There is perhaps no decision as important to the parent of a young child as choosing an elementary school. With a multitude of factors to consider, it can be difficult to decide where to begin. So why not start 225 years ago?
In 1789 the Alexander Robertson School first opened to educate the sons and daughters of “farmers and common folks.” Now based on the Upper West Side, the school was founded by the Second Presbyterian Church (also known as “The Scot’s Church) and its generous namesake, Alexander Robertson. ARS stands today as one of the earliest schools in the country, and one of the oldest co-educational institutions in New York City.
Founded the same year that George Washington became president, the Alexander Robertson School’s history is flush with civic purpose. Taking inspiration from the importance placed on literacy in Scotland during the 18th-century enlightenment, ARS was established with a deeply considered focus on learning. It was intended to serve the children of ordinary citizens, or those who were not members of the landed gentry. “The way out of oppression was education. They believed that with every fiber of their being,” chairman of the School Committee Bram Lewis says of the school’s benefactors. “And there are other great cultures that have embraced that principle, such as the Jewish tradition.”
While seamlessly blending such traditions with modern-day ideals, ARS maintains the progressive precept of “empowerment through education” for students of all backgrounds. In fact, Alexander Robertson was founded on these inclusive principles, and remains wonderfully diverse to this day. While the Second Presbyterian Church still operates the school, it does so from an ecumenical standpoint, teaching the children about all world faiths throughout the school year without dedicating one class to the study of religion or chapel attendance.
In a similar way, ethics is imbued in teachings during the day, giving students a more holistic understanding of personal morals and character. With an emphasis on qualities like gratitude, compassion, generosity, courage, and respect, ARS fosters a nurturing environment that honors the spirit of its “singular and rich heritage,” as Lewis notes. As one of the only elementary schools in the city to teach ethics, ARS’s former headmistress, the Reverend Leslie Merlin, takes students on service trips to a food pantry, where they gain a sense of the larger community. This encourages the children to “look at the world and ask questions,” Lewis says.
In describing his introduction to ARS three years ago, Lewis remarks: “What I found was a warm, caring community with wonderful teachers, a beautiful campus, and a range of learning that reflected the diversity of the world outside.” With just 12 students per class and one class per grade, the community is intentionally intimate so that teachers can really get to know each child’s learning style, while helping students of all abilities and interests grow into active classroom participants.
Beyond keeping class sizes small, ARS has many fresh and exciting offerings, including a new headmaster—the esteemed and accomplished educator Irwin Shlachter—who brings new energy to the school; the introduction of a highly interactive writer’s workshop that originated at Columbia’s Teachers College; an expanded Kindergarten; and the school’s very first pre-K program. Yet another feather in the school’s cap is its selection by the Smithsonian Science Education Center as the first in New York State to teach its Science and Technology Concepts (STEM) curriculum, a more inquiry-focused and integrated approach to learning.
The students at ARS not only receive the benefit of an education in the cultural hub that is the Upper West Side, but they also get to participate in a set of time-honored traditions, including a yearly blessing, or “Kirking,” of the school every September. Starting in the Carnegie Library, an official procession makes its way up Central Park West while bagpipers play “Scotland the Brave.” Last year, the school also participated in New York’s Tartan Week Parade. Picture this: Students and teachers donned plaid kilts to march proudly with the school’s banner, while others cartwheeled up 6th Avenue.
Now that’s school spirit.
To learn more about the Alexander Robertson School, visit alexanderrobertson.org.
