Blue Rock School is the Lower Hudson Valley’s only progressive, independent, co-educational day school. Unique among private schools, Blue Rock is committed to fostering a non-elitist community of students from diverse ethnic, religious and economic backgrounds.
Offering a discovery-based, test and grade free learning environment, Blue Rock nurtures children’s natural curiosity and innate love of learning. In small class settings, our interdisciplinary curriculum emphasizes the arts, nature and play and encourages creativity, collaboration, depth of learning, critical thinking and confident self-expression.
A great alternative for grades kindergarten through eighth grade, Blue Rock is a truly dynamic and joyful learning community. Blue Rock School is chartered by the New York State Board of Regents and governed by a Board of Trustees and is an IRS designated 501(c)(3), non-profit organization.
Blue Rock School Programs
Kindergarten
Kindergarten students come to school every morning at 9 am and stay until noon for the minimum half-day program, or stay until 3:15pm for an optional full day. Parents can choose full days for certain days of the week, or for every day of the week. The possibility of gradually expanding a child’s participation at school serves our youngest students well as they become more comfortable leaving home and engaging in school activities.
Elementary School
Starting in first grade, our students delve into the world of reading, writing, and mathematics on a daily basis. They also begin more formal explorations of science, history, geography, and social studies. In every grade, the children engage in weekly classes of poetry, drama, gym, and art, continue language classes in Spanish, and have music class several times a week.
Middle School
By the time Blue Rock School students reach Middle School, they have developed a strong sense of confidence and responsibility. Our supportive environment encourages them to take risks and to engage in new and more complex areas of study in the sciences and humanities. The students utilize and continue to develop the critical thinking skills, independent and group work skills, and the self- motivation and independence that have developed in them and been nurtured throughout the elementary years. The teachers have developmentally appropriate expectations of the students’ ability to engage in process-based learning with a keener attention to organization, detail, complexity, and presentation.