The Muscota New School is a New York City public primary school located in the Inwood neighborhood of northern Manhattan. The word Muscota means "place in the reeds" in the language of the Lenape, the Native Americans who lived in the area long ago. Muscota New School is celebration of life and work: inquiry, noticing, joining with and following after children in their quest for learning about the world.
Muscota is committed to mirroring the diversity of the community within our classes, both in student population and teaching staff. We believe by combining an emphasis on the individual and responsibility to the families of Inwood, Washington Heights, and northern Manhattan, we bring together the most positive aspects of a community-based school of choice. We use a progressive model of education to provide a safe, nurturing academic environment. All children come to school with a gift: their desire to make sense of the world. They work to accomplish this on a daily basis, by engaging with their environment, by interacting with people and materials, through their own inquiry, and by following their own innate curiosity.
The adults carefully observe them following their interests and support their explorations. The Muscota New School was created to provide a safe, nurturing environment for children to grow, learn, and create their work in. The focus of the school is on the learner, both adult and child, as we encourage everyone to use their minds well. The adults of the community help develop and celebrate each person’s strength and talents.