Educating the Whole Child

Children can’t learn if they don’t feel safe and secure, so we prioritize close, connected relationships throughout the school. Older students help the younger ones and teachers and staff make an effort to get to know each child and family. Our connected community is one of the first things new families notice.

Children have a developmental need to feel loved and cared for. When they spend so many of their waking hours in a school environment, it is essential that the school be imbued with warmth and care so that part of their soul development can be nourished and grow healthily.

Children are inspired to care about their learning when it is made beautiful. Teachers spend a good deal of time creating beautiful classrooms and lessons, and we see their efforts reflected in the care the students put into their own work. Whether we’re learning math, reading, or farming, we look to create beauty in our work.

While adults and older teens can learn by reading a book or a screen, children need to touch and see the academic concepts play out in the real world. If they can’t experience the learning with their bodies and imaginations, they will simply memorize facts (and soon forget them) rather than taking the information into their being as true understanding.

Many education systems today simply take the knowledge that adults need and break it into small pieces, as if children were simply smaller versions of adults. We know that children have distinct needs, and that the experience of childhood is important and valuable in its own right. We intentionally craft the curriculum to meet the child’s developmental needs, and give plenty of time for movement and play throughout the day.

Reverence has to do with the tone we set for our activities in the day. Little moments and significant ceremonies are all rendered more meaningful by the reverent tone with which they are held. A candle is lit at story time, quiet attention is given to friends presenting their work, and beautiful singing fills the halls after an assembly. These moments help students forge a deeper respect for themselves, their own work, and the people who join them in community.