Give
Students Room To Bloom!Give
Students Room To Bloom!
"Human beings are naturally curious."
Aristotle made this statement over two thousand years ago, recognizing a fundamental characteristic of human nature. Parents and educators still recognize its truth today. We know students learn best when they are interested. We know learning suffers when they are not.
Mountain Laurel Sudbury School is built on the model established by the Sudbury Valley School in Framingham, Massachusetts. Established in 1968, Sudbury Valley pioneered an educational method whereby students learn by satisfying their curiosity and by taking responsibility for making the tough decisions that will determine the course of their lives.
We trust students to make their own mistakes, to learn from their own mistakes as well as the mistakes of others, and to help each other. We trust students to try on as many "shoes" as they like without having others choose what fits for them. Students are free to reflect and develop an independent sense of self.
There is no set curriculum. Rather, each day is student-directed and open, and the staff's responsibility is to respond to each individual student's expressed needs. This allows for the widest range of curricular activities possible. It also allows each child to learn and develop in their own, natural way and at their own, natural pace. Staff stand aside and allow the students to follow their own path without outside direction or interference. Nurtured by Mountain Laurel Sudbury's environment of trust and respect, students will grow into life-long, independent learners.
Age mixing and the ability for students to bring materials and projects from home enriches the environment. Staff are not limited to expression in a formal classroom setting, and are available to share their time and knowledge with students on short notice. Most interactions between student and staff are either one-on-one or in small groups, and the informal atmosphere at the school helps foster mentoring and modeling.
Independence requires freedom, yet freedom can not exist in a school, or in the wider community without personal responsibility. Modeled after the principles upon which our country was founded, Mountain Laurel Sudbury operates as a genuine participatory democracy, with each student and staff member having an equal vote in all school decisions. This stimulates and empowers students to make better life decisions for themselves in their community.
Sudbury-model schools have graduated successful young people for over thirty years. Graduates go to college, enter trades and professions, start their own businesses, and become active, responsible members in their community. No matter which direction Mountain Laurel Sudbury students choose in life, they will leave with an exceptional degree of positive self-efficacy, self-esteem, self-direction, and social negotiation skills. These qualities above all will bring them success in today's changing world.
(Our thanks to the Cascade Valley School for letting us borrow heavily from their philosophy page.)
Mountain Laurel Sudbury School
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