Principal's Message

Reggio Principal "Inspired by the Italian Reggio Emilia philosophy, the curriculum is designed to respect a child’s point of view and encourage students to control the direction of their learning. Talented educators pair high challenge with loving support as they guide students through individualized academic programs."

Josephine Di Pietro Smith
Principal, Reggio Magnet School of the Arts


The Reggio Magnet School of the Arts is a nationally recognized school of distinction serving students from Pre-K3 through Grade 5. Each school day brings endless opportunities for exploration and discovery. Children learn through an arts-integrated approach to acquiring reading, math, and science skills. Inspired by the Italian Reggio Emilia philosophy, the curriculum is designed to respect a child's point of view and encourage students to control the direction of their learning. Talented educators pair high challenge with loving support as they guide students through individualized academic programs. Rigorous instruction enhances children's natural gifts and talents to ensure accelerated learning and future success.

Teachers engage in ongoing and systematic assessment to adapt instruction to individual needs and interests. A unit of study develops through a collaborative exchange between teacher and student. Project based learning inspires problem solving, critical thinking, and creativity. The cooperative nature of project work teaches students to dialogue, critique, compare, negotiate and hypothesize. Through interactions with their peers and the environment, students learn empathy and develop the intellectual and interpersonal skills to be tomorrow's leaders. The combination of individualized instruction, opportunities for enrichment and state-of-the-art classrooms culminates in learners well-equipped to navigate a rigorous curriculum with deep and genuine interest.

The Reggio approach invites parental support and input in shaping the school community. Our school community is built on strong communication between home and school. Parents are viewed as the child’s "first teacher," and family experiences are shared and celebrated in the classroom. The Friends of Reggio group, a network of parents, staff and community members, has a strong presence in the school and provides ongoing support and creative event planning to further enhance the family school connection. Reggio’s rich spirit of collaboration creates an environment that invites rich and meaningful interactions between people, ideas, and materials.

Reggio students are talented, bright, inquisitive, kind, and creative. True to the CREC mission, our students push themselves intellectually and creatively to achieve more than they ever imagined. Reggio students truly possess the knowledge and skills necessary to contribute as active and informed citizens in a global society.

Thank you for your interest in Reggio Magnet School of the Arts.

Josephine Di Pietro Smith
Principal