About Us

About The Weekday School

The Weekday School at Riverside Church is a play-based, independent, non-religious early childhood school on the Upper West Side of New York City, serving families with children ages two through five with preschool and kindergarten classes.

Our Learning Environment

• Bright, Inviting Classrooms – Nestled within the historic Riverside Church and just steps from Riverside Park, The Weekday School offers a bright, inspiring, and thoughtfully designed environment where children can explore, create, and grow. Our classrooms are filled with natural light from large windows, offering views of the Hudson River and Harlem skyline. Each space is carefully arranged to support independence, collaboration, and joyful exploration. Materials are accessible, intentionally rotated, and thoughtfully introduced to connect with ongoing themes and children’s emerging interests. Areas for group work and quieter reflection allow children to engage in social learning, self-expression, and problem-solving at their own pace.

• Specialized Indoor Spaces – Our dedicated art studio, library, and music and dance rooms allow children to engage their creativity, develop new skills, and express themselves in multiple ways. These spaces complement daily classroom learning, offering children opportunities to expand their curiosity and confidence in unique, hands-on ways.

• Outdoor Play Areas – Children enjoy two engaging outdoor play spaces: The rooftop playground features a dome climber and ample room for running, riding scooters and bikes, and playing with balls, giving children freedom to move, explore, and imagine. The first-floor playground includes a traditional play structure with slides, ladders, and steps, alongside large waffle blocks for collaborative building and imaginative play. Both playgrounds encourage physical activity, cooperative problem-solving, and creative exploration.

• Visible Learning and Community – Throughout The Weekday School, children’s work, family contributions, and classroom documentation are thoughtfully displayed, making learning visible and reinforcing each child’s sense of belonging, identity, and accomplishment. Every corner of our school reflects our values of curiosity, creativity, empathy, and community and serves as a vibrant, living classroom where children are inspired to explore, imagine, and thrive every day.

Support for the Ongoing School Process

The Weekday School seeks to prepare children for ongoing public and independent schools.  We offer a variety of resources to assist families as they explore ongoing school options.  During the year, the school sponsors evening events at which parents can learn about ongoing schools.

Some of the co-ed and single sex independent schools our children have transitioned to are:

• • • • • • • The Cathedral School of St. John the Divine
    • Bank Street School for Children
    • Ethical Culture Fieldston School
    • The Riverdale Country School
    • The Dalton School
      • • • Trinity School
            • The School at Columbia
              • • Manhattan Country School
                • The Spence School (all girls)
                • The Brearley School (all girls)
                • The Chapin School (all girls)
                • The Allen-Stevenson School (all boys)
                • St. David’s School (all boys)
                • The Browning School (all boys)

Admissions and Financial Assistance

The Weekday School is a non-profit, non-sectarian school with a non-discriminatory admissions policy. We seek to balance culture, race and gender within our age-based classes.   It is our goal to provide high-quality, affordable education.  Financial assistance is available to children from qualifying families.

Children ages 2–5 are eligible for September admission.  The application process includes a visit to the school and play date.

The Weekday School is a member of the Independent Schools Admissions Association of Greater New York (ISAAGNY) and abides by its admissions policies and dates.