Spuyten Duyvil Preschool, also known as the Spuyten Duyvil Infantry, was established in 1928.
Once a cooperative program run out of the homes of a small group of families, Spuyten Duyvil Preschool has grown to accommodate many generations of families in the Riverdale/Kingsbridge/Inwood community.
Our historic, sunny facility, along with its playground and garden, allows the children the freedom to play and learn in an intellectually challenging and emotionally safe environment. Visit this link to learn about our special building and grounds.
Our well-trained and certified staff provides a superior level of professional supervision while enabling every student to develop learning and social skills at a unique, individual pace.
For more information on how to reach us, please view the Contact page.
Our Staff
The director and four head teachers at our school hold Master’s degrees in early childhood education and permanent New York State certifications. The staff at our school is culturally diverse, reflecting the population of our student body. There are a total of eleven teachers plus two extended day staff working daily with the four classes, providing a ratio of one teacher for every six children. We invite you to learn more about our faculty.
Family Conferences are held with parents at least twice a year, but teachers and Director are also available to meet at other times as needed.
Spuyten Duyvil’s teachers provide developmentally appropriate curricula, meeting children’s needs on an individual basis. There is regular Professional Development provided for teachers, both what is offered by the Departments of Education and Health, and in regular meetings with the Director. Our school has a strong foundation of parent involvement; teachers continue to live that legacy by providing open access to all family members in support of the child’s education and well-being.
Our Contact section helps you reach our administrators and staff by phone or email and also shows you how to get to the school.
Our Activities
Teachers provide the materials and create an environment so that the activities are child-centered and child-initiated.
Throughout the week, the children select from a variety of activities available to them including:
- easel painting
- cooking
- writing
- art
- block building
- wood working
- sand and water play
- small table games and materials (such as Lego, puzzles, pegboards, etc.)
The teachers select materials that match the interests and developmental levels of the children, changing them to higher levels as the children progress.
Large group activities or meeting times are held each day, when teachers read books and sing songs with the children.
Play is the learning tool for children at this age.
These creative activities build the foundation for later educational skills such as social studies, math, literacy, and other disciplines.
The school has a large, unique playground designed by staff to meet the physical needs of active and growing children. Along with the challenging climbing structure, there is a sandbox built by parents and a surfaced track that circles the whole yard for children to run and ride wheeled vehicles.
Spuyten Duyvil is very fortunate to have its own back and front yards. The natural environment lends itself to exploration: Children collect and examine bugs, worms, leaves, rocks, and other objects.
Children are encouraged to use these collected natural materials for both scientific and artistic projects.
Parent Involvement
Parents are welcome visitors in the school, often bringing special skills and expertise to enrich the classroom.
While no longer a strict cooperative structure, that legacy is still in practice. Parents support the school through a variety of volunteer activities, such as annual fundraising events and family social gatherings. They are invited to be Mystery Readers in their child’s class, volunteer to maintain the grounds and have been the source of many of the varied special activities the school is able to offer its children.
Many parents have made lasting friendships through their involvement in these school activities.
Current and former parents serve on the Board of Trustees of the school.
Families should retrieve and read our Parents’ Handbook.