Nardin Academy, an independent Catholic school, provides an enriching academic experience, allowing students in the Montessori school, elementary school, and high school to broaden their horizons and explore new perspectives on a daily basis through hands-on, cross-curricular instruction.

Beginning with the individualized, hands-on learning at Nardin Montessori, both the toddler program (18-36 months) and early childhood program (3-6 years of age) allow children to explore, discover and ignite natural curiosity in an authentic Montessori environment with furniture and materials designed and scaled for young learners.

The Montessori elementary students perform a play in the spring exemplifying cross-curricular learning.  The play is based on the Montessori Great Lessons, inspirational stories that awaken the natural curiosity of the child. The students create poetry, song, dance, and conduct research in the areas of science and history to tell the story of the timeline of life on earth.

At Nardin Elementary, teachers have the flexibility to execute creative lessons and present material in ways which students find interesting, engaging and fun without the limitations of New York state standardized tests. Many lessons are conducted in two outdoor learning gardens, both National Wildlife Federation certified wildlife habitats. These outdoor classrooms provide an educational environment for science, literacy, math, art and history.  Both spaces are part of the Sustainable Nardin initiative encouraging all students to have a greater sense of responsibility to the global community while also maintaining Nardin's commitment to protecting God's creation.

Furthering these connections with the natural community, the elementary school's fourth-grade class recently completed a birdhouse project. The students learned about different bird habitats, chose specific birds to research, and then identified which type of birdhouse that their chosen bird would show preference for nesting. In the spring, the students will hang the birdhouses they created around the Nardin campus and make observations about the nesting patterns of the birds.

In another recent cross-curricular project, the third-grade class created musical instruments from recycled materials. From learning about different musical categories such as brass, woodwind, string and percussion in music class to exploring the principles of sound and vibration in science, students were able to engage in the learning process in a rich and creative way.

Nardin Academy is committed to creating an exceptional learning community that allows students to both experience and make a difference in the world.

To schedule a visit/tour, or to arrange for a student shadow day contact Kathleen Graber McHale, director of high school admissions, at 716-881-6262, ext. 1380, or at kmchale@nardin.org, or Danielle Dodman, director of Lower Schools Admissions, at 716-881-6262, ext. 1030, or at ddodman@nardin.org.