Our social emotional curriculum is equally as important as our academic curriculum. Students engage in age-appropriate daily rituals and activities that allow them to practice self and social awareness and management, relationship building skills, and responsible decision making. The incorporation of the Northeast Foundation for Children Responsive Classroom approach and Morning Meeting ritual reflects our dedication to maintaining a positive and successful learning environment.

We believe in the importance of living and working in community. This includes sharing work and ideas, collaborating in small groups, and reflecting together each day to ensure that all voices are heard. Our multi-age classroom design provides students the opportunity to be a part of a ‘learning collaborative’ of different ages and abilities, and to acknowledge and appreciate each other as learners.

We start the school year by getting to know each other and creating a cohesive learning group in which students feel safe, comfortable, and that they belong. Students are able to express their needs and feel supported to be individuals, and to grow socially, emotionally, and academically.

Children’s relationships with nature at different ages are a key component of our interdisciplinary curriculum, and we find ways to acknowledge and enhance their budding interests and evolving needs. As the foundation of their place-based education, students in all grades explore and interact with the physical, cultural, and ecological landscape. Our place-based curriculum is aligned with a child’s natural developmental continuum. The geographic area of study expands comfortably as the child grows and is able to explore farther afield and grasp larger concepts. Our younger students learn about their local community and natural environment, while our older students travel farther afield and ‘back in time’ for history studies.

Our grade level content is standards-relevant, and the Next Generation Science Standards, National Council for Social Studies Learning Targets, and Common Core Standards for Math and Literacy serve as guides and benchmarks for learning. We ensure that students are gaining the skills they need through authentic projects that are designed to inspire engagement and curiosity. Students become lifelong learners when they are truly lit up about their learning, when they are able to take ownership over their educational experience, and are driven by curiosity and tasked with what feels to them like important work.