Tribeca Community School\u2019s Ridgefield campus marks its first Connecticut location, expanding the New York school\u2019s reach into the state.<\/p>\n
Tribeca Community School, a New York City early childhood school founded in 2006, has opened its first Connecticut campus at 66 Grove St. in Ridgefield.<\/p>\n
The school serves children from 6 weeks through age 6, offering full-day, year-round programs as well as half-day, part-week and extended-care options.<\/p>\n
For co-owner Doug Schachtel, the Ridgefield expansion is also a homecoming. Schachtel grew up in Ridgefield before his family moved to New Canaan.<\/p>\n
\u201cI grew up in Ridgefield, so bringing Tribeca Community School to my hometown is deeply meaningful to me,\u201d Schachtel said.<\/p>\n
The school selected the roughly 11,000-square-foot Grove Street building because of its proximity to downtown, parking, outdoor space and natural light. The existing space also allowed the school to avoid a ground-up construction project.<\/p>\n
The building was renovated by KG&D Architects and includes 11 classrooms, movement rooms, shared community spaces, dedicated art and studio areas, and two playgrounds. One playground is designed for infants and toddlers, while the other serves children ages 3 to 6.<\/p>\n
Melissa Barissi, a longtime early childhood educator, is program director of the Ridgefield campus.<\/p>\n
The school follows the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education, which emphasizes children as active participants in their learning. Rather than following a fixed curriculum, teachers develop short- and long-term projects around children\u2019s questions and interests, incorporating early literacy and math skills into those activities.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe relationships children build with their teachers, classmates, materials, and environment become the foundation for everything that follows,\u201d Barissi said.<\/p>\n
Tribeca Community School was founded as a single-classroom preschool in Manhattan\u2019s Tribeca neighborhood and has since expanded its programs. The school also has hosted educators from other countries who visit to observe its classrooms.<\/p>\n