A new academic year is just getting underway, but it’s already time for parents and guardians to start thinking about options for next year, and with the Boston area’s wide range of top-notch independent, private, and parochial schools, kids of all ages can find one that well suits them while still staying local.
For small children just starting off on their educational journeys, the Beacon Hill Nursery School at 74 Joy St. has been a vital part of the downtown community since 1955.
With a commitment to high-quality education since its inception, the mission of BHNS is to create a nurturing community that instills a lifelong love of learning, and its exceptional educators value play as purposeful and cherish children’s innate curiosity.
The warm and welcoming environment of BHNS includes two on-site playscapes, a dedicated library, seven classrooms, and an indoor gym. Its curriculum has a strong emphasis on play; hands-on engagement; open-ended exploration; and social-emotional development. Enriched by weekly yoga and music classes, the program also nurtures and engages children in an environment that cultivates creativity and joy in learning.
The Junior Kindergarten program is designed to maintain the hallmarks of the play-based program for young children while offering increased structure, exposure to academic readiness skills, leadership opportunities and preparation for the transition to next schools.
BHNS will hold Open Houses on Oct. 16 and Nov. 8 at 6:45-8 p.m.; guest must pre-register on the school’s website.
All applications are due next Feb. 1, except sibling and legacy applications. which are due Nov. 15.
To learn more about BHNS, visit www.bhns.net or call 617-227-0822.
The Boston Children’s School has been an integral part of the Boston community for nearly 60 years.
Established in 1965, the Boston Children’s School has been providing quality, early childhood education in Pre-School, Kindergarten and Grades 1, 2, and 3 to children from the Greater Boston area and around the world.
Located at Charles River Park, near Massachusetts General Hospital, TD Garden, the Shriners Hospital, and the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Hospital, the Boston Children’s School is easy to access. And nestled away from the noise and traffic of the city streets, the Boston Children’s School is an oasis of tranquility within the City of Boston.
The facility is fully air-conditioned, heated and brightly lit, allowing for a comfortable learning environment in each classroom. The close student to teacher ratio allows classroom teachers to know each child and their individual learning style.
Since the school’s inception, its age-appropriate curriculum has provided children with the knowledge and skills of learning that remain with them for a lifetime. The Boston Children’s School also has its own private playground, which allows children secure access to the outdoors throughout the school year. A special Summer-Fun-Program is also available for children in July.
Applications for the academic year are presently being accepted. Registration is available to children between the ages of 2.6 and 7 years old. Information about the flexible time schedules, applications for admission, and tuition are listed on the BCS website at BostonChildrensSchool.Org, or contact the Boston Children’s School at 617-367-6239 or 617-BCS-KIDS and ask for Judy Langer, program director.
Charlestown Nursery School, a non-profit nursery school located at 124 Main St. in Charlestown, offers innovative programing for ages 2O months to 5 years old, inspired by the principles of Reggio Emilia, Montessori, and other best practices. Recognized by educators and research institutions from around the globe, CNS has been featured in books, documentaries, and articles.
Each classroom is a “learning lab,” with multiple master teachers, learning specialists, fellows, and interns. The emergent curriculum offers a myriad of experiences, including sensory, gross and fine motor early literacy, math skills, dramatic play and music, and visual art through project-based learning. Instruction is personalized through a journey book portfolio-assessment and daily documentation.
Application is available Oct. 1. Early-admissions applications are accepted and reviewed continually from Nov. 15 on a first-come, first-served basis, with acceptance letters typically sent to parents or guardians within 15 days. Visit tours and open houses to see the learning in action.
To learn more about Charlestown Nursery School, visit charlestownnurseryschool.org or call 617-242-5159.
The Spruce Street Nursery School was founded in 1996 on Spruce Street on Beacon Hill and moved to 5 Avery Place in the fall of 2002.
Its enrollment is 49 children on any given day, with 12 teachers, along with three administrators. Besides its morning program, the school also offers Afternoon Enrichment, including activities, such as soccer, swim, dance and cooking. The school also has its own private playground.
“At Spruce, we believe that children proceed along a predictable path at a somewhat unpredictable rate, and it’s our job to meet them where they are and help them along their own unique journey,” said Christie Guevin, the school’s director.
Spruce Street Nursery School will hold an Open House on Saturday, Oct. 21, with faculty, staff, and current parents on hand to discuss the curriculum, and to answer questions from guests. Tuition is due in two installments – the first before July 15 and the second before Dec. 15 – and tuition assistance is available to all qualified applicants.
Visit sprucestreet.org, call 617-482-5252, or email [email protected] for more information.
The Advent School is a progressive elementary school in the heart of Boston.
Since 1961, The Advent School’s progressive, Reggio Emilia-inspired teaching philosophy instills confidence and curiosity in its students. The school enrolls 173 students from pre-kindergarten through sixth grade from 43 neighborhoods across Boston.
Advent students enjoy a learning environment that balances academic rigor and social-emotional needs. They gain confidence using their knowledge in real-world applications, from using labels on fruit to plot trade routes to designing a more inclusive Massachusetts state flag.
“Advent students are independent investigators who think critically, ask questions, and advocate for themselves and others,” said Director of External Affairs Abby Hayhurst. “At Advent, we believe that engaging children as active participants in their learning is an act of social justice.”
Students know and care for their Boston community and spend time outside campus engaging with neighbors, business owners, and politicians. Advent graduates attend various next schools, including the Boston Exam Schools, regional public schools, and other independent schools across the Greater Boston area. Call 617-742-0520, ext. 15, or visit adventschool.org for more information.
Nestled in the heart of Boston’s historic North End, St. John School has educated children since 1895.
Welcoming PreK-Grade 8 students, the school provides a Catholic education committed to educating children in an atmosphere that fosters a spirit of community, faith, and academic excellence.
Students enjoy a rigorous academic curriculum enriched by integrated STEM programming, Italian language instruction, and the school’s own in-house hydroponic garden, Tower Garden Program. This program teaches students about mindfulness, nutrition, food production, and community service, as well as traditional academic subjects. St. John’s partners with the Franciscan Food Center at St. Anthony’s Shrine to donate the produce from the garden to the hungry.
St. John School is also proud of its partnership with the Lynch Foundation Early Childhood Initiative, an extraordinary project founded by Carolyn and Peter Lynch, for the school’s 3- and 4-year-olds. The project supports an environment that nurtures the social and emotional well-being of students in order for robust learning to take place before the start of kindergarten.
Join St. John on Welcome Wednesdays between 9 and 10 a.m. to see all that the school has to offer, or contact Lesley McCormick via email at [email protected] or by calling 617-227-3143 to schedule a tour.
Boston College High School in Dorchester is a Jesuit, Catholic, college preparatory school serving boys in Grades 7-12, which was founded in 1863.
Prospective students in all grades are required to take entrance exams (i.e. ISSE for seventh- and eighth-graders; and HSPT, SSAT, etc. for high school freshman, sophomores, and juniors).
Applications are due Jan. 16, 2024. The school is holding an Open House on Sunday, Nov. 5, from 10 a.m. to noon for seventh and eighth graders; and from 2 to 4 p.m. for Grades 9-11.
Visit bchigh.edu to register, or call 617-474-5010 for more information.
Malden Catholic, located at 99 Crystal St. in Malden, was founded in 1932 by the Xaverian Brothers.
Over the past four years, Malden Catholic has experienced unprecedented growth. The high school reimaged its future by joining the fundamental strength and core values of Boys Catholic (1932) with its sister school, Girls Catholic (1908) to create a co-divisional school with single-gender academics during the day and integrated social and extracurricular opportunities after school, which has become the one of the best and fastest growing high schools in New England.
The school’s board of trustees designates $3.5 million in financial-aid assistance to qualifying students, with 65 percent of students receiving some form of tuition assistance last year.
Malden Catholic will hold an Open House for prospective students on Wednesday, Oct. 18, at 5 and 7 p.m.
Visit maldencatholic.org or call 781-322-3098 for more information.
Walnut Hill School for the Arts, an independent boarding school and day school for the arts in Natick, is intended for student artists in Grade 9 through 12, with a post-graduate year also available.
The school offers world-class training in dance; music; theater; visual art; and writing, film-and-media arts, complemented by an innovative college-prep academic curriculum.
The school be holding a Fall Admission Open House for prospective students all day on Saturday, Oct. 28.
For more information, visit walnuthillart.org or call 508-653-4312.