About
Welcome to Concord Magnet School
A Bank Street School With a Focus on Arts Integration
At Concord Magnet School (CMS), teachers work with community partners in the fields of dance, theater, visual arts, music, or creative writing to design authentic arts-integrated learning opportunities. Through these interactions, students apply higher order thinking processes of imagining, decision making, creating, performing, and responding. Students experience learning on a deeper, more personal level through field trips and arts integrated curriculum.
At CMS, opportunities to participate in student government provide students with the opportunity to discuss important topics and make a difference in both the school and broader community. To further develop community and showcase learning, families participate in regular all school meetings.
Renowned for its culture and climate, students learn in a collaborative environment, based on their interests. Examples include the Festival of Lights, a celebration where kindergartners learn about light from all customs; the very popular yearly fresh produce market, run by 1st grade students; video documentaries and digital media projects for middle schoolers; and more!
Lastly, we take our children on curriculum related field trips to expand their learning outside of the classroom setting.
In the following pages, find a message from our principal, look up contact information for our teachers and staff and read the latest news at Concord Magnet School.
Our Mission & Vision:
OUR MISSION: The Concord Magnet School (CMS) K-8 Mission is to develop passionate, lifelong learners who strive for academic excellence by cultivating their creativity and imagination through hands-on, interdisciplinary social studies-based units and vibrant arts infusion. We foster the academic, social, and emotional development of each child while building a caring and ethical community that celebrates diversity and encourages strength of character.
OUR VISION: CMS is committed to educational excellence where the learning experience combines traditional academics with an individualized approach to learning based on the child’s physical, intellectual, social, and emotional needs. CMS offers families The Bank Street approach to learning. This method recognizes that individuals learn best when they are actively engaged with materials, ideas and people, and that authentic growth requires diverse and nurturing opportunities for ongoing social, emotional and cognitive development.
A Brief History of CMS
Columbus Magnet School first opened its doors in September of 1980 under the leadership of Arthur J. Perschino. A modified Bank Street philosophy was selected to develop integrated, hands-on, Social Studies-based learning. All elementary-aged children residing in Norwalk were eligible to apply to the magnet school lottery.
In 2000, Columbus was designated a H.O.T. (Higher Order Thinking) School by the Connecticut Commision of the Arts. The HOTS program featuring arts integration, social/emotional learning, the Multiple Intelligence theory, and art residencies was a natural enhancement to our teaching philosophy.
In August 2017, Columbus Magnet welcomed its first 6th grade class. By 2018, the middle school expansion was complete and Columbus became a K-8 school. The only K-8 public school in Norwalk.
Columbus Magnet was renamed in 2020. The school, often referred to as “CMS,&rdquo felt it important to keep those initials. Concord Street was the school address for over 40 years. (It was also the name of a school at the same location prior to the construction of Columbus School.) Even though the school was moving, the name seemed to fit. The definition of the word CONCORD is "in accordance, community, harmony, peace," which is mirrored in CMS’s ideals. According to Principal Thomas, “Harmony does not live just on Concord Street, harmony can go anywhere you want.”
Today, Concord Magnet K-8 School remains unique within the Norwalk Public School system. It operates in accordance with the policies, standards, regulations and by-laws of the Norwalk Public Schools Board of Education, while holding the unique distinction of being one of the few Connecticut schools to integrate both the Bank Street and H.O.T. educational philosophies. At Concord Magnet K-8, the process of learning is as valuable as the product.