#blue school

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A progressive independent school in New York City, Blue School offers educational opportunities for young learners from age 2 through sixth grade. In recent years, Blue School has acquired new facilities and expanded its programming to include middle school students. The school fosters a creative learning environment that takes some inspiration from the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education. According to the Reggio Emilia philosophy, children are creative and capable with a strong sense of wonder and knowledge. Reggio Emilia emphasizes child-directed learning in which students learn by pursuing their own unique interests. In addition, the philosophy focuses on group learning to encourage children to form collaborative bonds with their peers. Also, Reggio Emilia practitioners consider the learning environment to be a "third teacher" and create spaces that feature natural light and order where each item has a purpose. Adults serve as mentors and guides who strive to understand students' varied ways of learning and expression. Although teachers do not plan lessons in advance, they do take time to document students' ideas and discoveries to help facilitate each child's unique learning processes.                             

In September 2015, Blue School of New York City opened its doors to sixth-graders for the first time as part of its gradual expansion from a pre-primary and primary school into a middle school. Blue School, cofounded by three members of the Blue Man Group and others, developed from the performance troupe’s idea of inspiring curiosity and creativity in its audience. College graduates Phil Stanton, Chris Wink, and Matt Goldman formed the Blue Man Group in 1988. Together, the three created a blue-skinned, bald character called the Blue Man and developed a family-oriented performance that captured audience attention nationwide. Their intention was to create a show that reached out to the intelligence and innocence of their audience while establishing a space for people to continually learn and grow. Although the release of the Blue Man character met with some initial confusion from audiences, the group’s collective efforts enabled them to perform at a small theatre in New York. Its NYC performance left audiences inspired, and the group went on to win numerous awards, accolades, and genre-crossing opportunities. Furthermore, the success of the Blue Man Group allowed it to become a global entertainment company that now performs in 15 countries. In 2006, the Blue Man Group founded Blue School and made the move to transfer the group’s mission and values into a formal educational setting. Centered on the concepts of creativity and hands-on exploration, the school emphasizes innovation and community and seeks to develop a nurturing and encouraging educational environment.                             

Located in New York City, Blue School concentrates on innovation in education by fostering creativity and encouraging investigation. Blue School will expand its pre-primary and primary school program to include a middle school, beginning in the 2015-2016 school year, with the addition of sixth grade. Seventh grade will follow in 2016-2017 and eighth grade in 2017-2018. Blue School developed a middle school academic program with a wide range of challenging and relevant classes, including robotics and designing for sustainability. The robotics program highlights the fact that the vital apparatus powering modern life is frequently hidden and not widely understood. To better understand how technology works, students in Blue School’s robotics course will look at machines critically and investigate the mechanics. For example, students will explore the components shared by digital alarm clocks, Metrocard readers, and automated paper towel machines. Students will also be able to imagine and develop their own robotics. In the course called This is a Public Space: design for sustainability, students will learn about sustainable design and the history of public spaces. Students will also gain a better understanding of the political, social, and environmental challenges associated with creating public works while striving to reimagine public spaces for the community and the environment in a sustainable way.                             

NYC, New York’s Blue School is an independent school that is currently expanding to add sixth- (fall of 2015), seventh- (fall of 2016), and eighth-grade (fall of 2017) classes to its campus. Featuring a dynamic curriculum and progressive learning approach, Blue School aims to foster a lifetime love of learning in all its students. In addition, the school encourages adult learning by engaging parents in dialogues about the current state and future of education. Through sessions with the head of school, along with a school psychologist and child development specialist, parents can discuss essential topics affecting the student community. In addition, parents have opportunities to participate in roundtables focused on grade-level-specific topics. Throughout the year, the school organizes a speaker series, which provides insights from distinguished thought-leaders. Educational research has affirmed that greater parental involvement benefits students across many dimensions. In addition to earning higher grades, students with engaged parents typically have better social skills and are more likely to pursue post-secondary education. According to the National Education Association, schools that foster parental involvement provide students opportunities to make greater gains in learning.