Mandell School was founded in 1939 by Max Mandell, as a Nursery, Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten program. Our Pre-school Division is the cornerstone that anchors our history, our beliefs and our experience. Mr. Mandell, a pioneer in early childhood education, believed that in order to flourish, every young child must have a nurturing and stimulating environment that focuses on, and provides for their unique and individual development. He also believed that supporting and advising the families of young children was a significant part of an educator's role.

Primary Program (Nursery-Pre-K)

Our Primary Program is comprised of our Nursery and Pre-K classes. It is housed on all four floors of our 94th Street building. Our primary goal in Nursery at Mandell is to promote an environment that emphasizes independence, community and collaborative learning. Our curriculum is designed to foster self-confidence and self-esteem as well as the mastery of early learning skills, investigative and problem solving techniques.

Nursery I places more of an emphasis on the transition into school, as many of the children are still in the process of full separation. Gentle transitions are particularly important in this class and the constant fostering of self-confidence is an essential component of its curriculum.

In Nursery II the emphasis is on the active development of community and collaborative learning and the honing of skills in preparation for Pre-Kindergarten. Structured projects and curriculum focus on themes including explorations of our world, such as a research based study of hibernation and migration, celebrations of holiday and cultural traditions, an in-depth study of ocean life, and much more.

Both programs have weekly small-group music and library periods outside of their classrooms. Curriculum for these breakouts is developed in conjunction with the children's classroom teachers.

Our Pre-Kindergarten programs are designed to further the development of each child with the ultimate objective of social, emotional and academic preparedness. Whether our children are remaining at Mandell or moving elsewhere for Kindergarten, we expect them to take what they have learned about community building and collaborative learning into their new classrooms and to be kind leaders. We also expect them to set high academic standards for themselves that they are able to both meet and exceed.

Pre-Kindergarten at Mandell is divided into two sections. The first is Pre-Kindergarten I, which focuses on the needs of those children with late-summer and fall birthdays. These children will most likely be in pre-school with us for three years before entering Kindergarten. Therefore they need a curriculum that grows both in terms of complexity and richness. To that end, these children have two completely different years in Pre-Kindergarten by progressing from Pre-Kindergarten I into Junior Kindergarten. In their first year, the primary focus is to solidify and reinforce their independence, self-confidence and skills. This is accomplished through one-on-one, small group and full group work. At the end of their first year in Pre-Kindergarten, they will be fully prepared for the independent learning required in Junior Kindergarten.

Pre-Kindergarten II is for winter and early summer birthday children who will most likely be entering Kindergarten the following fall. Independent decision making, collaborative learning and the fostering of leadership skills are the cornerstones of this class. As a result, every aspect of this program has been carefully designed to promote self-confidence, community and individual skill building.