Where Excellence Begins King School’s New Home for Early Childhood Innovation

King School is set to take its inquiry-based learning philosophy to the next level with the creation of a state-ofthe-art Early Childhood Center, designed to nurture curiosity, creativity, and independent learning in our youngest Vikings.

At King School, curiosity is the driving force behind each student’s educational journey.

Recognizing the power of inquisitive minds, King embraces an inquiry-based approach to learning in which exploration and creativity are key to mastering foundational skills. Now the school is poised to take this philosophy to the next level with an exciting new project: the Early Childhood Center.

“King's youngest Vikings are at the heart of this initiative,” Head of School Carol Maoz said. “The space will be thoughtfully designed to support their development, not only academically but also socially and

School emotionally. The reimagined classroom will reflect the school’s commitment to innovation and excellence.”

This new center will feature state-ofthe-art classrooms specially designed to support King’s inquiry-based, Reggio Emilia-inspired curriculum in the early years. The design will seamlessly blend indoor and outdoor learning, providing students with direct access to nature — a vital component in sparking imagination and discovery. In this environment, students will enjoy autonomous learning opportunities, developing independence and a lifelong love of learning from an early age.

"Easy access to a completely updated playground will allow us to extend our curriculum outside in ways that we have not been able to do as of yet,”

Prekindergarten teacher Jen Agro said. “The design of the outdoor space will also be engineered to maximize student growth.”

Maoz added: “The current lower school building has stood for decades, serving generations of students and, more recently, hosting King’s unique Reggio Emiliainspired Early Childhood program. These renovations will not only modernize the facilities, but also preserve the legacy of the building, creating a blend of tradition and forward-thinking design.”

Highlights of the Early Childhood Center include a separate entrance to welcome students and their families, a main hallway that connects to the Lower School, lightfilled classrooms with direct outdoor access, and an exciting and purpose-built playground exclusively for early childhood students.

By enhancing King’s facilities to match the exceptional quality of the school’s educational approach, the talent of King’s educators, and the unmatched curiosity of the youngest learners, King will continue to attract families who value an innovative and nurturing learning environment, noted Nina Newman, King’s Director of Admission and Financial Access.

“In the six years since we implemented our Reggio Emilia-inspired Early Childhood program, our applications have doubled, and our enrollment has nearly tripled,” Newman said. “The revitalized Early Childhood Center will allow us to continue to attract mission-aligned families whose children will build the best foundation for our inquiry-based academic program across all grades.”

The generosity of members of the King community made this project possible. It is the first phase of King’s comprehensive campus master plan, an ambitious initiative that will guide the school’s growth and development in the coming years.

The new Early Childhood Center is set to open in the fall of 2025, setting the stage for future enhancements across campus. King looks forward to realizing all of the projects outlined in the master plan, each one designed to enrich its students' educational experience and ensure that King remains a leader in innovative, student-centered education.

For more information about getting involved in realizing our master plan, contact Director of Development Colleen Dealy at cdealy@kingschoolct.org.

AN INQUIRY-BASED SITE INSPECTION

Sporting bright yellow safety helmets, tiny orange vests, and clipboards, King School's PreK students transformed into the cutest construction crew as they visited the Lower School's Early Childhood Center renovation site. Well equipped with curiosity and plenty of questions, they were eager to explore a real-life building project in their own backyard.

At King School, everything is a learning opportunity, and this visit was no different — sparking wonder as the students expanded their knowledge of construction and engineering. In an inquiry-based, Reggio Emilia-inspired program, such curiosities drive the curriculum, and PreK teacher Jen Agro saw a learning opportunity.

“This is the beauty of Reggio,” Agro said. “We put out provocations and experiences and see where the students take them. We were interacting with the construction workers from behind the fence, and the visit allowed students to ask about the process and the machines and to practice interviewing and asking questions.”

Students peppered construction superintendent Chris Chila from Turner Construction Company with questions including: What are these rocks for? Why is there a fence around it? How many people are working on this? Will there be a new playground? Chila answered them all, explaining the functional side of a construction scene such as the purpose of different types of trucks.

The experience sparked new ideas, leading students to use cardboard, corks, and an array of loose items to craft three-dimensional designs. They honed their hammering skills with golf tees and foam, while the playground construction vehicles became tools for transporting rocks and wood chips.

“The transfer schema is an important part of early childhood development,” Agro said. “It helps children develop important math concepts such as 1-to-1 correspondence, understanding volume, balance, defining attributes, and sorting and grouping.”

Agro looks forward to having a space designed specifically for early learners.

“The Early Childhood Center will ensure that the children can make the most of the learning experience and be protagonists for their individual learning journeys,” Agro said. “The new space is sure to elevate the already very special early child experience offered at King School.”