Music and Drama
Children explore rhythm, movement, and creative expression through hands-on music and drama. They learn fundamentals like melody and notation while building confidence through storytelling, puppetry, and simple performances.
The Gardner School of Louisville
Where Children Learn, Explore, and Belong
Caring Early Learning Community in Louisville
At The Gardner School of Louisville, children learn and grow in a warm, thoughtfully designed environment created to support early academics, creativity, and social-emotional development. Established in 2006, our school has served Louisville families for nearly two decades, offering trusted early childhood education led by highly qualified teachers who bring expertise, passion, and care to the classroom. Conveniently located in the Hurstbourne Green office park across from the YMCA, we provide easy access for families throughout the Louisville area.
Purposeful Environment Designed for Young Learners
Bright, well-lit classrooms, engaging enrichment spaces, and indoor and outdoor playscapes create a setting where children feel comfortable, safe, and excited to learn. Teachers guide early literacy, math, problem-solving, and social-emotional growth through a research-based curriculum and hands-on exploration. With a S.T.E.A.M. lab, enrichment studio, and a large covered outdoor play area, our school environment supports children ages 6 weeks to 5 years through every step of their early learning journey.
Location
Inside this School
Learning
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Our research-based curriculum supports early academic skills, creativity, and social-emotional development. Highly qualified lead teachers guide children through hands-on activities, purposeful play, and consistent routines that build confidence and kindergarten readiness.
Safety and Health
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A secure coded entrance, clean classrooms, and predictable routines help children feel safe and cared for. Healthy, nutritious meals and snacks are served daily in the Kids’ Café, supporting well-being and daily comfort.
Movement and Exploration
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Children enjoy active play in a private, expansive outdoor playground with a large covered play area, as well as indoor spaces designed for exploration and gross motor development. Daily movement helps build strength, coordination, and joyful energy.
Community
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Families appreciate real-time parent updates, open communication, and a welcoming school culture that fosters long-lasting connections. Our convenient location in Hurstbourne makes daily routines easier for Louisville families.
Academically-Focused Programs
At The Gardner School, learning truly begins with care. Our infant classrooms provide a nurturing start built on a nationally recognized, research-based curriculum that supports early learning and development. With teachers who understand both the science and the soul of early education, babies grow in an environment that builds trust, curiosity, and confidence from the very beginning.
Toddlers are natural explorers, full of curiosity, movement, and new words waiting to bloom. At The Gardner School, our toddler classrooms nurture and celebrate this growing independence through play-based learning and intentional teaching. Each day builds confidence, language, and friendship in an environment that’s safe, structured, and full of joy. Our early childhood education program develops the whole child — encouraging physical coordination, emotional confidence, and early cognitive growth in every discovery.
Two-year-olds are bursting with curiosity and confidence. At The Gardner School, our classrooms encourage this new independence through hands-on learning, nurturing guidance, and joyful discovery. Teachers help children explore, experiment, and build social and self-help skills in a safe environment where learning and laughter go hand in hand. In this two-year-old early learning classroom, children begin to strengthen emotional regulation, independence, and empathy while exploring the world around them.
Preschoolers are natural problem-solvers and collaborators. At The Gardner School, our classrooms inspire curiosity, confidence, and creativity through hands-on learning and purposeful structure. Teachers guide children through new concepts in literacy, math, science, and art, helping them build independence, friendships, and a lifelong love of learning. Our preschool classrooms encourage critical thinking and pre-academic foundations that set the stage for kindergarten success.
Pre-K is a milestone year filled with confidence, curiosity, and preparation for what’s next. At The Gardner School, our teachers guide children through meaningful, play-based learning that builds academic readiness, social skills, and independence. With a curriculum designed around kindergarten preparation, students develop the focus, responsibility, and love of learning that will carry them into elementary school and beyond. Our Pre-K program helps children grow the attention, independence, and social skills they need to feel confident and ready for kindergarten.
Enrichment Programs
Sports
Active, structured classes help children build coordination, strength, and confidence. Through sports like soccer, basketball, gymnastics, and yoga, they practice teamwork, listening skills, and healthy movement habits.
Martial Arts
Martial arts introduce balance, discipline, and respectful movement in a safe, beginner-friendly format. Children learn basic stances and controlled motions that build focus, confidence, and body awareness.
Dance and Movement
Children build balance, coordination, and spatial awareness through beginner dance and creative movement. With simple steps, stretching, and expressive motion, they strengthen motor skills while growing confidence and joy in how their bodies move.
S.T.E.A.M.
Hands-on science, technology, engineering, art, and math experiences spark curiosity and critical thinking. Through simple experiments and creative projects, children explore how things work and discover the joy of learning.
Foreign Language
Through songs, games, and simple vocabulary, children are introduced to the basics of a second language to enable basic conversational skills. Lessons built around familiar themes make learning fun, natural, and age-appropriate.
Seasonal Experiences
Children participate in seasonal, multi-week, or pop-up enrichment classes that may include cooking, gardening, or exciting seasonal activities. These experiences offer fresh ways to learn, create, and discover.
School Leadership
Beth Cassidy
Executive School Director
Beth Cassidy
Executive School Director
Beth loves the sense of joy and connection that fills The Gardner School of Louisville each day. Whether she’s greeting families in the morning, catching up with parents chatting in the lobby, or sharing a laugh with a preschooler, she feels grateful to lead a school that truly feels like a community. “I joke that I have the best office job in the world,” she says. “On a hard day, I just have to walk down the hall to snuggle a baby or laugh with a preschooler.”
Madeline Cole
Assistant Director
Madeline Cole
Assistant Director
Madeline brings warmth and encouragement to every part of her day at The Gardner School of Louisville. She loves greeting children by name each morning and watching their faces light up when they feel recognized and welcomed. For Madeline, connection begins with those small, personal moments that help children feel safe, valued, and ready to take on the day.
Schedule a Tour
Please select a date and time that works best for you (tours are ~45 minutes). We recommend visiting in the morning between 9:30 – 11:30 am. Of course, we completely understand that is not always possible with families’ schedules and welcome families to join whenever is most convenient for you. If you aren’t ready to tour yet or these times below don’t work for your family, use the Contact Us button below, and we will coordinate a time together.
Contact Us
If you aren’t yet ready to schedule a tour or the available times do not work for your family, please click Contact Us to connect with someone from The Gardner School.