Located on the Upper West Side, near Central Park, the Alexander Robertson School (ARS) is the very model of a small, nurturing private school (Pre-K through grade 5) where all the teachers and administrators know all the students, and parents, too, are an important part of the school community. This past spring, they made two big announcements: first, to address growing interest in the school, ARS introduced their first Pre-K program and another Kindergarten class—both of which have space available for this fall. And second: that a well-regarded and accomplished local educator, Irwin Shlachter, would be joining them as their new head of school, after two decades of overseeing the growth of two other distinguished private schools in the city (first the Rodeph Sholom School, and later Claremont Preparatory School, now Léman Manhattan Preparatory School). With the 2014-15 school year approaching, we spoke with Shlachter about the joys and challenges of being an educator—and what’s so special about ARS.
New York Family: What’s the key to educating grade school students?
Irwin Shlachter: Grades K-5 are very important grades in terms of getting to know a student, and working with their learning styles to foster a curious and confident learner. There is no question that, as they move into middle school and high school, they become more proficient in their skills but the earlier grades can, you might say, set the tone—and at a small school, with dedicated educators, you can really get to know students and help them maximize their individual strengths. From the start, there needs to be a lot of positive validation. For a young child, you need an environment that is structured but also invites a great deal of creativity—a balance that allows each student to express themselves however they can. Then as they get into the older grades in the school, their learning styles really start coming into focus, and we can best nurture them.
New York Family: We know you take a lot of pride in running schools that are infused with a sense of community.
Shlachter: It starts in the morning with me being downstairs, greeting the families and students. I like to demystify the persona of the head of the school so that students and parents see me as someone who is approachable, who they can share things with, large or small. I’m also in the classrooms a great deal instead of in my office. I’m there at lunch a lot. I want the kids to feel like this is an extension of their family.
New York Family: Let’s talk about academics, and some of the new programs the school is introducing, like the special STEM program.
Shlachter: ARS will be the first school in New York State selected by the Smithsonian Science Education Center to teach its Science and Technology Concepts curriculum, a highly- effective STEM-based approach to learning (STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). What separates the curriculum from traditional science is that it is integrated into the school day so that students see it as an ongoing aspect of learning instead of just going to science class once a week. It’s very inquiry-based and hands on—and fun! In age-appropriate ways, it’s going to be used by the entire school.
New York Family: What else should parents know about the school’s academics?
Shlachter: Let’s talk about the reading and writing. One of the things they are going to be adding is a program that was introduced at Columbia’s Teachers College about 10-12 years ago that I first used at the Rodeph Sholom School. It’s a writer’s workshop approach and it’s very effective in helping students improve their writing. Instead of a teacher circling all the mistakes, it encourages students to write phonetically—which is great for building up vocabulary and spelling. They also illustrate the book and dedicate it, so it makes them feel like they really are publishing something.
New York Family: What’s the biggest joy for you as an educator?
Shlachter: That’s an easy one. Watching students succeed and watching them grow and blossom. And I love when they come back for a visit, and sometimes even ask my advice on life.
Parents interested in learning more about ARS, including its new Pre-K and expanding Kindergarten, should visit alexanderrobertson.org, or contact the admissions office at 212-663-2844 or admissions@alexanderroberston.org.
