Private Preschool / School in Downtown Chicago, IL

The Catherine Cook School, Chicago:
The Catherine Cook School is one of a few nonsectarian, nondenominational, nonprofit traditional independent schools located in downtown Chicago in the historic Old Town area providing preschool through eighth grade programs. The school serves Lincoln Park, Gold Coast, Lakeview, Wicker Park and surrounding neighborhoods. We are an inclusive learning community dedicated to inspiring personal excellence and educating children for life. We are a school where students thrive in small classes and enjoy a joyful approach to learning and community. Our academic program centers on age-appropriate experiential learning and independent thinking, augmented by rich opportunities in the arts, athletics and service learning.

Early Childhood Program:
Our Early Childhood Program takes children from Preschool at age three through the Senior Kindergarten year, focusing on the unique developmental processes of the young child. Throughout, our educational philosophy concentrates on play-to-learn activities, with a strong emphasis on sensory integration, language development, and socialization. Joyful, nurturing classes are print-rich environments with abundant opportunities for daily fine and gross motor activities, as well as arts and craft explorations. Parallel play in small groups encourages social development.

Junior Kindergarten Program:
The junior kindergarten program is an important one as it focuses on successfully transitioning students from being preschoolers to lower schoolers. This program aims to create students into more independent learners.

Senior Kindergarten Program:
Ending in kindergarten, the early childhood curriculum continues to foster a hands on age appropriate style of learning. It emphasizes a child’s need to understand and explore oral and written skills as well as an introduction to areas of study such mathematics, social studies and science. World languages are taught as an introduction to culture and language. Physical education classes promote health-related fitness and the effects of exercise and nutrition. Art and music classes are more frequent to begin encouraging a deeper appreciation and knowledge of these disciplines.

Lower School Program: Grades 1-4:
Our Lower School program provides opportunities for students to explore the world through hands-on activities, to engage in authentic, real-world experiences, and to develop the skills that will help them become confident life-long learners. By keeping class sizes small with an average teacher/student ratio of 1/17, students are able to develop meaningful, positive relationships with dedicated teachers who nurture and challenge them daily. A strong partnership between school and home is essential to each child’s success, and an emphasis is placed on building a classroom atmosphere of trust and mutual respect. The Lower School is a lively, friendly environment where children thrive as happy, inquisitive, and resourceful students.

Middle School Program:
Early adolescence is a time of enormous cognitive and social growth, and the Middle School at Catherine Cook gives students abundant opportunities to expand their knowledge, develop their leadership abilities, reflect on their goals, and imagine themselves into the future.

Our curriculum prepares students for superb high school options, teaching language arts and social studies in a combined humanities program with rigorous course work in math, laboratory science, and world languages complemented by art, music, physical education, and public speaking.

Twice-weekly elective periods give students opportunities to self-direct their education and try new things, from investigating the history of rock and roll to learning to write as student journalists. Most academic work in the Middle School is done in a completely paperless environment, with students working on individual laptop computers integrated with interactive Smart Boards through our one-to-one laptop program -- the first of its kind in Chicago independent middle schools.