ACADEMICS
Where Learning Gets Real
MCS’s academic rigor is deeply rooted in the complexity of our curriculum, challenging students to think more deeply, solve complex problems and engage with diverse perspectives through real-world experiences. This approach not only equips them with essential hard skills, but also cultivates high-level critical thinking and self-awareness, giving them a distinct advantage over programs that rely solely on traditional learning methods.
Academic excellence redefined: preparing our students for life
The educational program at Manhattan Country School embraces the whole child. As a progressive school, we value children’s curiosity and nurture their intellectual, physical, emotional, social, and ethical growth. What sets MCS apart is our unique mission: a commitment to intentional racial and socioeconomic diversity, our Farm, and our social science curriculum that teaches students how to be changemakers.
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MCS students are exposed to different ideas and ways of thinking. They gain cultural awareness from knowing a diverse group of people, and they are comfortable and confident being around different people. Over time, students are able to hold multiple perspectives, even if they do agree with or personally experience a point of view.
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MCS students learn about nature and natural processes by returning to the Farm year after year. In farm classes, they experience real-world examples of science, math, naturalism, history, and language and gain a deep understanding of systems-thinking and interdependence.
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MCS students are active participants in the democratic process. Through the activism program, they learn how to take a position and how to use research, data, personal experience, and case studies to support their arguments. They engage in sophisticated analysis of cause and effect, historical context, and systems of power, while honing their ability to identify and understand multiple points of view.
Our faculty is an integral part of the excellence of the MCS program. MCS teachers make an intentional choice to seek out MCS because of their belief in the mission and our unique approach to progressive education.