The Gardner School of Chicago, IL – North Center – Future School
Curriculum-Based Learning
The Gardner School is proud to serve families in the Chicago area, and we are excited to announce that we are expanding! The Gardner School of Chicago – North Center is a future school that will serve children ages 6 weeks to PreK. North Center has been ranked as the best neighborhood to raise a family in Chicago, so we’re thrilled to have a school in this thriving community. Stay tuned for updates as we prepare the school for students and families.
Indoor and Outdoor Playscapes
The Gardner School of Chicago – North Center will serve as a rich learning environment that will support your child’s physical, social, emotional, and intellectual growth. Your child will love our indoor and outdoor playscapes, our S.T.E.A.M. Lab, and our enrichment studio. We encourage learning and development through engaging activities that help children build skills and friendships! Located right by W Irving Park Road, this is a convenient location for families who live and work around the North Center neighborhood.
We are excited to bring The Gardner School to the North Center neighborhood. The Gardner School of Chicago – North Center will be a rich learning environment with an engaging curriculum and plenty of time for child-directed play. Our North Center preschool will offer educational preschool and early childhood programs for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years.
We have gone above and beyond traditional childcare and preschool programs. Our approach ensures that each child is nurtured at the proper pace and level, providing them with the educational foundation for a bright future. For more information, please fill out the contact form below.
School Features
- Academically focused learning through a research-based curriculum
- Real-time updates through our parent communications app, sharing photos, nap and feeding times, and school announcements
- Safe and secure environment with two security checkpoints
- Inviting classrooms with highly qualified lead preschool teachers
- Delicious, healthy meals in the Kids’ Café
- On-site supplemental enrichment classes (sports, music, and arts, computers, foreign language) in our enrichment studio
- S.T.E.A.M. Lab
- Open-door policy for daily check-ins
- Large outdoor and indoor playscapes
- Yearly family and community events
- Convenient location in North Center
Academically-focused Programs
Infants
Twos
Toddlers
Preschool
Pre-K
Camp Gardner
Chicago, IL – North Center – Future School Campus Leadership
Katelyn Brtis
School Director
How long have you been with TGS?
Since February 2018
Roles Served with TGS:
I began my career at The Gardner School of Chicago-Lincoln Park as an assistant toddler teacher and then quickly moved up to be a lead teacher. While we were building the Ravenswood school, I trained as an assistant director at our West Loop school before becoming the assistant director, and later executive school director, at TGS Ravenswood. I am now proud to be the executive school director of TGS Chicago-North Center! I am excited to bring my experience and ideas to our North Center students, staff, and families.
What is your educational background?
I have a bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a focus in Child Counseling.
What made you decide to have a career in education?
I learned the importance of an early support system in childhood development firsthand from my own amazing family. I chose education in order to share that support and guidance with others.
What makes you laugh about kids?
Just ask any child how old you are, and you will either get the response “two” or “one hundred.”
What do you love most about working with infants through the age of 5?
Children grow so quickly throughout these ages. It is incredible to see the difference that even a couple of weeks can make, and I love that I get to play a part in that growth.
What is your favorite part of the day at TGS?
Meals and snacks! Besides the amazing food, I also believe meal times are a great shared experience for students and teachers.
What do you love most about TGS?
I love the bonds I have formed with students and families. I still have families that keep in touch long after their child has left my classroom.
What is your fondest memory of TGS thus far?
Watching my Toddler class perform for their parents at our Spring Fling showcase. We sang “baby bumble bee” and wore antennas to match!
What inspires you?
Books and movies inspire me. Through these mediums, I can explore different worlds, learn new things, and bring creative ideas into the classroom.
What is your passion or passions?
I love the outdoors and going on walks. Learning doesn’t need to happen only in the classroom, and I encourage classes to take lessons outside to enjoy the fresh air.
What does the phrase “Where Learning Begins” mean to you?
This phrase means that we are laying the foundation for education by providing students with the tools they need for success throughout their school career and beyond!
How important is early childhood education?
Early childhood education is an amazing opportunity to ensure that your child is ready for each new stage of development and learning with the help of talented educators.
What would you tell new parents who are apprehensive about leaving their infant in the care of someone else for the first time?
It is completely normal to be apprehensive! We work together with parents through strong communication and open-door policies to establish comfortable routines and transitions that bridge the gap between school and home.
Kyla Marquez
Assistant Director
How long have you been with TGS?
I have been with TGS since February of this year!
Roles served with TGS:
Since I started with TGS, I have served as an assistant director.
What is your educational background?
I have a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in early childhood education from East Tennessee State University.
What made you decide to have a career in education?
I am the oldest of my three sisters, and I always enjoyed helping take care of them. I also developed a passion for working with young children while I was in high school, and I worked in the laboratory school that we had on campus.
What makes you laugh about kids?
The way they say things when they are still learning how to talk. My daughter always says, “Tank you much!” and it is just so sweet and funny!
What do you love most about working with infants through the age of 5?
I love watching children grow and develop from infants to pre-kindergarten. It is rewarding to see how all the work you have done really makes a difference in their development! I also love being able to see where each milestone leads to the next stage of development.
What is your favorite part of the day at TGS?
Arrival is my favorite part of the day as I am able to greet the children and families as they come in and help get their day started on a positive note.
What do you love most about TGS?
I love that TGS has a dedicated curriculum for each age range and that each teacher does their best.
What inspires you?
My daughter inspires me through the resilience she showed in the NICU and all of the milestones she has met and exceeded through the years.
What is your passion or passions?
One of my passions is traveling. I have been to several different countries, and I cannot wait to add more to my list!
How important is early childhood education?
Early childhood education is extremely important as it sets the groundwork for children’s futures. We are able to reach children where they are and help them flourish and reach their milestones.
What would you tell new parents who are apprehensive about leaving their infant in the care of someone else for the first time?
I would tell parents that is a completely normal and understandable feeling to have when dropping off your little one for the first time. All of the teachers here at TGS are experts in the field and will make sure all your baby’s needs are met. We will also provide updates throughout the day, and parents are always welcome to drop by whenever they like.
