Spruce Street School

Mission

Spruce Street School is a nurturing educational community that instills in a broad range of children the social, emotional, and intellectual skills for lifelong participation in a diverse society.

We offer kindergarten through fifth grade students highly personalized instruction, supporting their social-emotional development as well as academic excellence. At Spruce Street School, we encourage students to anchor their learning in real-world applications, preparing them to be enthusiastic lifelong learners and able contributors to society.

Our school is committed to:

• diversity
• multi-age classes
• social-emotional development
• integrated curriculum
• urban learning environment

Core Values

Community: Children derive great benefit from being part of a strong, safe, nurturing school community. Our students feel known, valued and respected. We also believe that it is important for students to feel connected and able to contribute to the larger community around us. Towards this end, we provide opportunities for students to participate in a variety of service learning projects.

Diversity: Diversity of all kinds—including cultural, ethnic, racial, economic, family structure, sexual orientation, learning style, beliefs and abilities—in an educational community enhances the richness of everyone’s educational experience. We are committed to embracing a broad range of students and families. We proactively teach and model respect and appreciation for all people and for the differences among us.

Social/Emotional Development: A child’s social and emotional development is as important as their academic progress. Our community actively promotes the development of positive, respectful relationships among students and staff. We teach children (through curriculum and modeling) to recognize and respect their own feelings and the feelings of others. We emphasize collaboration in work and play. We teach and make use of conflict resolution skills in daily school life.

Differentiated, Integrated Instruction: All children have strengths, challenges, and different ways of learning. Our teachers recognize and honor these differences, creating an integrated curriculum and a rich educational experience that is meaningful for each individual student. A true understanding of each child and high expectations help ensure that every child is able to realize his/her own potential