A message from our Executive Director, Arlie Harris

At Central Park School for Children, our students’ imagination inspires and is at the heart of our nurturing community. Our purpose is to be amazed by their brilliance and empower all children to thrive. This is why we began 20 years ago and it fuels us even more today.

Every child’s growth and joy for learning is rooted in their passions. Our power is greatest as a learning community when every child’s brilliance both shines and connects with their classmates, families and teachers. Our mission is simple: All Children Thrive. Thriving children are centered, nurtured, and cared for – all the way from their roots, through their core, to their new growth as they branch out. Our children, and all children, deserve an education where their imagination creates a joy for learning that lasts a lifetime.
In our CPSC classrooms we strive to listen deeply to children, empower them to play and create, and feel love from their classmates, teachers and community.  We believe deeply in our mission and our very clear goals for all our children, and we work as a community to bring them to life within every child. We value learning by doing and modeling in all that we do.

As Executive Director of Central Park School for Children, former Middle School Director, and parent of two current students, I have experienced the power of CPSC’s mission and goals for children across our K-8 school. Our outstanding teachers, classmates, and their families have been part of an extended family – empowering and nurturing my own children’s brilliance and love for learning. I encourage you to explore and discover how Central Park School for Children can nurture your child’s learning as well, in extension of your family’s values and beliefs, so that your children and all children thrive.

As CPSC approaches our 20th anniversary, we remain committed to our shared vision and mission, and the practice of building community after the trials of a pandemic. Our teachers, students, and families build community through a variety of shared experiences. We begin with teacher-family visits in summer before the first day of school and continue with quarterly conferences, school meetings, weekly communications, project shares, field trips, and whole school social events throughout the year. In addition to answering the call to help in the classroom, volunteer at community events, or show up to discuss their child’s unique progress, twice a year, families and staff pitch in at our all-school work days to care for our indoor and outdoor learning environments.

School socials speckle our community calendar, highlighted by the Strawberry Festival, a festival fundraiser for our school, held annually on the first Saturday in May. Through all of these opportunities, we are not only building community, but also showing our shared appreciation for education and all that is possible when we work together for our children. When we are united in community, there is nothing we can’t accomplish.

We are grateful to look back on the past twenty years of learning and growing together, and excited for the lessons to come!

In Community,

Arlie