Deli

This is Deli, a fashion designer for Furbies. I’d like this profile to end right there for aesthetic purposes, but Deli-mania propels me to order one with everything. Deli’s only been enrolled a year, but it feels like 3 cause Deli set up shop like Boar’s Head – he’s everywhere, and he’s on a roll.

Deli is el Presidente of the Art Coop, and an artiste himself. He’s impressionistic: “I’m exploring mediums at the moment.” But he does have that niche: “I design and sew cute outfits for furbies.” @tuna.flapjack . He’s into psychology, too, for the best of reasons: “If you’re a professional artist, it’s no use unless you can convince people to buy your work. You need to make them desire it, and it works well to convince them they’re doing good.” Deli got some fundraising reps in this year when he sold “insurance” on behalf of the D&D Cooperative; he made ⅔ of the total sales. “Yeah…I’m business oriented” he says with a stealthy smile.

Deli speaks with his whole body, shifting weight, twisting torso, shrugging shoulders, and using his hands like little word guns, shooting speech like, “hey, my dudes!” I asked him to pontificate on the school, and he said, “The edgy 13 year-old inside wants to say I’m pleased not to be forced to learn things that don’t matter to me-” he pauses to wink and wiggle some fingers at me – “but I’ll say that it’s important to prepare for what’s in your own future, and also to embrace your own present. That’s what we get to do here” I find myself nodding, almost hypnotized, in synch with Deli’s nods. “Everything that happens here is helping everything else. It’s organic, or something. Ecology” he does jazz hands to jazz up “ecology.” Deli is also way into our democratic processes. He says, “you can say something people disagree with, but at the end of the day people here will still respect you. You can speak out. It’s so important to be able to speak out and not be disliked for your opinion” he does something like the “Clinton thumb” while he says this to me.

Deli, I’m just getting this grill warm but I’m already outta letters. So lemme just say I’m convinced, I’m buying it, do you do subscriptions?

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.