The mission of Urban Day School is to provide students,
pre-kindergarten through eighth grade with a learning experience that
emphasizes academic excellence and personal achievement, enabling
the students to make a successful transition into higher education
and to become value-creating leaders of society.
The quality of education received in the early years of life is a major factor in student development. The learning foundation created in those years often determines future academic success and the quality of opportunities accessible later in life.
The educational philosophy of Urban Day School is rooted in helping each child realize his / her potential. Recognizing that students come from widely varying home environments and vary greatly in aptitudes, styles of learning, and emotional makeup, Urban Day School teachers have small class sizes, as well as classroom assistants, permitting sufficient freedom to reach individual students on the appropriate level. Students requiring extra help, as well as those performing above the norm, receive the attention and encouragement they need to succeed.
At Urban Day School, socialization is considered a prerequisite to academic readiness and receives special attention in the school’s Early Childhood program. Self-care skills such as washing hands and brushing teeth are a part of the daily Head Start classroom routine, along with learning to share and play with other children, and learning to take direction from adults. At family style meals children learn to pass and politely ask for food, and experience peaceful meals with pleasant conversation every day. Emphasis is placed on helping children learn to manage their moods and emotions.
Children in Urban Day’s Head Start program receive academic instruction based on the “Creative Curriculum” model. The Urban Day staff is specially trained to teach the Creative Curriculum. Being prepared to respond to each individual child’s readiness to learn is a key component of the Creative Curriculum and the Urban Day School educational philosophy.
Urban Day School’s Early Childhood programs prepare children well for entry into Kindergarten and Elementary school.
Urban Day School uses a rich variety of educational tools and instructional techniques to reach students and stimulate their interest in learning. At Urban Day School you will see a many highly interactive educational techniques employed in classrooms. Urban Day School continually raises the academic bar with advanced math programs, foreign language, computer instruction, debate squads, science fairs, and other educational activities. The result is excellent academic outcomes that significantly outpace public schools serving the same population.
Urban Day students attend many of Milwaukee’s premiere High Schools (Marquette High, Pius XI, Wisconsin Lutheran, Messmer, Milwaukee Lutheran, Rufus King, Bradley Tech, Divine Savior-Holy Angels, and more.)
The school continues to live out is mission of giving Milwaukee’s young people the
tools they need to build successful lives. Essential to that mission is the message of the
Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
"We must remember that intelligence is not enough.
Intelligence plus character, that is the goal of true education."
Character-building is woven into the fabric of Urban Day School and receives special emphasis in the middle-school grades. In addition to a well-know Leadership Academy, Urban Day School pilots a “forgiveness” curriculum developed at the University of Wisconsin that is aimed at helping young children deal with anger in constructive ways. Teachers set examples of leadership and respect for themselves and for others. Students are expected to exhibit those traits in their own behavior.
Urban Day School believes helping each child become aware of his / her individual capacity to acquire knowledge, master skills, and build personal character is the key to lifelong learning and growth that leads to a richer life.
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