Frequently Asked Questions

See below for our program hours. Please note that After School and Early Morning Care programs are also available to support families.

Students can enroll in our lunch program starting mid-year in the 5/6s. The program, provided by Butter Beans Kitchen, is open to all students in the 5/6s through 13/14s at an additional cost. Our students in the 3/4s and 4/5s enjoy lunch provided by their families.

Approximately 50 percent of students at the School for Children identify as students of color, making Bank Street one of the most diverse independent schools in New York City.

Upper School students may sign up for interscholastic sports that meet after school hours twice a week for practices and games against other schools. The sports program includes running, soccer, and volleyball (for 11/12s through 13/14s) in the fall, basketball in the winter, and running and softball in the spring.

In the early Lower School grades, there are different types of opportunities for students for engaging in physical activity. Movement classes allow children to develop fine and gross motor skills, build impulse control, and foster self-concept and self-esteem. The fundamental movement concepts of space, time, and energy are introduced. The focus is to facilitate creativity, imagination, risk-taking, and confidence through the exploration of movement concepts: space, time, and energy. Through movement, students integrate the brain and body, developing balance, coordination, and spatial awareness.

In the later Lower School grades, movement classes incorporate choreographic principles of unison, canon, and call and response into their work. Students collaborate in pairs and small groups to create group choreographies. In physical education, students develop strength and endurance through fitness activities to build a foundation for a lifetime appreciation of fitness. Students are introduced to skills and equipment and participate in a variety of team sports, including lead-up games in team handball, football, soccer, basketball, volleyball, and softball. Students participate in stretching, aerobic, and upper body strength exercises to increase fitness and prepare for fitness exams. Students also play competitive games and recreational tag games for a balanced approach to group play.

Spanish is taught starting in the 3/4s and continues through the 9/10s. Beginning in the 10/11s, students have the option of continuing with Spanish or taking French. 

The music program varies across divisions and ages. 

There are two choruses in the Upper School—one for 10/11s and 11/12s and one for 12/13s and 13/14s. Both groups learn a diverse array of music, including classical, spiritual/gospel, folk, and contemporary pieces. The choruses perform at the Upper School Winter and Spring Concerts.

In addition to chorus, Upper School students can participate in a variety of instrumental music opportunities, including eight rock bands, a string ensemble, and a wind ensemble.

The After School program offers both specialty classes for students as well as supervised spaces to play and complete homework for students who need to remain in school after dismissal, from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM.

Community is fostered in many ways at Bank Street. In each division, classrooms gather in Assemblies on a regular basis. In the Lower School, parents and other family grown-ups can join the musical gathering and sing along with their child on certain dates. These assemblies are followed by coffee time for parents once a month. Additionally, the Buddies Program encourages friendship and community between the grades.

For parents, Bank Street hosts an annual community-building event in December and a benefit in the spring. Our very active Parents Association hosts a number of social events throughout the year, allowing parents time to engage and socialize. 

Bank Street also hosts various events for students and their families, including class potlucks and our annual Fall Fair.

We offer early notification of admissions decisions to families who already have one or more children enrolled in the school. Our goal when parents apply for a sibling to be admitted to Bank Street is to keep the family together. However, while Bank Street may be the right fit for one child, it may not be the best fit for another.

Across all grades, two individual conferences with teachers and parents/guardians are scheduled each year. In the Upper School, students not only attend but lead their conferences. 

In addition, Lower School teachers write a year-end report about each student. These reports describe the child’s areas of strength and areas of growth over the course of the year. Upper School teachers write two reports per year about each student. These reports describe students’ progress to date in the year.

There are many benefits to an 8th-grade school. At Bank Street, our students are part of a community that values developmentally appropriate academic and social-emotional learning, which is reinforced at every grade level, allowing children to have the time and space to cherish their childhood and be kids for as long as possible.

We understand that applying to high schools can be overwhelming, but by the time our students become 8th graders, they are fully prepared and empowered to be active partners in choosing a high school that fits their needs, interests, and goals, which is a unique benefit of a school that ends in 8th grade.

Our 8th-grade students experience a robust and wonderful last year at the school, including a Mock Supreme Court unit and a Mock Congress unit that culminates in a spring trip to Washington, D.C. Students also put on a full musical theater production and experience a memorable graduation ceremony, all in addition to applying to high schools. The application process is conducted in collaboration with our Director of High School Placement & Exmissions who gets to know students starting in grade 7. They meet with parents to find what kind of schools they’re thinking about applying to and, through a collaborative process with families, students, and faculty.

Bank Street teachers pay special attention to the social and emotional needs of students and provide them with ways to build upon those portions of themselves daily. Outside of school, Bank Street students tend to be close and often become lifelong friends. 

Bank Street has a robust set of health and safety policies in place to help curb the transmission of COVID-19.