Through an interdisciplinary curriculum and a process-oriented approach to learning, the faculty encourages children to strive for excellence, to develop confidence in themselves and their abilities, and to realize their unique talents and creativity. Active exploration encompassing many voices and viewpoints allows children to experience the richness of many cultures and develop appreciation of a pluralistic world.
The school works in close partnership with families to ensure the warmth, diversity, and academic excellence that are characteristic of The Chestnut Hill School community. We support creativity in all aspects of our coordinated curriculum. Our rigorous academic program embraces many perspectives, and a coordinated curriculum ensures that nothing is taught in isolation. Subjects come alive because children’s hearts as well as their minds are engaged, and, as their curiosity is stimulated, they develop a love of learning. Children are encouraged to participate in their education by taking initiative, which allows them not only to build a strong foundation of academic skills, but to contribute to the education of their peers. Learning to be a vital part of a community through such collaboration, as well as through decision-making, problem solving, and values application, are essential elements of a well-rounded education.
Welcome to the Chestnut Hill School. As you can tell from the imagery represented throughout these online pages, our community is a joyful and inclusive place. If your notion of an elementary school is of a place for children only, you’ll be surprised to learn to what extent we strive to be a fully inclusive community. This inclusiveness holds true in almost all aspects of daily life: in the classrooms, in the curriculum, in the diverse backgrounds of our families, and in the culture that infuses both our volunteerism and our programs. A distinctively welcoming spirit enables us to think big while still celebrating the intimacy of our small environment.
Like many well-established independent schools, Chestnut Hill strives to provide a balance between academic rigor and extracurricular enrichment. As you can imagine, many educational practices have changed since 1860 when CHS was founded. Despite the great pace of change over the years, our fundamental practices and assumptions have not changed very much at all. We still offer a broadly comprehensive program, and we understand that a well-educated person needs to be both disciplined and self-directed.
The Chestnut Hill School students embody both the diversity of background and the depth of character that we so highly prize. There is no privilege greater than that of educating young people. Blessed by beautiful surroundings and humbled by the timeless nature of our work, we are especially grateful for the talent and dedication of our teachers. Guided by the three pillars of our mission--academic excellence, diversity and community, we recognize that social and emotional wellness is central to effective learning. Personal connection, multicultural perspective, interdisciplinary learning, artistic achievement, intellectual challenge, and constant self-renewal: these are our most enduring legacies.
Steven Tobolsky, Ph.D.
Head of School
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The New Family Access
The New Family Access site has a new login for each family member. When accessing it for the first time, click the "Forgot Password" link and enter your email address. Login instructions will be sent to you. If you have any questions, email help@tchs.org.