New Amsterdam School is an extraordinary experience for our two children! Weve been attending classes there for four years now, and the beautiful classrooms, loving teachers, inspired philosophy underlying the teachings, all make for a well-rounded foundation for young children that cant be found anywhere else in lower Manhattan. Its definitely worth trying one of the Open House sessions to get a sense of the incredible care and thoughtfulness of the schools approach.

We LOVE our school. Its the only Waldorf school in downtown Manhattan and we are so lucky to have found it. Beautiful peaceful surroundings, devoted teachers, an inspired philosophy, time in the garden every day, natural whole foods, wonderful handcrafts, art, music etc. My children have been there since babies through Parent Child Classes, Nursery, and Kindergarten and now theres the Grades School too. A lovely intimate school and great community for the parents too.

New Amsterdam School has a lots of healthy and nourishment of childhood experience. Children will be spending a lot of outside experience,They will have so many discovery of beauty in the nature in the busy city everyday. The daily Meal for early childhood is offered by school made by Organic non gmo meal.They get to hear stories and songs along with seasonal cerebration of nature and culture everyday, play time with full of imagination with beautiful natural toys.Beautiful arts,crafts as a weekly routine, a lot of love,warmth and attentive care to individual children from teachers,and warm community members and friends are opening arms. Children loves to go school everyday, and have love of learning experience. Highly recommended!

The teachers are caring, thoughtful and playful. Kids get plenty of fresh air outdoors in a huge community garden, healthy snacks and lots of love. It feels like a wonderful country school in the middle of the East Village. Children come out of this place happy, bright and curious.

The New Amsterdam School is one of the most extraordinary educational opportunities in New York City. Inspired by the Waldorf educational pedagogy, New Am honors the natural, intuitive learning process of children, a process that occurs in its time, un-rushed by political agenda or institutionalized educational flavors of the month. Children discover learning through stories, imagination, exploration, and play; not drills, worksheets, or test prep. The classrooms are enchanting places, the faculty delightful and caring, and the children experience nature every day of the year, rain or shine, hot or cold, in a community garden a short walk away.As a parent of a New Amsterdam child I treasure the insights they have cultivated in me about how to be the best parent for our modern times. Our children create their play, they dont purchase it. They create their entertainment, they dont just consume it. And they expand their vocabulary and imagination with stories and songs that are steeped in tradition and wisdom, not in marketing and merchandising.It is no wonder that Waldorf schools score highest in intrinsic motivation reported by students than any other educational model; they learn because they enjoy learning. I teach middle school math in the mainstream public system, and I bristle at the external, and often arbitrary, pressures imposed upon my students. What Waldorf schools do is so unlike what I have been taught to do in my classroom. They have exceptional curriculum and an inspiring long-view of the child as a learner and citizen, something institutionalized testing does its best to extinguish. No Child Left Behind, Common Core, all the initiatives public schools roll out every few years feel like groping in the dark compared to the sophistication yet simplicity of the Waldorf model.I have researched its pedagogy and have shared my discoveries with my colleagues and my students. Both have truly enjoyed the nuggets weve explored. In fact, my middle school students count our Waldorf exploration into geometric constructions as one of their favorite units of the year. Their work is gorgeous.I encourage all parents to explore its offerings, take on the challenge, and experience life with the originality and ingenuity we deserve.

I and my daughter feel our spirits lift when we walk into the school--bright, warm, joyful atmosphere. My daughter loves playing with her friends in the garden every day (rain or shine!), she loves baking bread (key part of the curriculum), and sings the songs learned in class. I feel supported as a parent, through observing the teachers interaction and through the free lectures and parent evenings offered. New Amsterdam has been a foundation for our young family for the past 5 years.

This school has been like a second home for my child. She has grown and thrived academically, emotionally, socially and in a true inward way. New Amsterdam has been a blessing for our family in so many ways. We couldnt be happier with the school and its approach to education.

My son loves going to school again!!! I can’t ask for more!