My daughter Lulu is a 7th grader here. WMS was founded last year, and it's a sliding-scale private school dedicated to social and economic diversity. There are no textbooks, and in fact, true to the name, most of the learning is workshopped, meaning students learn through real world application, building and creating things. Earlier this year my daughter learned slopes, geometry and trig concepts through building a skateboard and skate ramp. She's created plays, movies, podcasts, books, VR applications, digital games, a zillion woodshop projects (she is very confident with all hardware equipment now).  Her classes have had a 6:1 student to teacher ratio (there are about 15 kids in her grade). This will grow, but won't exceed 10:1 I believe. Each kid gets a new macbook pro and the school uses modern tech - slack, google apps, etc - to communicate with students and families. When the pandemic hit, they smoothly and gracefully transitioned into digital learning, providing live learning all day every day. In the fall, they learned in prospect park all day, and will return there this spring. They have rotated weekly with the 6th grade for in person learning through winter. Each day begins with meditation. They have advisory every day and prioritize social-emotional skills; kindness is a necessary quality to get into the school. They have on-site covid testing and are extremely cautious about covid. True to the promise, the student body is a mix of students from all walks of life, and the tuition ranges from ~$500/year to ~30k/year - I believe there are 5 levels of tuition, although I have no idea who is in what level. The parents are tight and supportive of the staff. As they're a startup, they've been through some teachers as they learn the best fit, which is expected. But the core teachers are enormously talented, enthusiastic, incredible teachers who have a solid and positive rapport with the kids. The school was started by Andrew Ravin, who was a teacher at MS51 for some time. His stem teacher has a PhD in Math from Colombia and still teaches there. They are an impressive group. Above all, the reason I wanted to write this is because my daughter is thriving. She LOVES school. She hates summer camp but when the idea was floated for possible camp with this group, she squealed with excitement at the idea of it. She was a strong student when she started and she has some aptitude in certain areas, so the teachers feed her harder challenges in those areas to maximize her potential, as i'm sure they do with other children who display a capacity for more. There isn't any "mean kid" crap, all the kids have a great relationship with each other and a mutual respect. My daughter's sense of community and confidence has only strengthened through covid. Currently, the school is building out their forever home which will be just on the other side of Prospect Park, 10k sqft of maker and performance space in Prospect Lefferts Gardens. They seem to get a lot of interest from affluent park slope families, but are actively seeking families from less privileged areas.  If you're considering Middle School do yourselves a favor and check it out. Also, if you know kind kids with potential who just need the opportunity to fly, please reach out and let them know about this.Best, Michelle Zassenhaus, Mom to Lulu Galea, grade 7 (formerly at PS 321) read more

Workshop is a truly amazing school. Their project based learning is fun, engaging and most important, the kids learn how to apply it in real life. Teachers are passionate about seeing their students succeed and share daily notes on what was taught in the class. They have 'Genius hour' where the kids develop a project of their own and present it to families and friends at an amazing showcase by the end of the unit. There's an actual workshop at the school that the kids learn to use, and during 'Studio time' they are also exposed to different types of art, coding, improv, music, etc. This small and unique school gives our child more confidence when asking questions, engage in group activities and opportunities for one-on-one time with the teachers. We are very happy with the school and it's great team. read more

My son attends Workshop Middle School (7th grade), he has built boxes, benches, a skateboard and a skate ramp as well as written plays, coded games, made movies and podcasts. Choosing, researching, planning and designing they learn math (geometry and trigonometry concepts), for example, needed to complete their projects. The teachers are enormously talented. Ms. Denisse, the humanities teacher, has more than 20 years experience in instruction and is an incredibly sensible person. My son is learning to love school, mostly because there is always someone in the school community who can listen to him, understand him and will not give up on him. My son went through three different elementary schools and never truly engaged or loved school until now. All the kids have a great relationship with each other and a mutual respect. Prospect Lefferts Gardens will be the new WMS home come Sept. 2021. They are currently building at 495 Flatbush Ave. (between Empire and Lefferts), a 10k sq ft of maker and performance space in a middle school. They are actively seeking diverse families from PLG and surrounding neighborhoods. It is not too late to apply... the next free virtual open house is on Feb 28th at 3pm. Marixsa Rodriguez, Mom to Tenoch Saldaña, grade 7 read more

We have a 7th grader in the Workshop and we can't say enough about how happy we are that we chose this middle school for our daughter. We joined the school in its first year of operation because we were absolutely sold on the school's commitment to academics, diversity, as well as the importance of social emotional development. When we enrolled, and our daughter came to her interview and learned more about the school, she immediately told us: "This is my dream school. That's where I want to be." We decided to jump on this startup wagon and are thanking every day that we did. We are truly team members of the board. We learn, have suggestions and take part in school decisions. The connection with the principal and the teachers is close and personal. The school is small, offering up to 25 seats per grade, with a current student - teacher ratio of 1:6. The school offers a sliding scale tuition, ranging from $500 to ~30K / year. Our daughter LOVES the Workshop! It has been her beam of light since 6th grade and moreover now, during the Covid pandemic. She has friends, she enjoys her studies and feels challenged, and most of all, she is not afraid to be herself and connect with her true feelings. The school environment is so uplifting, which allows the students to dive deep into who they are in the world. The main idea behind the school academic philosophy is that students learn through real world application, building and creating things. For example, the first project in 6th grade in parallel to learning scale and measurements in STEM was to build a scaled and accurate floor plan of the school. In addition to creative projects in any media that one can think of, that are fully tied to the STEM and HUM units, the school has a daily Genius hour, a 6 week long cycle of a personal project in any area the student would like to explore. The teachers are incredible, starting with the principal Andrew Ravin, Ms. Denise, his co-founder, and the other teachers that are there to teach in a challenging, fun and super engaging way. If you are considering Middle School, we highly recommend to check out the Workshop. If you are looking for a place for your kid to fly -- this is it. And it's more than a flight. It's a rocket ship!! read more

My daughter is a happy middle schooler, a phrase I once believed was an oxymoron. The passion learning she does in this warm, generous, mind, thoughtful and innovative environment should be a model for all education. Over this year she has launched multiple businesses, learned to create better PowerPoint presentations than I ever have and, most importantly, learned how to learn. She's processed the hardest of feelings in a space that understands the power of that process and will take all of this incredible learning and growth with her for the rest of her life. I cannot recommend this school more highly. read more

https://workshopmiddleschool.org/#two https://www.facebook.com/thwrkshp/ This is for all the Brooklyn 5th grade parents who are considering alternatives to the schools that their kids' received in the school lottery and the parents of 6th graders who are unhappy about their experiences in their schools this past year. We were there last year! Big time!!! I would like to strongly recommend that you take a look at Workshop Middle School. We are big supporters of the public school system and when our son had been admitted to one of the local public middle schools, we were very pleased. Unfortunately, for us it did not work for him at all. The teachers were wonderful, but they had too much on their plates to help Oscar enough and he got lost in the mix. Our happy 5th grader who loved to learn had become disengaged and hated school: every parent's nightmare. He flat out refused to do work, meet assignment requirements, to show up for Zoom meetings, and even to go into school. Mid-year, we transferred him into Workshop and has been delighted to go to school every day since. He is excited to go to school and to work on challenging projects - he's doing his own yearbook, has built a model A frame house, and a lot of other cool things. And the school that they're building right now on the other side of the park is amazing! Do keep in mind, that the school has a sliding scale for tuition so the equity and diversity issues we worried about when we started thinking about private school are not a problem at all here. read more

WMS has been an absolute gift for our 7th grader. The school fosters a mutually respectful and engaging learning environment. The faculty are kind, playful, warm, and encouraging. My daughter is totally turned onto math again. Poetry, plays, & song writing, check check check! She is encouraged to delve deeper into her creativity and passion. She is finding her voice and strengthening it. Hands-on project based learning is real here -- kids are empowered by learning thru doing. The process is more important than the output. Above all, we see our child more confidently navigating middle school and tween years with the special safety net this curious, creative and kind community has created. read more

I can't rate this school highly enough!! My son has speaks intellectually since starting 6th grade at Workshop. He comes home raving about each new project--- "I'm shooting a documentary film this week, Mom! I'm learning to code a video game! I'm learning an architectural design app to design a futuristic, environmentally friendly neighborhood! I love reading now and get to read cool books with friends!" And on and on. The core is infused into such an innovative curriculum that he's learning at warp speed without even knowing it! THANK YOU, Workshop!!! read more

My daughter is a 7th grader at WMS and her academic experience has been nothing less than astounding. She started off very early on in the 6th grade saying something along the lines of: "I had no idea that I may want to, and be able to, be an engineer!" It's only gotten better from there. She's built houses, boats, a climbing wall, a collection of twine lateens and so much more. The physical building is only part of the story. She has also built poetry collections, deeply personal art and music. She has built trust and friendships and the abilities to better understand herself and the world (big and small) that she lives in. She's been proud of herself. A lot. The WMS community has been an instrumental part of her development and vice versa. It's truly a place where kids can find their super powers and share them with those around. I wish all kids, especially in public school settings, could have this amazing educational experience. read more