When you place your child’s future into our hands at Nysmith School, you are entrusting us not just with academic preparation, but with the full arc of their growth, socially, emotionally and intellectually. We want to reflect with you on why we believe Nysmith truly stands among the best schools in the world, and why for children who are curious, kind, and bright, Nysmith can change the trajectory of their lives.
What makes a school “best in the world”? Research and education-thought leaders agree: world-class schools combine rigorous academic challenge with emotionally intelligent culture, strong student-teacher relationships, small classes, a sense of belonging and enduring teacher stability. One literature review of emotional intelligence in gifted learners found that EI was “positively related to … academic achievement” and that nurturing emotional skills supports resilience, motivation and self-efficacy.
We believe Nysmith embodies all of these: advanced STEM from early grades, small classes, caring teachers who stay, and a nurturing social-emotional framework that welcomes every child.
The State Of Education In The United States: Why It Matters For Your Child
By way of context, understanding where American K–12 education stands makes the case for why selecting a truly exceptional school matters. Recent PISA results place the United States in the lower half of advanced countries in mathematics, with one analysis ranking U.S. students 28th of 37 OECD nations in math. That’s not a verdict on your child; it’s a reminder that averages describe systems, not potential. But it does mean the school you choose has an outsized impact.
Why this matters even more today:
In other words: middling national performance makes school quality more consequential than ever. Your child’s success can hinge on learning in an environment that offers far more than the average; one that pairs advanced academics with the human skills needed for a global, remote-collaborative world.
At Nysmith, we intentionally build that advantage: early and sustained STEM, small classes with two teachers for real differentiation, explicit coaching in study skills and communication, and a culture where curiosity and kindness are daily practice. That combination lifts students above the average, and prepares them to compete and collaborate globally with confidence.
One hallmark of great schools is consistency—of people, relationships, and culture. That’s why high teacher turnover is more than a staffing statistic; it’s a red flag. In U.S. public education, a 2022 National Education Association survey found that 55% of educators were considering leaving the profession earlier than planned—a sign of the strain many schools are under. When turnover is high, it often signals behind-the-scenes instability: shifting leadership or vision, weak support for teachers, unsustainable workloads, or a culture that doesn’t prioritize collaboration and growth. Families feel the ripple effects quickly.
Why turnover hurts students and schools
At Nysmith, the opposite is true. Our faculty is stable, deeply engaged, and committed long-term—64% of our staff have more than a decade at Nysmith, and every class benefits from two teachers (a 1:9 in-class ratio). That stability creates a shared language across grades, finely tuned interventions, and a coherent culture of high expectations and kindness. For students, it means predictable routines, faster support, and teachers who already know them well—so learning can move.
Consider your child at the cusp of adolescence: middle school is pivotal. Research on study skills shows that this is when executive function—organization, time management, focus, and self-regulation—takes shape. Without explicit coaching, students can fall behind in middle school and enter high school lacking confidence. In other words, middle school isn’t just a bridge; it’s the foundation for everything that follows. The best programs teach content and the habits that make learning efficient and less stressful.
Layer in STEM and that foundation becomes multiplicative. High-quality elementary and middle-school STEM doesn’t just prepare students for tech careers; it strengthens the skills all learners use every day: critical thinking (breaking complex problems into solvable steps), collaboration (testing ideas, giving and receiving feedback), and problem solving (iterating when a plan doesn’t work the first time). These are the same muscles students flex when outlining an essay, running a lab, debating in history, or coordinating a group project.
And the payoff is both academic and personal. Students with early, hands-on STEM exposure tend to be more confident asking “why,” more curious about how things work, and more persistent when challenges arise—qualities that transfer to reading, writing, languages, and the arts. In an AI-driven, technology-infused world, those habits of mind matter whether a child becomes a designer, researcher, entrepreneur, or community leader.
When you choose a school, look for one that builds both edges—the technical and the human. The technical edge gives children fluency in math, coding, data, and design thinking so they can create solutions, not just consume them. STEM roles already account for a meaningful share of U.S. jobs and tend to pay above average, and the field keeps expanding. Since 1990, STEM jobs have grown dramatically, and many of today’s fastest-growing roles simply did not exist a decade ago. The same will be true for your child: they will step into careers that have not yet been invented. That is exactly why a strong technical and academic foundation, paired with human skills, is vital.
At the same time, what differentiates top graduates isn’t just IQ or technical skill—it’s the human edge. Students who can understand and manage their emotions focus better under pressure, recover faster from setbacks, and stay motivated when work gets hard. That same skill set improves collaboration: they listen actively, resolve conflict, and keep teams moving when plans change. In short, emotional intelligence lifts grades—and it also fuels resilience, persistence, and the kind of teamwork real-world problem solving demands.
Thus for children with high aptitude or learning potential, it is easy to overlook the importance of EQ. Yet research shows that emotional intelligence in students correlates to greater psychological well-being and academic success.
At Nysmith our Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) program ensures that children who are bright and sensitive are not left adrift. We build community, kindness, curiosity and leadership. We help children become their best selves.
Putting all of this together:
If you are looking for a school where your child will not just learn but grow, where kindness is as valued as curiosity, where STEM is not an add-on but woven into daily habits, where your child’s emotional intelligence is as nurtured as their math and reading skills, then Nysmith is that place.
If your child is kind, curious, ready to ask “why?”, ready to be challenged academically and supported socially, then we believe Nysmith will change their trajectory, giving them confidence, joy and the tools for high achievement.
If you are a family who values joy in learning, community in classrooms, teachers who see your child’s whole self, and an institution committed to both excellence and empathy, that is what we are. Come visit and see our environment that asks: What do you think? What problem will you solve? How will you contribute? In a world where national averages tell us that too many children are falling behind, Nysmith offers something different: a place of belonging, of growth, of possibility. We don’t just aim to be a good school; we are one of the best in the world.