Southshire Community School

Philosophy

We believe that children are natural learners, and that learning comes from within. Children have an insatiable curiosity, a drive to explore and manipulate their environment, a need to think for themselves, and a desire to express themselves. Through the process of exploration and expression a child recognizes the person that he or she is, defines a style of learning, discovers new interests, and begins to understand and occupy a place within the world.

We believe that each of us is a person of value, and that each of us has contributions to make to others. We want our classroom to be a community of individuals respecting and appreciating differences, a place where people feel safe expressing themselves, and a place where children are encouraged in their movement towards responsible choices.

Mission

Our mission is to help children to become individuals with critical thinking skills, ones who value themselves and others as creative contributing members of a community, who see themselves as problem solvers, who love learning for its own sake, and who view learning as a lifelong process.

We pursue these goals by:

• Giving children the freedom to explore their own interests both individually and as a group in a safe and stimulating environment.
• Allowing children to progress at their own pace while holding them to an expectation of excellence.
• Providing a curriculum that has meaning and context for them.
• Teaching to the whole child recognizing and working with the physical, emotional, and social aspects of each child.

Our mixed-age setting allows children to connect with learning on a deeper level. They encounter a healthy range of academic development, and develop a genuine understanding of the curriculum and of themselves as a learners.

Parents and siblings are welcome in our community as important and necessary members. We encourage them to share their special interests, talents, and abilities with the school. This helps demonstrate how learning is a natural process that belongs to us all.