The Children's School

09/08/2026

Join us for the monthly "Get to Know TCS" Coffee Talk & Tour, THIS Friday, 09/11 at 9am. This is a simple way to connect, ask questions, and experience the heart of our school!
RSVP: www.thechildrensschool.info/visit-1

09/05/2026

Congratulations to the student filmmakers of the TCS class of 2026, whose short film "Generating Our Future" was chosen for this year's Oak Park IL Film Festival. See the complete festival schedule at https://www.opilff.org/2026-films

09/05/2026

Weekly Note from Michelle, TCS Head of School:

What's in a Name? From Critters to Community!

There are so many little traditions at TCS that, on the surface, can just seem fun. Our classroom names are one of them.

Each year, teachers choose an overarching theme. This year: Critters in Transportation. From there, students brainstorm possibilities, share ideas, narrow them down, and vote. And that is how we end up with names like Shrimp on a Blimp! 😊

But I’ve been thinking this week about why we do this - and why these seemingly small traditions matter.

Choosing a classroom name is one of the first ways students practice becoming a community. They imagine together. They listen to one another’s ideas. They advocate for their favorites. They vote. Sometimes their choice wins, and sometimes it doesn’t. And in the end, they create something that belongs to all of them.

It’s playful and wonderfully silly, but underneath it is something pretty important: your voice matters, other voices matter too, and we build our community together.

That’s democracy at TCS. It isn’t only something we teach. It’s something we practice - in big ways, certainly, but maybe even more importantly, in the small, everyday moments of school.

And sometimes it looks like Lizards in Limousines or Fish in a Dish on a Train!

Continuamos/We Continue,
Michelle

09/04/2026

Our second annual "Bring a Book Back to School" Drive was a huge success! 100 new books have been added to our beautiful library space, and eager readers have been scouring the shelves. Learn about our library team and how their efforts connect to literacy at TCS: https://www.thechildrensschool.info/post/back-to-school-book-drive-brings-in-100-new-books

09/02/2026

Join us for the monthly "Get to Know TCS" Coffee Talk & Tour, Friday, 09/11 at 9am. This is a simple way to connect, ask questions, and experience the heart of our school!

RSVP: www.thechildrensschool.info/visit-1

08/30/2026

Back-to-School Family Picnic POSTPONED! ☔️

Well, the weather is not cooperating with us today! With the muddy conditions at Proksa Park and more rain expected this afternoon, we’ve made the decision to postpone today’s Back-to-School Family Picnic.

We’re disappointed not to gather together today, but we also don’t want our first family picnic of the year to be a soggy, muddy one!

We’ll be looking at new dates and will need to secure a new picnic space - possibly at a different park. Stay tuned for a new date and location!

Thanks for rolling with the change. We’re looking forward to getting our TCS community together soon!

And in the meantime, we’ll see everyone tomorrow as we kick off our first full week of school!

08/29/2026

Weekly Note from Michelle, TCS Head of School:

What a first week!

There is something pretty wonderful about watching a school come back to life.

On Monday, our classrooms were ready - materials organized, plans made, names waiting on cubbies and lockers. And then our students arrived. Suddenly, the hallways were loud again. Classrooms were messy again. There were questions and stories and laughter and a whole lot of figuring things out together.

And that is when TCS really becomes TCS.

Over these first few days, I’ve watched old friends reconnect, and new friendships begin. I’ve watched students learn new routines, teachers make adjustments in the moment, crews begin the wonderfully complicated process of choosing class names, and our older students step into the increased independence that comes with another year of growing up.

We have already read books, made art, wrestled with math problems, explored big questions, played, gathered as a whole school (see pic of first Group Gathering of the year), visited the library, and started planning adventures that will take us well beyond our classrooms.

But more than anything, we have started building our crew.

That feels like the real work of these first days - not rushing to get somewhere, but taking the time to know one another, build trust, find our rhythms, and begin creating the community we will learn in together this year.

It was a really, really good first week. And we’re just getting started. 💛

Continuamos, We Continue,
Michelle

08/26/2026

08/26/2026

And just like that… we’re back. 💛

The first morning of a new school year - families gathering, old friends reconnecting, new friendships beginning, and our TCS community coming back together.

There’s something pretty magical about that first arrival.

We had the BEST first day!!

Welcome back, TCS. Here we go! 🌈✨

08/20/2026

There’s something pretty magical about this moment at TCS!

Fresh paint. New carpet. Thoughtfully prepared spaces. Teachers dreaming, planning, creating, and getting ready.

Soon, these rooms will be filled with questions, laughter, big ideas, beautiful messes, and the ideas, discoveries, and unexpected moments with children that make learning come alive.

We’re almost ready, TCS. ✨

A new year of discovery and wonder is just around the corner.

First Day of School: Tuesday, August 25th - 12pm dismissal Kinder-8th grade.