ACTIVE DISCOVERY Preschool (Age 3) through 8th Grade
OUR MISSION Catherine Cook School is a vibrant learning community that fosters curiosity, develops critical thinking, and inspires compassionate leadership for students in preschool through 8th grade.
DIVERSITY STATEMENT Catherine Cook School is committed to creating and sustaining a diverse community of belonging. We aim to achieve this through an inclusive, bias-aware, and anti-racist approach to curriculum and community building.
OUR WHOLE-CHILD APPROACH ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE Curiosity and inquiry are at the heart of student learning. Expert, caring faculty guide exploration of both individual and group interests to develop skills for lifelong growth.
WELLBEING & BELONGING Our intentionally inclusive environment supports the mental, physical, social, and emotional wellbeing and development of each person’s multifaceted identity.
EMPOWERED LEARNERS & LEADERS From the earliest years, students build strong relationships with their peers and teachers, confidently share their learning with others, and develop skills to be thoughtful leaders in our community and in life.
INNOVATOR’S MINDSET Persistently reflecting on and trying new approaches prepares Cook graduates to seize opportunity in whatever life brings.
ACADEMICS By creating spaces of active discovery, Catherine Cook empowers students at every stage to test ideas, solve problems, reflect on their learning, and build essential cognitive and social skills through genuine exploration. Rooted in curiosity, Catherine Cook’s inquiry-based approach drives academic discovery at all grade levels. In Early Childhood, learning begins with an emergent curriculum shaped by children’s natural interests. Here, teachers craft thoughtful “invitations” and “provocations” using carefully selected materials to spark deeper, hands-on thinking. As students progress into Lower School and Middle School, this investigative mindset integrates seamlessly into core academics. In literacy, students analyze mentor texts to adopt sophisticated writing techniques; in math, they “notice and wonder” about concepts through the lens of complex, real-world problems. This culminates in self-directed science and social studies projects, where students conduct deep research before designing and sharing dynamic displays of learning with our community.
SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL 75% LEARNING of teachers
have been in education for 10+ years
At Catherine Cook, social-emotional learning (SEL) is not just a philosophy – it’s an actual curriculum that helps us grow as a community of belonging and inclusion. Students are encouraged to fully understand and embrace themselves, appreciate and respect the identities of others, build strong collaboration skills, and be compassionate leaders in a world that we all share. Our faculty work closely with all students to explore concepts like interpersonal communication, emotional wellness, equity, social justice, and digital citizenship. One way that we incorporate these ideas for students of all ages is through the acronym
ROARS: Respect, Ownership, Appreciation, Responsibility, Safety
ENRICHMENT A fundamental piece of Cook’s whole-child approach, our enrichment courses foster well-rounded individuals through the exploration of diverse subject areas and disciplines, including:
7:1 student to teacher ratio
IDEA
LIBRARY
(INNOVATION, DESIGN, ENGINEERING, ART)
ART
SOCIALEMOTIONAL LEARNING
PHYSICAL EDUCATION/ MOVEMENT
WORLD LANGUAGES (FRENCH & SPANISH)
COMPUTER SCIENCE
MUSIC
6
field trips averaged per grade level every year
LEARNING BEYOND THE CLASSROOM
Our classrooms extend beyond the walls of our school and into the real world as students meaningfully apply academic concepts and social-emotional skills within the wider community. Whether taking the CTA train on a local exploration in Chicago or boarding an airplane to a far-off destination, high quality field trips are essential in creating deep, practical knowledge. Recent experiences have included:
Early Childhood
Lower School
Middle School
Learning about the food we eat at the farmer’s market
Turning big ideas into reality at the Chicago Architecture Center
Getting to know our community helpers at the fire station
Understanding Potawatomi history and culture at the Gichigamiin Indigenous Nations Museum
Serving members of our Chicago community at the Greater Chicago Food Depository
Exploring the moon, stars, and planets at the Adler Planetarium
Appreciating music with a live performance at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Seeing professional scientific research in action at Argonne National Laboratory World Languages immersion experiences in Mexico City and Québec, Canada
BUILDING STRONG CONNECTIONS Catherine Cook is a warm and inclusive community, where each person is valued and can build strong relationships as their authentic self. Teachers truly know and care about their students and work closely with families to help them succeed. Students have many opportunities for collaboration and connection within and across grade levels, and that bond with one another and the school continues as alumni. Meanwhile, parents and caregivers build incredible relationships and friendships with faculty, staff, and other families that last far beyond their time at Cook. Opportunities for community connection include:
COUGAR BUDDIES
ALL-SCHOOL ASSEMBLIES
Cross-divisional mentorship and learning
Weekly, student-led celebration of learning
AFFINITY & ALLIANCE GROUPS Identity-based connection for students and adults
PARENT ASSOCIATION Social events, volunteering, and education
86% of Middle School students play sports at Cook
ATHLETICS Middle School students enjoy the opportunity to participate in a variety of competitive athletics teams as part of the local CAMS league with other independent schools. Athletics are a great way to build confidence, practice teamwork and collaboration skills, and develop healthy physical exercise habits that can last a lifetime. Current athletics opportunities include:
Basketball
Track & Field
Soccer
Volleyball
Flag Football
AFTER SCHOOL AT COOK Once the school day ends, the learning doesn’t stop! Catherine Cook offers a wide variety of after school programming until 6:00 p.m. daily. Led by Catherine Cook faculty and local experts, After School Adventures (ASA) and Middle School Clubs provide opportunities to explore new interests or further develop existing passions. Recent options have included:
Early Childhood Slimy Science Taekwondo LEGO Engineering
Lower School Glow Art Minecraft Code Cheer Team
Middle School Future Problem Solvers Chess Academic Quiz Bowl
Additional programming includes private music lessons, high school admissions test prep, and our Extended Day program, which provides a fun and supervised space for students to complete their homework and enjoy creative play.
110+ after school programs available
HIGH SCHOOL PLACEMENT
Your Next Steps are Important – Let Us Lead the Way! There is no “best high school,” but there is a school that is best for your student, and Catherine Cook will help you find it. With a mission and philosophy intentionally tailored to age 3 – 8th grade, our students have the skills and confidence to choose their next steps at the top high schools in Chicago and beyond. Our high school placement process involves one-on-one counseling and an individualized approach to finding the right fit for each graduate’s interests, ambitions, abilities, and values.
2022-2026 High School Placement:
INDEPENDENT
SELECTIVE ENROLLMENT
Latin School of Chicago Francis W. Parker School Beacon Academy University of Chicago Lab Schools
Walter Payton College Prep Lane Tech College Prep Whitney Young College Prep Jones College Prep Northside College Prep
35%
PAROCHIAL St. Ignatius College Prep DePaul College Prep Loyola Academy De La Salle Institute
25%
BOARDING
7%
27%
6%
Lake Forest Academy Philips Academy Andover (NH) Cranbrook Schools (MI) McCallie School (TN)
OTHER Jones College Prep – CTE Program Lincoln Park High School – IB Program New Trier High School Evanston Township High School
The high school application process is a great way for kids and families to learn more about themselves and their priorities, and Chicago kids are lucky to have so many choices. Kate Kraft and Mike Bett, Alumni Parents
OUR CAMPUS Catherine Cook’s state-of-the-art facilities provide an engaging environment that sparks creativity and a passion for learning.
Library
Security
Features 20,000 books, cozy fireplace reading space, and Story Telling Room
Two security desks staffed full-time by off-duty and retired police officers
Recess Spaces
Cafeteria
Two rooftop recess spaces with a climbing playground and area for free play as well as an open lawn space
Includes full commercial kitchen and serves as large-group meeting space
Mark Droegemueller Gymnasium Features a professional score board, performance stage and theater lighting/sound, HD cinematic projector, locker rooms, and 2nd floor running track
Tech Labs Dedicated spaces for technology and computational thinking, featuring age-appropriate resources like a green screen, digital cameras, lighting equipment, audio recording booth, robots, and coding activities
Science Labs Fully-equipped science labs for senior kindergarten, Lower School and Middle School
Music and Art Studios
Two visual arts classrooms with ceramics kiln and two music classrooms with a wide variety of musical instruments
Health Office Full-time registered nurse on staff to serve the health needs of our students and provide classroom and schoolwide updates to families
Innovation, Design, Engineering, and Art (IDEA) Lab Features 3D printers, sewing machines, laser cutter, traditional shop tools, robotics, and more
Want to explore more of our school campus? SCHEDULE A TOUR!
ADMISSIONS 1
INQUIRE
2 VISIT US 3 APPLY
to connect with our team
on a tour and other admission events on our website by Dec. 14, 2026
JOIN US FOR OUR OPEN HOUSE Sunday, November 8, 2026 Come meet our teachers, chat with current parents, and take a student-led tour!
Financial Support Socioeconomic inclusion is critical to the success of any school community. For that reason, Catherine Cook has awarded more than $1.2 million in financial support this year to families who would not otherwise be able to attend. In addition to standard tuition assistance, financial support can be awarded through the Thatcher Swanson Grant for Diversity and Inclusion, which provides fully-funded tuition, fees, lunch, after school programming, and additional resources for a limited number of students each year.
$ 1.2 million
in financial support awarded for the 2026-2027 school year
To learn more about Catherine Cook School, please contact:
Office of Admission
admission@ccookschool.org 312.266.3381 x3146
Catherine Cook School | 226 W. Schiller St. | Chicago, IL 60610 | 312.266.3381 | catherinecookschool.org