud of our newly renovated facilities, including an innovative science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) lab, two outdoor play spaces, and a state-of-the-art auditorium, on the diverse and vibrant Upper West Side.
ON THE PLAY DECK
Lower School students pour water down the slide, investigating how water flows down an incline.
IN THE LOBBY
Middle School students organize a neighborhood march in support of civil rights.
OUTSIDE ON THE SIDEWALK, an Upper School student calculates the height of the building by measuring its shadow.
A Scenic Journey
PREPARING EACH CHILD FOR LIFE AFTER BANK STREET
Our goal is for our graduates to succeed in high school and beyond, and to become intelligent, creative, resourceful, and compassionate citizens of the world.
With teachers as their guides and the curriculum as a road map, children explore and delight in the journey, following off-ramps of inquiry that lead to unique discoveries. Bank Street teachers also pay close attention to environmental factors and the world around us, and sensibly incorporate current events into our teaching and learning practices.
Think of our approach to curriculum as taking the scenic route.
While we still arrive at the same destination together, the experiences are richer, and the learning results in deeper understandings.
Title
Academic Program Overview
Our school is divided into the Lower School (Preschool – Fourth Grade) and Upper School (Fifth – Eighth Grade) in order to accommodate the differing developmental stages and curricular needs of our children.
LOWER SCHOOL
3/4s, 4/5s. 5/6s, 6/7s, 7/8s, 8/9s, 9/10s
Bank Street’s interconnected learning model starts in the Lower School with social studies at its core. Whether in the block area, on our enclosed play deck, at the art table, or solving problems with friends, teaching teams foster students’ social and emotional resilience, intellectual curiosity, and expanding knowledge of the world around them. Their journey from dependence to independence, from concrete thinking to abstract thinking, continues as teachers support their holistic development in art, shop, drama, math, music, literacy, physical education, movement, Spanish, science, and more.
UPPER SCHOOL
10/11s, 11/12s, 12/13s, 13/14s
The Upper School uniquely attends to the social emotional and cognitive interests and needs of our older children. Homerooms are co-taught by a math/science teacher and a humanities teacher who, along with specialists, encourage students to be both inquisitive and critical of the world around them and prepare them to graduate with skills to succeed in high school and beyond.
At Bank Street, we learn through experience, not through textbooks or other ways. A project that really stood out to me was the Hudson River model. When making this, I was learning the geography of New York and making art with my hands at the same time.
Bella, Upper School Student
Social Studies
DEEPER LEARNING FROM RELEVANT EXPERIENCES
Social studies provides students with opportunities to study human communities and the natural world. In multiple ways, the curriculum focuses on the interrelationship and interaction between individuals and their environment.
With an emphasis on connecting teaching and learning meaningfully to the outside world from an early age, children know that they have a stake in building a better society.
The topics of study are guided by students’ ever-expanding knowledge of the world. Lower School children might study the park, a restaurant, or how people do their jobs; Middle School children study how neighborhoods function, civil rights movements throughout history, and the settlement of New Amsterdam; and Upper School students explore China, world religions, and the history and practices of constitutional democracy.
Language Arts & Literacy
IGNITING PASSION FOR READING, WRITING, SPEAKING, AND LISTENING
Bank Street values equally the capacity to speak and to listen, to write and to read, and applies these necessary skills to authentic tasks that connect students to the outside world through their intellectual, emotional, and social selves.
Rooted in expression and purpose, the literacy program at the School for Children offers multiple points of entry for students with a wide range of learning styles.
In the 5/6s through the Middle School grades, teachers, along with the support of literacy experts and learning specialists, design lessons to teach these skills directly, set standards for their use, and then provide opportunities for practice to promote fluency.
Library & Related Programs
World Languages
Our Children’s Library is home to over 83,000 children’s books, one of the largest circulating collections in the metropolitan area, and includes a large selection of libros en español. These resources support the school’s curriculum and sustain students’ growth as independent learners and lifelong readers. Each year, Upper School students participate as jurors in a mock Newbery Award selection process.
In addition, the Bank Street Center for Children’s Literature, including the Children’s Book Committee, creates, identifies, and advocates for the highest quality literature for all children from infancy through adolescence. Bank Street Middle Schoolers participate in reading and selecting books for consideration for the coveted annual Cook Prize and Irma Black Awards.
TOWARD GLOBAL COMMUNICATION AND UNDERSTANDING
Learning a new language broadens a child’s view of the world while providing the opportunity to examine, explore, and experience different cultures.
Language study prepares students to become lifelong learners and enlightened, broadminded, and curious citizens of the world.
Culture plays a significant role in the language curriculum. Beyond language skills, our teachers prepare children to live and work in a multicultural society by exposing them to the richness and diversity of cultures in both Spanish- and French-speaking countries.
Bank Street’s rigorous approach to math education prepares students to engage complex concepts both through discussion and debate, as well as by demonstrating proficiency on traditional assessments.
David, Upper School Teacher
Mathematics
MAKING SENSE OF THE WORLD THROUGH
PROBLEM-SOLVING AND QUANTITATIVE REASONING
At Bank Street, we use mathematics to explore, to summarize, and to express patterns and relationships, both in the real world and in the abstract. We educate students who go out into the world and solve problems, who appreciate the elegance of mathematical concepts, and who also can articulate them to others.
Our problem-centered and inquiry-based approach enables students to develop their own understandings of mathematical concepts and techniques.
Teachers serve as guides during structured explorations, introducing a wide range of materials and fostering an environment where students confidently ask questions and engage in creative problem-solving.
Across each division, our approach is aligned with national standards for mathematics and embodies best practices of instruction.
Science Technology
TAKING IN THE WORLD WITH ALL FIVE SENSES ALERT
The science program at Bank Street starts with what students already know about the physical world and provides investigative experiences, including age-appropriate classroom experiments, that expand their knowledge. Science requires evidence, obtained by observation and measurement. Students make meaning of the world as a result of their own discoveries.
Each year, through Science Expo, Upper School students design and conduct their own original experiments and present their results over a daylong exhibition of learning. Younger students attend the Expo with their older “buddies” as a way of building community and promoting a love of science.
ESSENTIAL LITERACY FOR THE DIGITAL AGE
Academically and socially, Bank Street aims to develop each student’s ability to access, make meaning of, and share new learning.
We help students understand and utilize new technologies, make thoughtful use of social media, and examine the impact of their digital footprints.
Technology also provides teachers tools to review, record, and communicate the growth and development of their students and enables parents to be active partners in their children’s education.
Bank Street has helped me to harness the power of my messiness, to see order where others see chaos, to inspire creative thought and action.
For this I am eternally grateful.
Finlay, Class of ‘15
Progressive education considers art, music, and movement as essential as math, science, and other academic disciplines.
Gabriel, Class of ‘87
Art & Shop
VISUAL LITERACY AND CREATIVE EXPRESSION
Bank Street students explore painting, drawing, clay, collage, construction, and woodworking from ages
3 to 14. Whether in the studio or through integrated art, children learn and grow through interacting with materials at each stage of their development.
At Bank Street, children construct a visual language as they reflect upon their experiences and express their understandings of the world.
Our students regularly visit New York’s major art institutions for historical context and inspiration.
Drama
ACTING ON OUR PRINCIPLES
Drama is an integral part of Bank Street’s curriculum. It takes the form of dramatic play in the Lower School, formal classes in the Middle School, and a culminating musical production in the Upper School.
Through the theatrical arts, students develop their selfexpression and come to value their uniqueness as creative individuals.
We believe that the very act of inhabiting another character deepens a child’s respect, appreciation, and empathy for others.
Physical Education & Movement
THE SOUND OF COMMUNITY
Our music curriculum enables each child to experience appreciation for and success in music from a wide range of world cultures. Teachers challenge all children to acquire listening, interpretive, rhythmic, and melodic skills, as well as music literacy.
Students translate their personal associations to music into a deeper understanding of its importance in family, community, history, and social justice movements.
Annual winter and spring concerts serve as culminating celebrations of the musical growth and talents of our students. In addition, private group lessons held after school afford students opportunities to deepen their instrumental skills.
DEVELOPING BODY AND MIND
Our physical education and movement program is designed for children to experience healthy, enjoyable, and challenging physical activity as a regular component of their lives. Teachers encourage and support the participation of all students in activities, allowing them to develop at their own pace, free from any pressure to perform at certain skill levels for a particular age.
Physical education teachers introduce activities based on their understanding of children’s cognitive and physical development in order to give all children an opportunity to succeed.
Physical education and movement classes encourage children to take risks by trying new activities, engage in spatial/physical problem-solving, and learn good sportsmanship and teamwork skills.
Everyone feels like they have a special place at Bank Street. It’s like a second home.
Maddy, Upper School Student
Bank Street Kids...
(in their own words)
...can’t wait for the first day of school, and cry on the last.
…look at things from all perspectives before making a decision on how to solve a problem.
...actually like to work in groups on projects.
…are respectful and polite and have a deeper understanding of a lot of academic concepts.
…try to be aware of everything that is affecting everyone, not just what affects them.
This backdrop is reproduced from IN THE CITY, one of The Bank Street Reader series of books published by The Macmillan Company in the 1960s and ‘70s.
…are able to look critically at how the world works, and if they don’t think it’s right, they say what they think.
…take action for what they believe in.
…love coming to class because they know that their opinion is valued and heard by their peers and teachers.
…carry the Bank Street mindset that everyone should be treated fairly no matter their race, gender, religion, gender identity, class, family structure, or sexual orientation.
Our Strength Is In Our Diversity
Bank Street is committed to the progressive ideal that schools should represent and improve the societies in which they exist.
STUDENTS ARE TAUGHT TO SEE AND CONFRONT INJUSTICE
Students become upstanders (individuals who recognize when something is wrong and act to make it right) rather than bystanders and learn to engage difference through curiosity, decency, and respect.
Community and advocacy are at the heart of our work.
We view diversity broadly. In developmentally appropriate ways, we explore aspects of identity including race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, family structure, ability, and learning styles. We design lessons and shape teaching methods to better develop children’s abilities to become advocates for social justice and allies in an inclusive community. Our work is grounded in supporting positive identity development for all students.
The power of diversity involves adults as well as children.
The School for Children actively seeks families, faculty, and staff from diverse backgrounds who are willing partners in the quest for social justice. Each child and adult should be able to see themselves reflected in the larger community and engage with people whose lived experiences differ.
I think of Bank Street as a school that not just teaches us subjects such as math or social studies, but also educates us about other things too, like the Racial Justice and Advocacy curriculum.
Evie, Upper School Student
Talking with my classmates, my teachers, and my affinity group has emboldened me to ask tough questions of myself, my peers, my teachers, my family, and my community.
Bank Street’s commitment to social justice has encouraged me to work unafraid and to speak up for things I feel strongly about.
Ava, Class of ‘15
Affinity Groups At Bank Street
A PLACE TO CALL YOUR OWN
A positive sense of identity is central to creating an inclusive and thriving community.
The term affinity group refers to people who share a common identity. Some may call this self-segregation; we call it a safe haven for children and adults to discuss important issues without judgment. Affinity groups offer a venue to share experiences, reflect, engage in dialogue, and provide support. Bank Street affinity groups host schoolwide events — such as the annual talent show and the Pride Day march — and host guest speakers. These activities ultimately strengthen the ties of the entire Bank Street community.
STUDENT GROUPS
• Adoption Affinity Group
• Banana Splits (Children with Divorced Parents)
• Gender Spectrum Alliance
• Kids of Color (KOC)
• Multiracial Affinity Group
• White Anti-Racist Affinity Group (WAAG)
PARENT GROUPS
• Adoption Affinity Group
• Learning Diversity Support
• LGBTQIA+ Group (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, Intersex, Asexual)
• Parents of Children of Color (POCOC)
• Raising Gender-Diverse Children
• White Anti-Racist Affinity Group (WAAG)
FACULTY GROUPS
• Educators of Color (EOC)
• White Anti-Racist Affinity Group (WAAG)
A School Within A College
PROFESSIONAL LEARNERS MAKE THE BEST TEACHERS
The School for Children is a working model of the Bank Street Graduate School of Education’s approach to teaching and learning.
The education children receive in the School for Children is directly linked to the training our teachers experience in the Graduate School, widely considered the gold standard for progressive teacher and school leader preparation. Indeed, more than two-thirds of our teachers have earned graduate degrees at the Bank Street Graduate School of Education.
Many schools are proud of their Bank Streettrained teachers. We are Bank Street.
And Bank Street’s influence in the broader educational community extends — through our Graduate School alumni, our contributions to policy and research, and our professional development efforts — across the country and around the world.
“[Students of Bank Street-trained teachers] are happily and deeply engaged in robust and meaningful learning experiences. [Their] capacities to read, write, analyze, problem-solve, inquire, and think creatively extend far beyond what is seen in many classrooms today.”
— The Threads They Follow: Bank Street Teachers in a Changing World, A STUDY BY STANFORD UNIVERSITY’S CENTER FOR OPPORTUNITY POLICY IN EDUCATION
Bank Street-trained educators go to the top of the pile when they apply for jobs. They know kids, they know child development, and they know how to meet the needs of individual learners.
Independent School Head
In Washington, DC, I asked Congressman John Lewis about the discipline required to remain peaceful when surrounded by so much hate. He told me that love is the answer. Love is a powerful gift, and Bank Street has taught me how to use it.
Ava, Class of ‘15
Special Traditions & Events
LINKING GENERATIONS OF BANK STREET KIDS
Bank Street traditions and special events occur regularly throughout the school year, from the highly-anticipated all-school “Bank Street’s Got Talent” show, presented by our Parents of Children of Color affinity group, to multinight field trips to Philadelphia and Washington, DC. Whether it’s a buddy class in which older students mentor younger ones, or mock elections that take over the entire school, each is a reminder that a progressive education produces citizens who are creative, productive, and contributing members of society. Some traditions even span generations.
They include:
• Parent Band Assemblies
• Winter and Spring Concerts
• Lower School Hoedown
• Fall Fair
• Spring Auction & Benefit
• Spirit Day
• Field Day
• Ellis Island field trip and immigration simulation
• Overnight field trips to sleepaway camp, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC.
Extended Day
OPPORTUNITIES BEYOND THE CLASSROOM ABOUND
At Bank Street, extracurricular activities for children of all ages run throughout the year. Our After School Program enables students to pursue creative, intellectual, physical, and social interests, while offering a vital benefit to working parents from the end-ofschool through 6:00 PM daily.
KIDS CLUB FOR LOWER & MIDDLE SCHOOL
In an atmosphere that is both caring and nurturing, our After School Program offers children the opportunity to engage in a variety of activities from art, basic cooking, storytelling, dramatic play, and outdoor fun.
Clubs & After School Activities
A sampling of activities include:
• Art
• Chess
• Clay
• Coding
• Cooking
• Dance
• Drama
• Homework Club
• Martial Arts
• Music Lessons
• Rock Band
• Woodworking
I love the afterschool program because it’s fun and you have lots of choices for what you want to do.
Ivan,
Middle School Student
Bank Street has taught me to try new things and come out of my shell. It also made me feel comfortable asking questions and has helped me respect other people’s opinions even when I don’t agree with them.
Josh, Class of ‘13
Bank Street Athletics
Summer Camp
INTERSCHOLASTIC SPORTS
For Upper School students interested in competitive sports, our interscholastic sports programs meet after school hours twice a week for practices and games against other schools.
A ZEST FOR LEARNING, YEAR-ROUND
Bank Street Summer Camp is a recreational, and educational program for children ages 4 through 13.
Accredited by the American Camp Association, a typical weekly schedule may include art, swimming, outdoor adventures to local parks and museums, and field trips within the city and beyond. Our outstanding staff is Bank Street trained — many are graduates of the Bank Street School for Children or the Graduate School — and we’re proud that so many former campers return as counselors. Specialists in their field lead our thematic camper experiences, including activities such as: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM)
A Progressive Approach To Admissions & Financial Aid
RESPECT. COMPASSION. COLLABORATION.
Our admissions process reflects the values Bank Street holds most dear. Parents are invited to spend meaningful time in classrooms at each of the division levels to experience firsthand our unique approach to teaching and learning, and during the parent interview they are provided personalized feedback, based in our knowledge of child development, about their child’s visit to the school.
The School for Children believes that economic diversity enriches the educational opportunity for all families, and participation by a wide range of families is critical to the vitality of our school. Because we regard socioeconomic diversity as a core educational value, the School for Children dedicates a significant portion of our annual operating budget to support financial aid.
WHAT GRADE IS MY CHILD IN?
Referring to groups of children by the span of their ages over the course of a year is a long-standing tradition at Bank Street. Thus, kindergarten is often referred to as the 5/6s, fourth graders are the 9/10s, and our graduating class, traditionally classified as eighth graders, are the 13/14s.
This reflects the range of development that exists in any classroom at a given time, and honors specific moments in our students’ lives.
Here’s a helpful hint: for the 6/7s and up, simply subtract five from the first number to find your child’s traditional grade.
What the admissions process demonstrated is how quickly and how well Bank Street understands our kids.
Nic, Parent
As an older buddy, I like that you get a chance to learn about younger children, play with them, and teach them.
Nadira, Upper School Student
The Value Of Preschool-8th Grade
BUILDING COMMUNITY, FROM BUDDIES TO MENTORS
A preschool through eighth grade school is a close-knit community that provides the support children need as they experience gradual and radical shifts in their physical, emotional, social, and cognitive development. As a result, Bank Street kids are known and cared for, feel safe and confident to ask questions, and have the courage to explore new ideas, face challenges, and make mistakes.
In an eighth-grade school, early adolescents can be children longer as they grow in competence and confidence.
At Bank Street, Upper School students assume greater responsibilities as leaders, role models, and mentors for younger children. These additional responsibilities facilitate their maturation and contribute to a strong sense of self.
By eighth grade, Bank Street students have acquired a high degree of self-knowledge. They recognize the kind of learners they are, can identify clearly the qualities they seek in the next school they attend, and take a leadership position in collaborating with parents, trusted teachers, and administrators throughout the high school application process.
Applying To Bank Street
The application deadline is in early December. Notifications are sent out in February, and parent responses are due in February and early March.
LOWER SCHOOL
3/4s, 4/5s, 5/6s, 6/7s
• Open House
• Online Application
• Child Visit
• Confidential School Reports
• Parent Tour of School in Session
• Parent Interview
7/8s, 8/9s, 9/10s
• Open House
• Online Application
• Child Visit
• Last Year’s School Report
• Current School Report
• Corrected Written School Assignment
• Confidential School Reports
• Parent Tour of School in Session
• Parent Interview
UPPER SCHOOL
10/11s, 11/12s, 12/13s, 13/14s
• Open House
• Online Application
• Child Interview with Upper School Coordinator
• Academic Assessments and Classroom Visit
• Last Year’s School Report
• Current School Report
• Corrected Written School Assignment
• Confidential School Reports
• ISEE or SSAT Entrance Exam (optional)
• Parent Tour of School in Session
• Parent Interview
Beyond Bank Street
BANK STREET TEACHES CHILDREN HOW TO THINK, NOT WHAT TO THINK
Our students learn how to reason and how to discover solutions for themselves. By the time they leave Bank Street, they’re equipped to meet any academic or social challenge.
Bank Street’s Director of High School Placement advises each family about the independent and public high school options most suitable for their child.
Upper School students engage in mock high school interviews with Bank Street administrators, and a thorough academic and citizenship profile is prepared to accompany their application.
Bank Street students are coveted additions to the many high school communities they join after graduation. Each year at least 95% of our students are admitted to one of their top two high school choices.
Preparation for the high school application process begins in the spring of the 12/13s year. During the fall of their final year, students engage in a series of activities designed to ready them for life after Bank Street.
CHILDREN AT THE CENTER OF THEIR OWN GRADUATION
At our eighth-grade graduation, each child is given the stage to reflect on their time at the school and the impact that the community and curriculum have had on their growth and development. The ceremony becomes a beautiful mosaic of original speeches, songs, dances, poetry, art, and film — with our students, as always, squarely at the center of their own learning.
Our graduates leave us prepared for the next step in their educational journeys, and for life as empathetic, confident, and proactive contributors to a better society.
I open my eyes and nine years have gone by, But I’m just not sure, How to describe it or the exact words to advise... Like a beautiful shell Washed away by the tide, This dream I’ve had,
Of becoming confident and learning how to hold my head high, It started at Bank Street when I was only five.
Neely, Class of ‘13
In terms of civic competency, Bank Street prepared me more than any other institution I attended [Friends Seminary, ‘11; Vassar, ‘15].
Adam, Class of ’07
OUR CREDO
What potentialities in human beings — children, teachers, and ourselves — do we want to see develop?
• A ZEST FOR LIVING that comes from taking in the world with all five senses alert
I love the social aspect of the school. I have friends in the fifth grade and the seventh grade, not because we were forced but just ‘cause we talk and became friends.
Lucy Sprague Mitchell, who founded Bank Street as the Bureau of Educational Experiments over a century ago, wrote a credo that continues to define the spirit of imaginative and critical inquiry that motivates and guides our work today.
• LIVELY INTELLECTUAL CURIOSITIES that turn the world into an exciting laboratory and keep one ever a learner
• FLEXIBILITY when confronted with change and ability to relinquish patterns that no longer fit the present
• THE COURAGE TO WORK unafraid and efficiently, in a world of new needs, new problems, and new ideas
• GENTLENESS COMBINED WITH JUSTICE in passing judgments on other human beings
• SENSITIVITY not only to the external formal rights of the “other fellow,” but to him as another human being seeking a good life through his own standards
• A STRIVING TO LIVE DEMOCRATICALLY in and out of schools, as the best way to advance our concept of democracy