Name: 20 Years of Self-Directed Stories
Start: 2024-02-27T19:00:00-04:00
End: 2024-02-27T21:00:00-04:00

October 2023
Spookfest

October 26, 2023 @ 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Hudson Valley Sudbury School 84 Zena Road, Kingston, NY

Spookfest: A Halloween Carnival Thursday, October 26th 5-8pm (rain date October 27th) The cohort will be offering a free spaghetti dinner, carnival games made by the cohort, slime making, not so spooky stories by the fire, and a very haunted trail. Costumes are welcome but certainly not required. Brought to you by ZDS Cohort […]
November 2023
Election Day – School Closed

November 7, 2023

Election Day - School Closed
Veteran’s Day – School Closed

November 10, 2023

Veteran's Day - School Closed
Thanksgiving Break – No School

November 22, 2023 - November 24, 2023

Thanksgiving Break - No School
December 2023
Winter Break – School Closed

December 22, 2023 - January 3, 2024

Winter Break - School Closed
January 2024
MLK Jr. Day – School Closed

January 15, 2024

MLK Jr. Day - School Closed
February 2024
Annual Assembly Meeting

February 5, 2024 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Hudson Valley Sudbury School 84 Zena Road, Kingston, NY

Meeting of the ZDS Assembly (parents, students, and staff) to make democratic decisions about the school.
Valentine’s Ball

February 16, 2024 @ 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm

The Local 16 John St, Saugerties, New York

A free and fancy dance party for students, staff & their families and friends.
February Break – No School

February 19, 2024 - February 23, 2024

February Break - No School
20 Years of Self-Directed Stories

February 27, 2024 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Alumni from our 20 years will share stories and answer questions during this series of panels during the late winter and spring of 2024

October 2023

Spookfest

November 2023

Election Day – School Closed

Veteran’s Day – School Closed

Thanksgiving Break – No School

December 2023

Winter Break – School Closed

January 2024

MLK Jr. Day – School Closed

February 2024

Annual Assembly Meeting

Valentine’s Ball

February Break – No School

20 Years of Self-Directed Stories

Parents’ experience of the school is a crucial factor in determining their childrens’ experience of the school. Children of parents who work hard to understand our philosophy, communicate with staff, attend events, and connect with the community usually get the most out of our program.

Students may receive a diploma if they elect to undergo our internal diploma process.

Every student and staff at Zena Democratic School is assigned a cleaning job by the Physical Plant Clerk.

At Zena Democratic School, the jobs of administration and maintenance are divided into roles called Clerkships;

At Zena Democratic School, a Cooperative (coop) is a group of like-minded students and staff who organize around a common interest, like music, art, or sports.

Screens are allowed at school, with restrictions.

Each student aged 13+ is automatically enrolled in our High School Advisor Program;

Age-mixing is one of the most potent developmental experiences at Zena Democratic School.

At Zena Democratic School, rule infractions and interpersonal conflicts are resolved using sophisticated restorative justice tools.

Zena Democratic School is located on a parcel of 67 wooded acres in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains in the Hudson Valley region of New York State.

Zena Democratic School is a direct democracy; each student and member of the staff has an equal vote in managing all aspects of the school’s operation.