Design: martyweissandfriends.com Photography: Mark Weiss
“
I always felt as if my ideas were valuable and worthwhile and I felt I could make a difference… C&C’s emphasis on research and primary sources and answering questions that interest you in some personal way helped shape my approach to my theses at Harvard and Yale Medical School, as well as my current clinical research.”
Emily Jean Davidson ’81 Director of Inpatient Services Children’s Hospital Boston Developmental Pediatrician
“As I transitioned from grade to grade at City and Country, there was always an opportunity to excel through my ‘art voice.’ As early as the 6s, I was selling my drawings to other children for the grand sum of two cents. (I think one or two of my buyers went on to become art dealers.) C&C undisputedly offered an education that was so much more than simply learning facts. This lovely little school provided a subtle philosophy on the art of being.”
How a child learns to learn will impact their life forever.
Danielle Mailer ’82 Artist and Painter (Photo by Bob Houser)
146 West 13th Street New York, NY 10011 Tel: 212.242.7802 www.cityandcountry.org
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We’ve learned everything we know about education from children. City and Country has always looked to children to learn about education. Caroline Pratt, C&C’s visionary founder, observed children long before she tried to teach them. She came to realize that the more children actively participate in their own education, the more they get out of it.
40s, 50s, 60s, 70s... “The Jobs Program at C&C imbued in me an early sense of pride, awareness and control – a sense of empowerment that came with having real responsibility when so much about the life of a child is powerless. I still remember taking such satisfaction in writing a receipt in the store, publishing an article in the newspaper, running the printing press, or creating a book for my 4. These were real acts, with tangible results, and doing them well was imperative. People were counting on me. There were deadlines to be met!”
Asha Curran ’89 Our Philosophy Children are natural born learners. They are relentless scientists, performing experiments of trial and error everywhere they go. By the time they attend school, they have already figured out how to walk and talk and communicate their needs to their parents and caregivers. We believe an educator’s greatest challenge isn’t to teach children, but rather to create an environment that keeps their inherent curiosity intact. The C&C classroom serves as an ideal place for children to explore, experiment, fail, learn and grow, both as individuals and as a group.
Eric Van Lustbader ’60 Best Selling Author: First Daughter, The Ninja, The Bourne Sanction
Our Purpose At City and Country, we strive to ensure that the innate sense of wonder and discovery that all children have when they enter our school is cultivated into a love of learning that will last a lifetime. By creating a collaborative and interdependent community, where teachers stand beside students, we make sure our children take ownership of their education. They explore and question the world around them, past, present and future. Academic
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and practical skills are integrated into contexts that are meaningful to them. Most of all, they learn to take responsibility, not only for their individual actions, but also for their community at large. With years of active decision-making and problem-solving to support them, our graduates meet life’s challenges with optimism and compassion, allowing them to contribute positively and work collaboratively in any environment.
Margot Adler ’60
Lecture Director 92nd Street Y with her daughter, a C&C student
“I learned, when researching, to get to the source whenever possible. I learned never to be afraid of anything or anyone. I was never intimidated asking for what I wanted or in speaking with adults. C&C taught me to have confidence in myself and to recognize both my talents and my short-comings. It also became clear to me that I could do virtually anything I wanted if I put my mind to it.”
“City and Country took as an axiom an idea that has been echoed by a host of philosophers and writers from Marx to Muir to Einstein – that when you try to pick out something by itself you find it connected to everything else in the universe. And in school, that meant that every historical period we studied was reflected in the poems and paintings we created, the plays we presented, even in the math and science we were taught, and most certainly in the books we read. We dipped into each period and claimed it as our own.”
Author and News Correspondent
“
We were encouraged in every form of creativity.
”
Dahlov Ipcar ’31, Children’s Book Illustrator and Author
“While I was in China I knew there were three things I wanted to do when I returned to America: participate in the peace movement, work to save the whales and find my friends from City and Country. And after 30 years, I managed to come back and do all three. City and Country taught me that we are all builders, we can all create great things.”
Chin Chi ’49 Peace Activist Animal Rights Worker
or anything else you can dream of.
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Our Administrators Our staff remains true to the original vision of Caroline Pratt: to create a place of learning that constantly re-evaluates both its program and environment in an effort to help children forge a deep connection to their educational experience. We also strive to model what we teach. Our administrators are accessible to everyone in our community and seek to adhere to the same methods of collaborative problemsolving that our children use in their classrooms.
12s made these masks in Shop.
Diversity We are committed to creating a community as diverse as the city in which our school thrives. City and Country fosters the sharing of different experiences, as children learn from each other and develop respect for one another’s learning styles, strengths, weaknesses and cultural distinctions. We understand that the challenge of creating an inclusive community extends far beyond the admissions process; it requires a dedication to serving the needs, recognizing the gifts and cherishing the perspectives of each and every member.
Our Teachers C&C teachers are highly skilled educators, experts in community building and scholars of child development. They work alongside our students, facilitating a journey shaped by the curiosity of the child. Our teachers know it is more important to pose good questions than to offer answers to which a student feels no connection. The right question will spawn hypotheses and experiments, as well as research and conclusions. The right question will set the group on a journey that will lead deep into their subject of study.
For more detailed information about City and Country, including our complete Mission and Diversity Statements, visit www.cityandcountry.org.
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The 2s All play and no work makes Jane a lifelong learner. For two-year-olds, their play is their work. It’s how they experiment and problem solve. Before they possess the necessary language skills to express the breadth and depth of their ideas verbally, they can express them through various forms of play (dramatic, imaginary or physical). As they grow beyond the 2s, play remains an essential way for our students to interact with each other and make sense of the world around them.
Open-ended materials can lead to anything, even a more active imagination. We supply our children with blocks, paper, water, paint, sand and clay because these materials are blank slates. They provide a challenge and require imagination to take form. The child gives meaning to them, not the other way around. A block can become part of a house or a plane, or a design. The materials can become representational or remain abstract; it’s all in the hands (and the mind) of the child.
Caroline Pratt created the C&C unit blocks, now used in schools throughout the world.
It all starts with a block
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Originally named “The Play School” in 1914, City and Country was founded on the belief that play is a child’s natural and most meaningful way of learning.
Our teachers begin as students. Each year is a period of discovery for the teachers as much as for the children. How an individual processes information, formulates ideas, negotiates obstacles and arrives at solutions is unique to every child. Our teachers get to know every one of the children remarkably well, observing and learning how to best support the needs and build on the strengths of each learner.
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Unit blocks are an ideal tool for play. They inspire creativity and enhance intellectual, physical, social and emotional development.
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“It’s the natural place where I go.” Roland, 3s
The 3s Learning can be a messy business. Hands-on, experiential learning involves interacting with materials by fully immersing oneself, and often one’s clothing, in the process. Our children are builders, painters, engineers and sculptors. They know C&C is their place, an empty canvas on which they can recreate their world with all the passion and excitement they feel for it.
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and that block leads to a study in balance
A lot of what we work on is learning how to work together. Valuing the ideas and needs of one another is central to the City and Country culture. Much of the work we do is collaborative and driven by the students themselves, so it is only natural for our students to rely on, and seek the advice of, each other. By mixing work groups, we encourage our children to work together to learn and solve problems in open-minded and flexible ways. Building on each other’s ideas is second nature to C&C children.
We’ve got Rhythms. Unique to City and Country since it was introduced in the 1920s, Rhythms has always been a hallmark of our program. Rhythms teaches movement skills, promotes dramatic play and provides an essential outlet for personal expression. It also offers a physical way for children to portray what they are learning about their world. Guided by the Rhythms teacher with live piano accompaniment, children begin Rhythms in the 3s. Eventually their work gives rise to Social Studies-based plays that are created in the Middle and Upper School. Hoops and scarves are two of the materials used in Rhythms.
For more detailed information, visit www.cityandcountry.org.
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The 4s What’s on your mind? Children can easily fall into the habit of censoring themselves and their ideas because they worry about representing their work correctly. At C&C, we want to avoid that tendency. From the beginning, we encourage freedom of expression. We want our students to feel safe and successful when sharing their thoughts and impressions. One of the children’s first responsibilities at C&C: keeping their materials orderly after the work time is over.
We’re depending on you. From the time children begin at C&C, they are given responsibility. The 2s and 3s keep their indoor and outdoor environments orderly after play. In the 4s, the children clean tables, mail attendance cards, distribute snacks and take care of the plants. They even receive their most substantial job yet, the milk run. Each day, two of the 4s go to the kitchen and retrieve enough milk for the entire group. They know it’s a big responsibility. They know the group is depending on them – and they love it.
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“
When I grow up I want to be a 12. Julie, 4s
”
Build your own playground. When you were a child, did you ever find the box a toy came in more interesting than the toy itself? Most toys are designed to have one function, whereas the box offers limitless possibilities. We think this same principle applies to outdoor spaces. When Lower School children go out to play in their yard, they create an outdoor recreational environment the same way they create their indoor workspaces. Using open-ended materials, physical strength, imagination and collaboration, they build the equipment that they play on every day… and every day the results are different.
We have many tools to help children learn. Hammers and saws to name a few. Children start working with real tools in the 4s. Designing, building, mastering tools – all skills that began at the classroom woodbench – will, ultimately, be honed in Shop. If they want a boat or a car to use in their play, they can create one. By trusting children to achieve their visions in such a substantial way, our teachers give them a tremendous sense of autonomy, accomplishment and respect.
which becomes a field trip to the library
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The perfect beginner’s “dictionary”: Teachers and children partner to create a classroom spelling resource.
The 5s “My child read Shakespeare before his 1st birthday.” Many parents have suffered through some version of this story and worried that their child was not learning at the right pace. The truth is, many of the best readers in a group of 10s or 11s were not the first readers. A group of 5s has a wide range of skills when it comes to unlocking the code of reading and writing. Some children are ready for the level of abstract thinking involved, and some are not. It’s a mistake for educators to push too hard. In the 5s, we introduce reading and writing in a manner that is friendly to all minds, no matter the level of individual skills. We use a systematic method of teaching the alphabet, phonics, handwriting and soundspelling in a way that is challenging, yet supportive and not intimidating, to children at all skill levels.
Go to the source. Research is the backbone of a City and Country education. When our 5s wondered which foods grew above the ground and which below, we took the discussion out into the street, down the block and over to the Farmers’ Market. Hearing about vegetables from a teacher is one thing. But going to the market, standing in the midst of such bounty and asking the farmer how fruits and vegetables grow leave a lasting impression. The children record their findings in pictures and words in their research logs, further cementing the day’s discoveries and creating an early form of data collection. In this way, we not only teach our students about where their food comes from, we also give them the tools to investigate anything that interests them throughout their lives.
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plus four is seven… “ Three No Dad, we weren’t learning math, we were counting ice cream. ”
Mercer, 5s
While creating complex structures, our children need to be part visionary, part architect, part engineer.
which informs a book of research
Some of the problems we solve are with each other. Working collaboratively can be challenging. It requires sharing leadership, accepting compromise and honoring the contributions of peers. We have extremely high expectations of our children for social problem-solving and their success in this area is noticeable in and outside of C&C. When a conflict arises that cannot be resolved by the individuals, the group, with the guidance of the teacher, establishes ground rules with which the entire group can live.
For more detailed information, visit www.cityandcountry.org.
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“
Why do we have to have weekends? Why can’t we just have school? Leah, 6s
”
The 6s If at first you don’t succeed, you learn. One of the most important aspects of experiential learning is learning from one’s mistakes. Allowing a child to pursue a flawed plan because it makes sense to them is an essential element in nurturing the innovative mind. Success is often preceded by failure. When children are allowed to blaze their own paths, make their own miscalculations, reformulate their ideas and try again…and again, they form an emotional connection to their learning. The stakes are real and the rewards are genuine.
It’s in the bag. An important, but often overlooked, part of learning to read is being able to select books that are just right. At C&C, in the 6s and 7s, the ages when independent reading typically solidifies, each child has a book bag. The contents: three books chosen by the teacher and child together, designed to match the child’s interest and level of skill. Also inside is a small notebook. When it’s time for quiet reading, a child settles in with confidence. After reading with the teacher, one-on-one, the child and teacher make notes about the day’s session in the notebook. In these ways, the child is more in touch with, and in control of, the sometimes challenging process of learning to read.
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Once you learn how to build a bridge you can make all kinds of connections.
Once you learn how to build a bridge you can make all kinds of connections.
Once you learn how to build a bridge you can make all kinds of connections.
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Once you learn how to build a bridge you can make all kinds of connections.
Cuddle up with a good book in a comfy chair. Reading for information is an invaluable research tool that is cultivated from the early years, but it is reading for pleasure that inspires C&C children to become passionate readers. Starting in the 7s and continuing through the 13s, each student spends 30 minutes a day in the library to read purely for pleasure. Our librarian monitors comprehension while helping each child learn how to pick books appropriate to their reading level, discover new authors and genres and fully appreciate the unparalleled delight of delving head-first into a book. Our librarian also keeps track of what each child has read through the year and what they thought of each selection. Children’s reviews are openly available to share with peers. Everyone’s a critic: A peer’s review, on display in the library, can help another child through the process of picking the next pleasure book. Children learn to self-select a good choice for them, rather than always being told what to read.
History is often kindest to those who wrote it. Beginning in the Middle School, our groups focus on one period of history for the full year. Knowing that history is often told through the perspective of those who recorded it, we encourage children to walk in the shoes of all parties to historical events. When the 8s study the land that is now known as New York City, they become immersed in the lives of the Lenape Indians. Building longhouses, crafting utensils and recreating their diet are just a few of the ways our 8s live as the people who once made this land their home. They learn about European colonization from the perspective of this “colonized” indigenous culture.
to the making of maps
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The 9s What kind of school would lend a bunch of nine-year-olds $2,000? Yes, it’s true. We lend our nine-year-olds enough money to create a working store that can provide the whole School with everything from art supplies to writing implements. Throughout the year, they stock, promote and sell their items. The 9s have to identify and compare prices from competing distributors. They determine per-unit costs and decide how much to mark up their merchandise. The group reports their profit margins and evaluates how much inventory they should be carrying. To draw these conclusions, they must constantly perform calculations involving algebraic thinking and long division – not because their teacher assigned some word problems out of a book, but because they need them to run the store efficiently and provide the best service to the community. More life lessons: Each year, the s evaluate how best to market their wares. From the “traveling sales box” to filming and editing commercials on computer, they try it all.
When am I ever going to use this? This is a question we don’t hear very often at C&C. We encourage our children to take ownership of their education. While the teacher determines the goals and facilitates the journey, it is the group that charts the course. Our students immerse themselves in an area of study, thoughtfully determining what information is relevant and where they should turn next. From researching texts to corresponding with primary sources, the children unearth their education one layer at a time. By fully connecting with the material, our children never have to wonder why they are learning something; they are the ones who decided to investigate it in the first place.
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which takes us across the Oregon Trail
I never knew how hard it is “ Wow, to really run a store! ” Harry, 9s
How the Oregon Trail Leads to Non-toxic Cleaners The s study westward expansion along the Oregon Trail, learning about issues of mercantilism and wilderness survival, as well as the way different cultures viewed the land and each other. They spend a full week outside the City, living as the pioneers did along the Oregon Trail. The s map it, discovering how much of the trail winds along the many rivers on which pioneers relied for fresh water. At the same time, in Science, the s study orienteering, magnetism, river erosion, water conservation, environmental awareness, pollution and how to manufacture products that are friendly to our environment…like non-toxic cleaners! In the Middle and Upper School, students create their own plays based on that year’s Social Studies. They research, write, cast, direct, stage and, in every way, produce the play. For more detailed information, visit www.cityandcountry.org.
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The 10s Put it in writing. The 10s look at the history of the written word – not just by reading about it, but also by recreating it. They mix inks, bind books and illuminate manuscripts. They study medieval texts, as well as the societies that produced these works. They even experiment with making their own paper from animal hide and manufacturing pigments by grinding bugs and stone.
Show me a sign. Our 10s take their signs very seriously. They study monastery manuscripts, cuneiform tablets, hieroglyphics and all methods of recording history and information. The 10s also supply the entire School with its signs. They make them for all the classrooms, offices and bathrooms. They average together the heights of students at all ages to determine the placement of signs. They refine their signs over the course of the year, so what begins as the work of an “apprentice” ends up as an exquisite example of calligraphy done by a “master.”
For our pre-readers, a picture is worth a couple of words.
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Middle and Upper School children have 30 minutes of Yard daily, including sports, ball skills and free play.
Holaaa.
¿Habla Español? Appreciation for foreign languages and cultures is woven into the program at all ages. Spanish is formally taught as a subject beginning in the 10s. What starts with introductory concepts evolves into a program that offers our students the proficiency to continue on to advanced Spanish in high school.
“
I can’t wait ʼtil Monday. For Science.
”
Nate, 10s
and then to the Middle Ages
Building Bridges Without Blocks The 10s learn about all things medieval, from government and social structures to art history and monastic life. They compare and contrast the medieval periods in Europe and Baghdad, creating a comparative religious study and an independent research paper. They then expand their papers into multimedia presentations to explore how media affects the message. They learn how the impact of a message will change when it goes from being written on paper to being filmed or animated using digital technologies.
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The 11s With greater years come greater responsibilities. As young adolescents, the 11s are ready to take on new levels of personal responsibility. Some changes in their school life include homework on the weekends, choosing electives and delving deeper into the world of abstract thinking. This is a year of writing and research unlike any before. While our students have always recorded their insights and observations, now their papers take on a more formal structure, with sharpened introductions, conclusions and the exploration of what it means to present and support a thesis.1 Weekly organizational meetings help the 11s manage this new workload.
1
1
For nearly 100 years, C&C 11s have printed and bound
1 2
a book of their collective
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poetry and prints.
2
Academic Performance Lab (APL) In this world of standardized testing and entrance exams, how does City and Country produce graduates who go on to succeed in the most competitive high schools in ew ork City and beyond We created A . Beginning in the 11s, we formally prepare students for the traditional testing environments that await them. We want to be certain that each student’s ability and knowledge base are as accurately reflected in their scores as possible. Through A , we help our students develop the creative problem-solving skills and flexible thinking necessary to confidently navigate both the material and the conditions of the test.
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into an exploration of the printed word
We don’t just study history, we use it to make attendance cards. Our 18 s Chandler rice Treadle printing presses are the domain of the 11s. Each year they use them to produce everything from the attendance cards each group uses daily to holiday cards and special-order stationery to a printed book of their own poetry. The 11s study the history of the printed word from ancient China to Renaissance Venice. They even use current digital technology to create custom printing plates. Running the C&C presses gives the 11s the chance to model how civilizations have always used technology to spread their ideas.
I really fell in love with the “ poetry of the Italian Renaissance, so I made my own. ” Keifer, 11s
Selecting Electives Choosing electives gives the 11s the opportunity to focus on their passions. After years of building a solid foundation in music and visual art, students now choose which one they will pursue in greater depth. As members of the pper School, the 11s are a vital part of the conversation in community meetings. These student-generated discussions have led to the creation of new electives, including filmmaking and podcasting. By choosing electives and helping to identify both personal interests and group concerns, the 11s are learning to advocate for themselves as learners in a whole new way. 1
We even teach them how to use footnotes.
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The 12s What do you get when you add 12 and 4? A life-changing C&C tradition. Just as the 12s are diving into the challenges of adolescence – striving for greater independence, defining themselves as individuals and wondering about their place in the world – we give them the responsibility of assisting in the 4s. The 12s’ relationship with the 4s fuels their academic and personal growth. They draw on their experience with the 4s to write a research paper on child development. They even write and illustrate a children’s picture book specifically for their 4s. Being a 12 in charge of a 4 fosters personal responsibility, care and compassion. It’s also an opportunity for the 12s to see how far they’ve come!
A Year in Three Acts n the 12s, children write and produce three plays to dramatize their studies. The first is a Greek mythology production in which each student plays the god or goddess they chose to study in depth. The second play is written and performed specifically for their 4s and the third play focuses on daily life in Ancient Greece. Connecting ancient classics studies with modern technology is an innovative aspect of the 12s’ program. They create a secure Greek gods social networking site that allows the 12s to interact with each other through the lens of their chosen god or goddess. Each “god” can post information, pictures and videos, dramatizing their god’s life for the others in the group to see and comment upon.
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Much of the teaching comes from the students themselves and from the outside sources they discover.
and a play about the Greek gods
Which one is the teacher? In a City and Country classroom, much of what the students learn comes from each other. After all, a teacher is only one person, but imagine the depth and detail that can be uncovered by 18 (or so) researchers. Whether they are working individually, in small groups, or as a whole, the 12s are actively contributing information, insights and personal perspective to the subject at hand. Of course, the classroom teacher is always there to offer expert guidance to make certain the group works together as collaboratively and productively as possible.
An Odyssey with the Odyssey The 12s spend two months critically examining Homer’s classic, connecting this study to geometry, mythology and science the disciplines of the Ancient Greeks. The 12s explore archeology in order to uncover how we know what we know about ancient Greece. They even apply the work of ythagoras, using angles and proportions to estimate the height of our School building with startling accuracy.
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An understanding of modern
.S.
democracy is informed by the 13s’ study of the Civil War and Reconstruction.
The 13s Turn some butter, flour and sugar into life experience. Field trips are routine at C&C, but the 13s’ week-long journey is truly unique. First the students create the itinerary, choosing sites and cultural institutions relevant to their Civil War studies. In this way, their trip is not just a culminating bonding experience for this graduating class, but also another opportunity to immerse themselves in their studies. Adding another layer of responsibility, the 13s fund the trip by turning to a skill they have been refining since the 2s…they bake. This excursion may only last a week, but the impact endures.
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After years of writing in their journals, it’s time for them to become journalists. As the writers, editors and producers of the school newspaper, the 13s gain practical experience in journalism while reporting about the C&C community and the world beyond. From editorial and layout design, to production and distribution, the 13s work together to create a paper with accuracy, integrity and professionalism. It also provides an outlet for our 13s to reflect on their school experiences and examine their place in the world.
“But…why do we have to leave?”
Maya, 13s
Synthesis In the end, we must feel certain that our graduates will be comfortable and successful in the variety of high school environments that await them. All the disciplines come into play with greater complexity in their final year. From compiling their family’s genealogy to studying the science of genetics using live fruit flies, our 13s are making connections like never before. Understanding how to relate what they are
learning in the moment to everything they’ve learned along the way is a trait common to all of our students. We constantly hear from high schools that their C&C graduates approach their studies with unrivaled interest and commitment. We believe this is because they find a context for what they are learning, a connection between the area of study and their personal joy of discovery.
and the various roles we play in the world
How fast the time has passed. Before we know it, another group of 2s has grown into a community of 13-year-olds. The 13s perform their final play, present a gallery show of their work and sing from the songbook they’ve been using for the past 12 years. And we watch as another group of C&C graduates makes its way into the world, ready to meet challenges both large and small, not only as great students, but as good citizens as well. Of the many lessons our children have learned during their years at City and Country, among the most important are to know themselves and to understand how they best learn. They are prepared to take an idea deeper, to examine it from all sides and to listen to the perspectives of others. That knowledge will stay with them for the rest of their lives, forming a foundation for their success anywhere they choose to go.
For more detailed information, visit www.cityandcountry.org.
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The 20s, 30s, Where do our graduates go from here? Absolutely everywhere. Our alumni include authors and diplomats, scientists and artists, educators and performers. They have explored every imaginable path. But no matter where their life’s pursuits take them, the way they approach learning remains rooted in their City and Country experience. Their ability to forge deep connections to their endeavors, to approach life’s challenges with inventiveness and optimism and to rely on and work alongside others are all hallmarks of a C&C education. City and Country has prepared them for a lifetime of learning.
“City and Country taught me to look at things from the human perspective – to interact with the world through curiosity and pleasure. The blocks were amazing. They were like living in some kind of abstract world where you could create anything you imagined. They also gave me a sense of problem solving – doing the most you can with what you have…Class times were a series of miniature life experiences, engrained more vividly in my memory than [all my years of] high school or college.”
Alex Kalman ’99 Filmmaker Founder of Red Bucket Films
like a filmmaker or a painter
“
I still spend my days trying to reflect upon
the world around me; it’s just that my blocks have been replaced with film equipment.
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”
7/18/19 12:10 PM
We’ve learned everything we know about education from children. City and Country has always looked to children to learn about education. Caroline Pratt, C&C’s visionary founder, observed children long before she tried to teach them. She came to realize that the more children actively participate in their own education, the more they get out of it.
40s, 50s, 60s, 70s... “The Jobs Program at C&C imbued in me an early sense of pride, awareness and control – a sense of empowerment that came with having real responsibility when so much about the life of a child is powerless. I still remember taking such satisfaction in writing a receipt in the store, publishing an article in the newspaper, running the printing press, or creating a book for my 4. These were real acts, with tangible results, and doing them well was imperative. People were counting on me. There were deadlines to be met!”
Asha Curran ’89 Our Philosophy Children are natural born learners. They are relentless scientists, performing experiments of trial and error everywhere they go. By the time they attend school, they have already figured out how to walk and talk and communicate their needs to their parents and caregivers. We believe an educator’s greatest challenge isn’t to teach children, but rather to create an environment that keeps their inherent curiosity intact. The C&C classroom serves as an ideal place for children to explore, experiment, fail, learn and grow, both as individuals and as a group.
Eric Van Lustbader ’60 Best Selling Author: First Daughter, The Ninja, The Bourne Sanction
Our Purpose At City and Country, we strive to ensure that the innate sense of wonder and discovery that all children have when they enter our school is cultivated into a love of learning that will last a lifetime. By creating a collaborative and interdependent community, where teachers stand beside students, we make sure our children take ownership of their education. They explore and question the world around them, past, present and future. Academic
26261 Cover_M3.indd 2
and practical skills are integrated into contexts that are meaningful to them. Most of all, they learn to take responsibility, not only for their individual actions, but also for their community at large. With years of active decision-making and problem-solving to support them, our graduates meet life’s challenges with optimism and compassion, allowing them to contribute positively and work collaboratively in any environment.
Margot Adler ’60
Lecture Director 92nd Street Y with her daughter, a C&C student
“I learned, when researching, to get to the source whenever possible. I learned never to be afraid of anything or anyone. I was never intimidated asking for what I wanted or in speaking with adults. C&C taught me to have confidence in myself and to recognize both my talents and my short-comings. It also became clear to me that I could do virtually anything I wanted if I put my mind to it.”
“City and Country took as an axiom an idea that has been echoed by a host of philosophers and writers from Marx to Muir to Einstein – that when you try to pick out something by itself you find it connected to everything else in the universe. And in school, that meant that every historical period we studied was reflected in the poems and paintings we created, the plays we presented, even in the math and science we were taught, and most certainly in the books we read. We dipped into each period and claimed it as our own.”
Author and News Correspondent
“
We were encouraged in every form of creativity.
”
Dahlov Ipcar ’31, Children’s Book Illustrator and Author
“While I was in China I knew there were three things I wanted to do when I returned to America: participate in the peace movement, work to save the whales and find my friends from City and Country. And after 30 years, I managed to come back and do all three. City and Country taught me that we are all builders, we can all create great things.”
Chin Chi ’49 Peace Activist Animal Rights Worker
or anything else you can dream of.
7/18/19 2:06 PM
We’ve learned everything we know about education from children. City and Country has always looked to children to learn about education. Caroline Pratt, C&C’s visionary founder, observed children long before she tried to teach them. She came to realize that the more children actively participate in their own education, the more they get out of it.
40s, 50s, 60s, 70s... “The Jobs Program at C&C imbued in me an early sense of pride, awareness and control – a sense of empowerment that came with having real responsibility when so much about the life of a child is powerless. I still remember taking such satisfaction in writing a receipt in the store, publishing an article in the newspaper, running the printing press, or creating a book for my 4. These were real acts, with tangible results, and doing them well was imperative. People were counting on me. There were deadlines to be met!”
Asha Curran ’89 Our Philosophy Children are natural born learners. They are relentless scientists, performing experiments of trial and error everywhere they go. By the time they attend school, they have already figured out how to walk and talk and communicate their needs to their parents and caregivers. We believe an educator’s greatest challenge isn’t to teach children, but rather to create an environment that keeps their inherent curiosity intact. The C&C classroom serves as an ideal place for children to explore, experiment, fail, learn and grow, both as individuals and as a group.
Eric Van Lustbader ’60 Best Selling Author: First Daughter, The Ninja, The Bourne Sanction
Our Purpose At City and Country, we strive to ensure that the innate sense of wonder and discovery that all children have when they enter our school is cultivated into a love of learning that will last a lifetime. By creating a collaborative and interdependent community, where teachers stand beside students, we make sure our children take ownership of their education. They explore and question the world around them, past, present and future. Academic
26261 Cover_M3.indd 2
and practical skills are integrated into contexts that are meaningful to them. Most of all, they learn to take responsibility, not only for their individual actions, but also for their community at large. With years of active decision-making and problem-solving to support them, our graduates meet life’s challenges with optimism and compassion, allowing them to contribute positively and work collaboratively in any environment.
Margot Adler ’60
Lecture Director 92nd Street Y with her daughter, a C&C student
“I learned, when researching, to get to the source whenever possible. I learned never to be afraid of anything or anyone. I was never intimidated asking for what I wanted or in speaking with adults. C&C taught me to have confidence in myself and to recognize both my talents and my short-comings. It also became clear to me that I could do virtually anything I wanted if I put my mind to it.”
“City and Country took as an axiom an idea that has been echoed by a host of philosophers and writers from Marx to Muir to Einstein – that when you try to pick out something by itself you find it connected to everything else in the universe. And in school, that meant that every historical period we studied was reflected in the poems and paintings we created, the plays we presented, even in the math and science we were taught, and most certainly in the books we read. We dipped into each period and claimed it as our own.”
Author and News Correspondent
“
We were encouraged in every form of creativity.
”
Dahlov Ipcar ’31, Children’s Book Illustrator and Author
“While I was in China I knew there were three things I wanted to do when I returned to America: participate in the peace movement, work to save the whales and find my friends from City and Country. And after 30 years, I managed to come back and do all three. City and Country taught me that we are all builders, we can all create great things.”
Chin Chi ’49 Peace Activist Animal Rights Worker
or anything else you can dream of.
7/18/19 2:06 PM
Design: martyweissandfriends.com Photography: Mark Weiss
“
I always felt as if my ideas were valuable and worthwhile and I felt I could make a difference… C&C’s emphasis on research and primary sources and answering questions that interest you in some personal way helped shape my approach to my theses at Harvard and Yale Medical School, as well as my current clinical research.”
Emily Jean Davidson ’81 Director of Inpatient Services Children’s Hospital Boston Developmental Pediatrician
“As I transitioned from grade to grade at City and Country, there was always an opportunity to excel through my ‘art voice.’ As early as the 6s, I was selling my drawings to other children for the grand sum of two cents. (I think one or two of my buyers went on to become art dealers.) C&C undisputedly offered an education that was so much more than simply learning facts. This lovely little school provided a subtle philosophy on the art of being.”
How a child learns to learn will impact their life forever.
Danielle Mailer ’82 Artist and Painter (Photo by Bob Houser)
146 West 13th Street New York, NY 10011 Tel: 212.242.7802 www.cityandcountry.org
26261 Cover_M3.indd 1
7/18/19 2:05 PM
Design: martyweissandfriends.com Photography: Mark Weiss
“
I always felt as if my ideas were valuable and worthwhile and I felt I could make a difference… C&C’s emphasis on research and primary sources and answering questions that interest you in some personal way helped shape my approach to my theses at Harvard and Yale Medical School, as well as my current clinical research.”
Emily Jean Davidson ’81 Director of Inpatient Services Children’s Hospital Boston Developmental Pediatrician
“As I transitioned from grade to grade at City and Country, there was always an opportunity to excel through my ‘art voice.’ As early as the 6s, I was selling my drawings to other children for the grand sum of two cents. (I think one or two of my buyers went on to become art dealers.) C&C undisputedly offered an education that was so much more than simply learning facts. This lovely little school provided a subtle philosophy on the art of being.”
How a child learns to learn will impact their life forever.
Danielle Mailer ’82 Artist and Painter (Photo by Bob Houser)
146 West 13th Street New York, NY 10011 Tel: 212.242.7802 www.cityandcountry.org
26261 Cover_M3.indd 1
7/18/19 2:05 PM