Welcome to Park Avenue Christian Church Day School

Dear Parents,

It is my pleasure to welcome you to the Park Avenue Christian Church Day School.  We are a non-sectarian early childhood school for children two years and seven months old through five years old located on Park Avenue at 85th Street.  Founded in 1963 as part of the church's community service program with a building built specifically for our school, we are looking forward to celebrating our 50th anniversary in 2013.

We follow a developmental, child-centered philosophy, which provides a happy and nurturing environment in which children can develop a positive self image and a love of learning.  The curriculum is diverse and flexible, encouraging each child's innate curiosity.  The children are valued as able, worthwhile individuals, each with their own unique talents and abilities. Children at every age level are given unlimited opportunities to learn and grow through play. This approach provides a sense of challenge and personal mastery for each child.

Our eleven large and sunny classrooms ring with the happy voices of 225 children, working, playing, building, discovering, discussing and singing.  You will often hear children, teachers and parents reading and sharing in our two libraries and our three kitchens often fill the halls with the delicious smell of class cooking projects - from apple sauce to banana bread or even pumpkin pie.  On our newly renovated rooftop playground or in our spacious basement gymnasium, you can see and hear the active play of children running, climbing, exploring and building friendships that may last a lifetime.

At Park Avenue Christian Church Day School we are looking ahead as we prepare children for a rigorous and demanding educational career.  Although it is hard to imagine how the world will change in the next fifteen years when they will enter college, around 2025, we do know that in order to succeed they will need many different skills and abilities.  The skills that will be most important for them to master will be: problem solving, flexibility, critical thinking, resilience, adaptability, the ability to work collaboratively, imagination and, most important, creativity.  These skills are at the heart of our philosophy and curriculum.  Through dozens of opportunities each day, we organize the children’s cognitive, physical, social and emotional development through experiences that open children’s minds and  encourage creative problem solving.

I look forward to welcoming you to our school.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Betsy Newell

Head of School