AhnaBahnahna

Meet AhnaBahnahna, a giggly gal who is proud to call herself an Arianator aka an Ariana Grande super-fan; in fact earlier this week she went to see AG live in Albany – it was her very first concert and she is still beaming about it; she says she’s caught the bug and can’t wait to sing along at the next show.

AhnaBahnahna may often be found weaving through the school with her besties, whispering about secrets or laughing about this story or that, or running to the “tea spot” (a rainbow hut in our playground) to discuss the next event in whatever game they currently have going. While these games are utterly indecipherable to the adult bystander, what is clear is just how close they are: they don’t have to speak, or even look at each other to, apparently, know exactly what the others are thinking, and sometimes it gets tricky to even tease apart their identities and personalities! They also have a telepathic laughter trigger: one sideways glance or barely audible snort and they are on the floor in what they call a “giggle fit.” We never get the joke, but we wish we were having half as much fun! “We are just really weird,” offers a friend of AhnaBahnahna’s, “she’s weirder than she looks.” “She’s also sweet and kind,” pipes in another friend, “and she is really forgiving.” AhnaBahnahna enjoys the freedom to pursue her interests at HVSS, mainly drawing, painting, photography, and the study of languages. “I usually draw people, realistic ones and cartoons. When a face doesn’t look real I just turn it into a cartoon and go from there.” She dabbled in French and is now focusing on Spanish. She has a knack with babies, and spends one day a week volunteering at a local mothers group, setting up, and playing with all the “cute cute babies, soooo many babies!”

AhnaBahnahna, we are so tickled you’re here, growing with us, exploring the arts, building friendships, and filling our nooks and crannies with insatiable giggles. We appreciate all these languages you speak, English, Spanish, gigglish, artlish, and friendlish. We can’t wait to hear more as your develop your very own voice and belt it out just like when you’re singing along with Ariana. Eres increible

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.

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

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

Each student aged 14+ is automatically enrolled in our High School Advisor Program;

Screens are allowed at school, with restrictions.

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.

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

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

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

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.