Frank Lloyd Wright:
“Whether people are fully conscious of it or not, they actually derive countenance from the
atmosphere of the things they live in or with.”
PHYSICAL SPACES ACTUALLY ENHANCE LEARNING!
For children, physical space is not a passive backdrop; it is an active contributor to their learning processes. So, we designed our school – both the indoor and outdoor spaces – to positively enhance learning. It envelops the children in a way that makes them feel physically and emotionally safe, encouraging them to identify, to develop, and to express their innate capabilities. The environment sends subliminal messages to the child: Engage. Interact. Explore. Grow.
Children thrive in an environment that is home-like and familiar as it fills them with a sense of safety 
and comfort. Our décor is homey and elegant. There is a seamless flow between the rooms, and the freedom to weave through these spaces.
Children thrive in an environment that encourages their participation. We incorporated light switches at the child's height, explorations sinks that deliver a stream of water with a simple push on the foot pedal, and custom-built, novel furniture scaled to a child-friendly size with many intimate and cozy nooks and crannies. We carpeted our walls to offer the children the ability to hang their favorite projects.
Children thrive in an environment that immerses them in multi-sensory experiences. Indeed, we connect to the world through our five senses. Our furniture and finishes are full of textures and detailing. Our environment is filled with lights, sounds, colors and smells to create a stimulating backdrop to a child's growth and inner discovery.
Children thrive when the spaces meet their emotional and cognitive needs. Each classroom has a cozy corner to cuddle with a book, an art area for open-ended expression, a science/exploration center, a block center and a dramatic play center. The Pre-K and Kindergarten classes have writing and mathematic centers. The structure of the classroom makes it easy for children to navigate and to take care of.
Children thrive in a natural environment. Studies show that children relate to nature more than to adult-designed toys and structures. Nature's rhythm - its sights, sounds and smells - feel genuine to a child. Our school has a strong feeling of nature, even in the indoors. Our classrooms have large windows, providing lots of sunlight. Even the artificial light (indirect fluorescent) has a natural hue. The design incorporates nature; the furniture is made with natural wood. We also have an assortment of pets that we care for.
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Ah! The outdoors...children greet this world with spontaneity. They engage their surroundings with all of their senses. A puddle is an opportunity for splashing. Pebbles beg to be tossed. Hillsides are great spots for tumbling. Snow calls out to be tasted...
For adults, nature is the backdrop of our fast-paced lives but not so for children. Nature is at the forefront begging to be interacted with, to be explored, touched and discovered. Nature, unlike man-made things (that often result in predictable play), extends the range of open-ended play opportunities.
An extension to the indoor classroom, this outdoor space offers all of the learning centers typical to the indoors, enhancing the child’s educational experiences: An art center, an exploration workshop, two-tiered sandbox, mud and water center, and a reading nook. Additionally, the Outdoor Classroom provides large areas for exercising our large-muscles, with bike paths and fields for running.
Zimmer School sits on 7.5 acres, with the Passaic River at its rear property line. We take frequent walks through the woods, exploring nature's rugged beauty and her seasonal changes, getting an intimate look at the interactive relationship between animals, insects and plant life, a sensory familiarity of rocks in the earth and the river landscape.
 Our garden gives the children a first hand view into the relationships between all living things, plants, insects, animals and people. Fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers are planted, grown and harvested. We collect rainwater to irrigate our plants. A compost station teaches the value of recycling, allowing us to see the cycles of growth and decay. Our mini weather station (complete with a rain gauge and a thermometer) enables us to track seasonal changes.  A root-view wall reveals the dynamic underground to us 'above ground' dwellers; we get a close-up glimpse into the world of insects and butterflies, caterpillars and worms.
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