The School at Columbia University
Encyclopedia
The School at Columbia University is located at 110th Street
and Broadway
in the New York City
borough
of Manhattan
. The school is an independent K-8 school affiliated with Columbia University
for children drawn equally from the Morningside Heights, Manhattan/Upper West Side
/Harlem
community and from the faculty and staff of the university. It is a diverse school, with a mix of students from many different ethnic backgrounds. The school has grades Kindergarten through 8th grade, and has its own Wiki produced by students. With just under 500 students enrolled, The School has a student-faculty ratio of 5:1 and an average class size of 14 students. Currently there are three divisions: Primary (K-2), Intermediate (3-5) and Middle (6-8). Each division has its own Division Head and there is one Head of School.
for 7th and 8th graders. There are a number of sports teams, including basketball
and lacrosse
.
in that incoming children are not screened for ability. Each incoming kindergarten class is made up of two groups of children, one group is drawn from the children of Columbia University
faculty and staff, while the second group is drawn from the community of New York City School Districts 3 and 5. Children of Columbia faculty and staff are chosen through a mix of retention requirements, cross-department representation and a lottery. Children from the community are selected through a random lottery with no screening and every incoming community child is eligible for financial aid on a needs basis.
110th Street (Manhattan)
110th Street is a street in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is commonly known as the boundary between Harlem and Central Park, along which it is known as Central Park North. In the west, it is also known as Cathedral Parkway....
and Broadway
Broadway (New York City)
Broadway is a prominent avenue in New York City, United States, which runs through the full length of the borough of Manhattan and continues northward through the Bronx borough before terminating in Westchester County, New York. It is the oldest north–south main thoroughfare in the city, dating to...
in the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
borough
Borough (New York City)
New York City, one of the largest cities in the world, is composed of five boroughs. Each borough now has the same boundaries as the county it is in. County governments were dissolved when the city consolidated in 1898, along with all city, town, and village governments within each county...
of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. The school is an independent K-8 school affiliated with Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
for children drawn equally from the Morningside Heights, Manhattan/Upper West Side
Upper West Side
The Upper West Side is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan, New York City, that lies between Central Park and the Hudson River and between West 59th Street and West 125th Street...
/Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
community and from the faculty and staff of the university. It is a diverse school, with a mix of students from many different ethnic backgrounds. The school has grades Kindergarten through 8th grade, and has its own Wiki produced by students. With just under 500 students enrolled, The School has a student-faculty ratio of 5:1 and an average class size of 14 students. Currently there are three divisions: Primary (K-2), Intermediate (3-5) and Middle (6-8). Each division has its own Division Head and there is one Head of School.
History
In 2000, Columbia University decided to develop a school that would serve the needs of its faculty and would also serve the community. The 13-story site (a mixed faculty housing and school building) was decided on in 2001 and construction started later that year. The school officially opened on September 17, 2003.Facilities
The School occupies 75,000 square feet (the first six floors) in a building created, in part, for its use. Its colorful classrooms, considered among Columbia’s most technologically advanced, incorporate SMART Boards and wireless Internet. A double-height art studio, full-sized gymnasium, three science labs, light-filled library, and dedicated dance space complement classroom offerings.After-School Programs
Since the beginning of the school there has been an after-school program. Some offerings include: Journaling My Life, Choir, Chess, Kindercooks, Animate Your World, Roboteam, and Leo TV (where children produce their own videos). Roboteam has won robotics competitions in Austria, China, Montreal, Singapore, and Queens. There was also a free after-school Create a Comic ClubCreate a Comic Project
The Create a Comic Project is a youth literacy program and webcomic created by John Baird. The program uses comics, many taken from the Internet, to encourage children to write their own narratives. The program began in November 2006 at the main branch of the New Haven Free Public Library as an...
for 7th and 8th graders. There are a number of sports teams, including basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
.
Performing Arts
The School has a variety of musical arts in which students can participate, the largest being the Honor Choir. Middle school students have a special lunch called Performing Arts Lunch (PAL) lunch is eaten and time is spent with their performing arts group, both enjoying each others company and practicing for the next concert. Currently, the groups are: Honor Choir, Music, Instrumental Ensemble, Recorder Club, Jazz Ensemble, Dance Workshop, and Editing the School at Columbia University Section.Admissions
The school has an admissions policy that is unusual for private schools in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in that incoming children are not screened for ability. Each incoming kindergarten class is made up of two groups of children, one group is drawn from the children of Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
faculty and staff, while the second group is drawn from the community of New York City School Districts 3 and 5. Children of Columbia faculty and staff are chosen through a mix of retention requirements, cross-department representation and a lottery. Children from the community are selected through a random lottery with no screening and every incoming community child is eligible for financial aid on a needs basis.