This is AF, a new student who has been kind and pleasant af since she arrived. Even before she arrived, she was impressing us by managing her own enrollment process like a boss. This is the eighth school she’s been to and guess what it’s her faaaavorite. And she’s not just saying that ok? She is real af. She says the experience of integrating into the community was smooth, and helped along by a few particularly friendly students. AF feels happier here, much less stressed, able to take her “me” time.
AF says she was initially a little worried about the age-mixing at our school, because she doesn’t have a lot of patience with little kids, “but the littles here seem more evolved and they know what they’re doing. They don’t test me a lot.” She is surprised to feel like a role model. She says, “it’s weird, as an only child; I haven’t had this experience before. But I notice younger kids watching me. Or they ask me to do things. I don’t mind; it’s going well.”
She’s been spending most of her time preparing for the SAT and making a lot of collage, origami, photo shoots, and clothing creation, so she’s got a good balance between the two hemispheres of the cerebrum. And speaking of cerebrums, AF thinks they’re pretty interesting. She says, “everybody’s brain is different, and it shows in their behavior, and that’s really cool.” She thinks it’s so dang cool, in fact, that she wants to be a therapist. AF’s own cerebrum must be wired together and firing in some pretty creative patterns, because she also does a lot of cooking, singing, acting, and biking. AF, we are inspired by your quiet zeal for life and by the courage you’ve shown jumping into our community. We’re happy you’re here, and we’re looking forward to getting to know you better ✨
Parent Involvement
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.
Parents typically grow alongside their children as the family matures together within our bold, challenging, and trusting philosophy. Many parents find themselves doing things they hadn’t before enrolling their children in our school, like starting a business, taking up a new hobby, or dedicating themselves to art. Parents who remain open, think critically, and grapple honestly with questions and concerns about the program and their children’s education provide the best support for children at our school.
We depend on parents to participate on our Fundraising and Financial Aid Committees, as well as in our Assembly, our largest democratic body, which ratifies changes to our bylaws. Many parents volunteer their expertise, and there are always at least a couple who are regularly coming in to offer instruction. Parents are also needed to chaperone field trips, and most of our substitute staff are parents too.
Sending your children to a self-directed democratic school is a bold choice, and people will question it. Many parents find it helpful to attend our events and make connections with the community, and especially with other parents.