We believe that school should be more like a forest than an orchard. An orchard produces trees that are all the same height and shape and produce the same fruit. But a forest is active with all sorts of life, all having different needs and producing different flowers and fruit. Our students are all so different and we celebrate that, leveraging all of our strengths to bring life to our studies.
Who would ever think of putting all of their students in the same size shoes? And yet, education, when it is not student-centered, asks everyone to grasp everything at the same time and in the same way. We use a multi-aged, personalized approach that gives each student the space to learn without limits and to be curious without caution.
We want our students' strength to shine, and we want to challenge and tackle all of our weaknesses. By offering age-appropriate autonomy, holding students accountable, and creating a rich and interesting classroom environment, our students grow to love learning.
Teachers know students inside and out, and students know each other beyond social boundaries and across grade levels. There is no hiding from class discussion, from one's work, or from the open exploration of thoughts and ideas. Small means that we are nimble; we respond to the needs of our students and our community, so students, faculty, and parents have a voice and role.
When all is said and done, we have a community of learners who work hard, but also watch out for each other; who have confidence to share their opinions, but ask for help as well; who feel liked and appreciated, but know what they need to do to grow into the adults they are meant to be.
