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 Glenview-Northbrook
Purposeful Early Learning in Glenview–Northbrook
Where Bright Spaces Inspire Bright Minds
At The Gardner School of Glenview–Northbrook, children learn and grow in a warm, nurturing environment built for curiosity, confidence, and whole-child development. As a NAEYC-accredited preschool (National Association for the Education of Young Children), we offer trusted early education for infants through private Kindergarten. Our school blends research-based curriculum with meaningful relationships, creating a place where families feel supported and children feel known.
A School Community That Helps Children Thrive
Children explore hands-on lessons, creative projects, and purposeful play in bright classrooms designed to spark discovery. Our experienced teachers guide early literacy, math, problem-solving, and social-emotional development using well-established, research-backed programs. With indoor and outdoor playscapes, engaging enrichment opportunities, and a calm, organized school layout, each day is designed to help children learn with confidence. Located just off Willow Road, our school offers a convenient location for Glenview, Northbrook, and the surrounding communities.
Location
Inside this School
Learning
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Our research-based curriculum supports early academics, social-emotional growth, and strong problem-solving skills. Teachers use hands-on activities, structured routines, and child-led exploration to build confidence and prepare children for Kindergarten and beyond.
Safety and Health
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Families feel secure with controlled-entry access points, clean classrooms, and consistent routines that help children feel safe and ready to learn. A private nursing suite offers added comfort and support for nursing parents. Healthy meals and snacks are served daily in the Kids’ Café to nourish growing bodies.
Movement
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Children enjoy active play in both indoor and outdoor playscapes. Daily movement, outdoor time, and gross motor activities help build coordination, confidence, and joyful energy throughout the day.
Community
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Our inviting school culture helps families feel welcome from day one. Real-time updates, daily check-ins, and a strong partnership between parents and teachers create a sense of community and belonging that families value.
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.
Available at select Gardner School locations, our Private Kindergarten program offers a full day of meaningful, research-based learning in a small, supportive classroom setting. With nearly half the student-teacher ratio of most schools, children receive the personalized attention and enrichment that build confidence, curiosity, and a lifelong love of learning. Our private kindergarten program represents the culmination of early childhood education at TGS—balancing 21st-century learning skills with the heart of whole-child development.
Enrichment Classes
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
Allison Deutsch
Executive School Director
Allison Deutsch
Executive School Director
Allison has been part of The Gardner School family since 2013, when she opened and became the first Executive School Director of The Gardner School of Glenview–Northbrook. Over the years, she has guided the school’s incredible growth, transforming it from a small program serving a handful of families into a thriving, close-knit community filled with laughter, learning, and lasting relationships. Her leadership has also extended beyond her own school, mentoring many of TGS’s current school leaders across the company.
Shenika Rainey
Assistant Director
Shenika Rainey
Assistant Director
Shenika finds joy in the energy and excitement that fill The Gardner School of Glenview–Northbrook each day. She loves seeing children’s bright smiles as they arrive, ready to learn and explore, and values the small moments that help her build genuine connections with families. Since joining The Gardner School, Shenika has taken on growing leadership responsibilities, mentoring teachers, supporting families, and helping create an environment where everyone feels welcomed and cared for.
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.