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Where Leadership Begins

Since 1930, The Elisabeth Morrow School has shown exceptional dedication to educating children to be thinkers and leaders. Our founders, Elisabeth Morrow and Connie Chilton, were trailblazers who believed that young children deserved to have a rigorous education from the earliest ages. Today, with a 95-year legacy of inspiring young minds to embrace the joys of learning, we continue to be innovators in educating children through the entire arc of childhood.

Why Families Choose EMS

EARLY Learning

Young minds are the most formative

Age 2-Kindergarten

Lower School

Active problem solvers, creative thinkers, and innovative learners

Grades 1-4

Middle School

Partners in guiding their own education

Grades 5-8

Summer Programs

Learning & enrichment options from June–August

Summer

Strategic Planning Updates

The Elisabeth Morrow School has developed its next strategic plan to address the needs of the present and craft a unified vision for our upcoming centennial — and beyond! Stay up-to-date with the latest developments in our strategic planning.

Get the latest
Secondary School logos of some of the schools our 2026 graduates got accepted.

Congratulations, Class of 2026!

High school shouldn’t be “one size fits all.” We connect students with the schools best designed to help them thrive, including some of the most selective day and boarding schools in the country. See where our eighth graders were accepted and where they’re heading after graduation.

Class of 2026 School Acceptances

Inquire about our openings for the 2025–2026 school year in select grades.

Much of our early learning program is at capacity, but we are accepting applications in select lower and middle school grades.

Talk to Admissions
How to Apply

14 Acres of Learning & Growth Opportunities

Our child-centered and innovative academic programs take place across a 14-acre campus, a certified wildlife habitat that provides our students with indoor and outdoor learning spaces, including state-of-the-art technology labs, gymnasiums, maker spaces, science labs, and libraries, as well as an athletic field, nature trails, a brook, a pond, outdoor classroom patios, educational gardens, and playgrounds.

Our Campus Makes the Difference
Jessie Samuel, our middle school science teacher and robotics instructor, works with two lower school students during a after-school robotics class.

Program Spotlight: Robotics

From basic building to advanced programming, our robotics program empowers students of all ages and experience levels to develop essential engineering skills. We nurture problem-solving abilities, teamwork, and a love for STEM, igniting a lifelong interest in innovation. “If we want our students to shape the future, we need to give them the tools — and robotics is one of the most powerful tools we have,” says Head of School Marek Beck, Ph.D.

Learn more about our robotics program
Ms. Samantha Pianko standing behind two students sitting at their desk working.

Faculty Spotlight: SAMANTHA PIANKO

Meet Samantha Pianko, one of our third-grade teachers, who has been a dedicated member of the EMS community since 2015. She views teaching as a calling inherited through generations and is passionate about fostering a legacy of empowerment. By celebrating every “ah-ha” moment, Ms. Pianko creates a supportive space where students feel safe to take risks and continue to cultivate a lifelong love of learning.

Get to know a little bit more about Ms. Pianko
Dylan Hamme performing with his violin.

Alum Spotlight: Dylan Hamme ’17

Dylan Hamme ’17 was recently selected as the winner of the 2025 Waldo Mayo Competition and made his highly anticipated Carnegie Hall debut in October. He credits EMS with nurturing his wide-ranging intellectual curiosity and fostering his early musical talent. “The education is extremely creative and inspiring to students — on any given day, I might have been studying Latin, dissecting Shakespeare, learning about the history of Buddhism, viewing cells through a microscope, or playing Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony in orchestra,” he says.

Read more about our Vision of the EMS Graduate
A group of our community members posing together at the 2025 Spring Benefit.
Elisabeth Morrow School holds a culture fair on Saturday, March 18, 2023.

Event Spotlight: SPRING BENEFIT

The countdown is on for our 2026 Spring Benefit! Join the Elisabeth Morrow community from 6:30–10:30 p.m., Thursday, April 30, for the most anticipated event of the year. This special evening is a celebration of the people and programs that help EMS thrive, and it features a very special surprise you won’t want to miss. Let’s come together to make an impact and celebrate our school’s bright future!

Secure your tickets, sponsorships, and digital ads

A Legacy of Leadership

“The structure and environment at EMS fostered a deep sense of curiosity and a joyous process of learning that sparked a lifelong love of discovery.”

— Ken Chiang ’73

“I discovered my interests and what I’m good at and understood my value. I carried these skills through my entire academic career and beyond.”

— Heesun Lho ’98, P: ’32, ’35

“My business is relationship-based, so it’s important that I treat everyone the same, with kindness and respect. I have always led with that. It’s something I brought from my time at EMS.”

— Lamaar Jaswal ’14

“My journey is a testament to the transformative power of expertise, dedication, and a genuine passion for forging connections, all of which I attribute to my years at EMS.”

— Matthew Marco ’95

“Seeing myself as a scholar, athlete, and artist started with care and attention from my EMS teachers and coaches. They recognized and cultivated my natural talents and strengths while helping me further develop areas I found more challenging.”

— Marie Dillard ’20

“EMS instilled in me the courage and curiosity to try new things. I joined the cross country team in seventh grade with a friend and wound up discovering my passion.”

— Vivian Ostfeld ’22

“The collaboration between students and teachers at EMS made me believe that my opinion mattered and prompted me to consider different points of view. The confidence I developed in class is serving me well in life after EMS.”

— Trevor Ostfeld ’21

“My EMS experience has shaped the student and the individual I am today. It has given me the opportunity to experiment with different studying methods, foster relationships with peers and teachers, and find my passions.”

— Michelle Kim ’19

“One of the most profound experiences among many that EMS provided to me was the outstanding music program. Learning about, listening to, and playing music daily led me to excel in my studies and academics. I continue to play the violin and even make digital music, combining my two passions for technology and music that started at EMS.”

— Tibet Yakut ’19

“I realized learning can be beneficial just for learning’s sake and need not be motivated by a grade or extra credit. The mutual respect between my teacher and me made me want to perform at a high level and pushed me to do better any chance I got.”

— Jack Bloom ’16

“At EMS, the focus wasn’t on the answer itself but how you got there. I remember in history and English class, [the teaching] was never really prescriptive. We needed to come up with an answer, think through an argument, and really practice basic critical thinking and persuasive writing skills. This skillset started at EMS and grew [in secondary school] at Horace Mann, and I found it very useful at Princeton. Coming into college, I felt like I was way better prepared than a lot of my peers because of those experiences.”

— Reha Mathur ’16

“EMS really fostered this idea of creativity in me …There are many memories I have in learning how to learn, enjoying learning, and seeing things from new perspectives.”

— Jon Mann ’86

“EMS instilled the confidence and courage in me to go for things that may not have been in my wheelhouse. I think that’s important in your formative years.”

— Nicole Berrie ’94

“The teachers at EMS gave me the confidence to grow my brand by believing in me.”

— Misha Theberge ’23

“EMS taught me how to learn and be passionate about what I do.”

— Shant Amerkanian ’15

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