Joyful. An oasis in the heart of Atlanta. A true community.
These are all descriptions that have been used by parents to describe The Children’s School. Since 1970, TCS has been a school that engages the hearts and minds of our students, cares deeply about relationships between children and adults, and is an intentionally diverse and inclusive community.
We amplify childhood for students in preschool through grade 8 and graduate life-long learners who have the academic and social-emotional skills to thrive in high school and beyond.
We invite you to scroll on to discover how The Children's School fosters a warm, nurturing environment in which students are challenged to develop their skills and attributes to become the best versions of themselves.
At TCS, learning is hands-on, minds-on, and all heart
TCS’s nationally-recognized, innovative curriculum - embedded within a nurturing environment - gives children the security and opportunity to discover themselves and their world while allowing them to show up as their authentic selves.
Our expert teachers deliver intentional, engaged learning through play-based and immersive project-based learning, enabling our students to make powerful connections with the world around them and to see the relevance and impact of their learning.
Early Learning (3's/4's and 4's/5's)
Through play, our youngest learners build social awareness, gain basic literacy and math skills, and get their first taste of creative problem solving.
- The average student-to-teacher ratio in 3's/4's is 7:1 and 4's/5's is 9:1
- Starting in Early Learning, each child receives at least 60 minutes of outdoor play each day.
Wonderful learning happens when inventive teachers help young students connect their play with blocks to lessons about sorting or language. Through structured play, children naturally begin to comprehend and apply concepts of math, science and engineering.
“(Children) bring a natural curiosity to their experiences. They make sense of the world through play, how to problem solve, develop resilience and frustration tolerance. All of those skills that support human beings in their everyday lives, children begin to understand that through play.”
-- Elena, Director of Lower School
Our youngest students take music and movement, library classes and Mandarin Chinese language classes with specialists on a weekly basis.
Elementary Learning (K-5)
As our students grow, learning through play becomes learning playfully. These years are all about continuing to build confidence, resilience and independence.
- The average student to teacher ratio in Kindergarten through grade 5 is 12:1.
- Students switch from Chinese (Mandarin) to Spanish in fourth grade to expose them to the two most widely spoken languages in the world today.
- Elementary students visit art, music, STEAM, Chinese/Spanish, library and physical education specialists weekly.
The Best Learning is “Hard Fun”
At this age, TCS students develop a strong sense of justice and classroom discussions become more energized and enthusiastic as they study real-world issues and venture off campus to collect firsthand research.
Project-Based Learning: Think Outside the Book
Project-based learning at TCS is an experience that transcends books and classrooms and even our campus. We design projects around real-world problems facing our community to engage students and help them learn in a more meaningful way. TCS students tackle the kinds of questions that can't be answered by Google.
Outdoor Education
Starting in third grade, TCS students head out on overnight camping trips led by TCS teachers. These trips nurture character development, expose students to the physical and ecological diversity of Georgia, and build lifelong skills while gradually increasing in challenge as students grow older.
Learn to Lead Early
Our big/little buddy program pairs younger students with older students, ensuring young adolescents become leaders and role models and younger children have mentors to look up to on campus.
Learning By Doing
As they learn by doing, our students discover the courage to take the mental leaps and the tenacity to transcend mistakes. They emerge self-aware, self-motivated and self-confident, fully prepared to take off in the Middle Grades and beyond.
Middle Grades (Grades 6-8)
At TCS, we see young adolescents as strong, adventurous and seeking a clear identity and purpose.
Our oldest students mature gently, tapping their growing abilities while preserving their childlike sense of joy, wonder and curiosity. They build academic, collaborative and creative skills, taking on leadership responsibilities and establishing a lifelong foundation for themselves as innovators and world contributors.
- Our average student to teacher ratio in Middle Grades is 15:1.
- Middle Grades students can participate in athletics, arts and leadership opportunities.
Learn Bravely
At this age, students grapple with big ideas, forge community connections, and explore the question of who they are in this world – distinct from friends, family and teachers.
Learn to Live and Lead
Middle Grades students participate in a range of engaging activities including student leadership, student ambassador network, and STEAM-based clubs.
This allows them to develop leadership skills, experiment with interests, form stronger relationships with peers, and build on academic subjects they're learning in the classroom.
Beyond TCS
Research shows that children who are allowed to stay children longer are not only healthier, happier, socially stronger, and more resilient, they also better develop critical core competencies that lay the groundwork for academic success.
Our graduates are the best example of this. TCS students become brave, compassionate problem solvers who are well prepared to thrive in high school and beyond, excelling in a diversity of schools - private and public, single-sex and co-ed, big and small.
Student Life
Specialist Classes
During the school day, TCS students rotate between specialist classes through a 6-day cycle schedule. From the library to the art studio, music room, STEAM lab, and gym, students have dedicated time to develop arts and technology skills.
STEAM Learning
Students in kindergarten - grade 8 visit our STEAM lab up to two times a week. Through STEAM projects, teachers provide a series of engaging challenges to help students build their problem-solving prowesses, give and take advice to help each other move forward, grow in their ability to persist when faced with frustrations, and build self confidence in their own abilities.
These are all academic and life skills that our children will need to succeed in high school and beyond.
Extended Day Program
The Children’s School’s Extended Day after-school program uses play-based activities and immersive project-based learning units that focus on developing an entrepreneurial mindset and utilize community partnerships.
TCS Athletics
We know that physical fitness provides clear fuel for the brain to help power academics, so TCS offers competitive sports opportunities to students as young as third grade.
Students in grades 3 – 5 participate in intramural leagues while students in grades 6 – 8 compete in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), which is designed specifically for middle school student-athletes.
TCS athletics offers:
- Basketball
- Cross Country
- Flag Football
- Tennis
- Track & Field
- Ultimate Frisbee
- Volleyball
Day School Electives
TCS’s musical, theater and visual arts after-school programs introduce children to rich cultural traditions, build confidence and help them become compelling communicators – skills they’ll use whether their future is in Carnegie Hall or the C-suite.
Day School Electives focus on performance art with an emphasis on developing confidence and stage experiences in a safe performance environment.
Day School Electives include:
- TCS Jr. Players (theater group)
- TCS Players (advanced theater group)
- TCS Voices (chorus)
Nurture and Challenge
Our highly engaged, compassionate, courageous community of learners is made up of more than 360 students and more than 100 teachers and administrators.
We challenge our learners to academic excellence, noble character, and emotional maturity, preparing them to make an impact on an ever-changing world.
That’s why:
- 97% of our parents agree TCS fosters a love of learning
- 95% of our parents agree TCS is building a foundation for their child’s future success
- 92% of our families feel like they belong here
Portrait of a TCS Graduate
Our graduates are grounded, generous, and compassionate. They’re known in the Atlanta high school community as innovative, collaborative problem-solvers who are remarkably adept at standing up for their beliefs.
Beyond TCS
We don’t just graduate students at TCS, we launch lifelong learners who are academically and social-emotionally prepared to thrive in high school.
Finding a Right-Fit High School
Counseling our eighth graders on their next steps after The Children’s School is an essential part of our educational process. TCS works closely with students and their families to ensure they find a school that matches the student’s strengths, needs and interests and complements their intellectual, physical and social development.
“TCS has always sent great students but this group for ninth grade was above and beyond our expectation. We were so excited to see this crop of wonderful students in terms of personality and what we know they will add to our community. It was easy to accept as many TCS graduates as we did.”
— Director of Admission, Atlanta-area, independent K-12 school
Our community intentionally reflects the world in which we live
In fact, our community is one of the most diverse among all of Atlanta’s independent schools. We are proud to support a community of learners that represent:
- 52% students of color
- 51% faculty/staff of color
- 50+ zip codes
- 26% of students receive financial assistance reflecting TCS’s commitment to socioeconomic diversity
Our diversity is our strength
We explicitly and intentionally create an environment of inclusion, belonging, and cultural competence because we value who each individual is, what they bring, and recognize that we are collectively incomplete if we don’t invite all voices. Everyone is encouraged to show up everyday as their authentic self.
Join the Wolf Pack!
Learn more about our classrooms, hands-on learning in action, expert teachers, and discover for yourself how The Children’s School graduates purpose-driven, life-long learners!
Schedule a time to chat one-on-one with our admission team.
If you have any questions, please contact the Admission team at 404-873-6985 or admission@tcsatl.org.