Mission Statement

Founded in 1987, our program supports a developmental approach, designed to address the needs of multiage groupings for learning and experiencing a full range of early childhood activities, including art, music, dance, yoga, storytelling, puppetry, math, cooking, and science. We divide our mornings and afternoons into child-centered free play and organized activities. Our curriculum is set up in small groups to foster socialization skills and to encourage creativity in “hands-on learning”. Our multiage/multicultural groupings embrace where the child “is at”. We are also committed to factoring the interests and knowledge base of each child into our school curriculum by providing materials that will enhance their self-expression and expansion of new information. 

We encourage parents to be active in our school community; participate in school activities and share their cultures, interests, and talents with their children and their teachers so we can grow, expand our world view and learn together within a nurturing place where children mature and flourish at their own pace. 

Our curriculum and activities extend outside the classroom daily to our backyard where we do biking, bubbles, dig in our sandbox, gardening, and more. We go on daily excursions to Central Park to explore playgrounds, take nature walks, and observe the changing seasons, ducks, turtles, and a variety of birds. We include local field trips to libraries, firehouses, museums, Zoos, Wild Bird Fund, pet stores, and the local green market where we bring our compost. 

West Side Family Center is committed to establishing good communications with parents which includes notices posted regularly, emails, texts, and formal and informal conferences. We encourage parents to participate and contribute to the daily life of the school in the manner in which they are able. At West Side Family Preschool, we embrace and share each family’s cultural heritage around universal activities. These principles will help enrich our school community and the lives of the children we serve.