Gibbons

This is Gibbons, twin to the recently profiled Jack (Gibbons would like you to know that she was first to crawl, talk, and walk, but she thinks that may have been due to a series of concussions which had the effect of accelerating certain aspects of her development). Gibbons is quick-witted, alarmingly intelligent, and always ready for a session of sarcastic tete-a-tete. She performs balancing acts such as the unicycle, stilts, and the “rolling globe” at her local circus and describes her fashion aesthetic as ‘divorced dad” and her communication style as, “blunt, because people deserve to know the truth.”

Gibbons arrived at Hudson Valley Sudbury School just over a year ago after some challenging experiences at conventional schools, which she describes as “tense and scary.” She says that since transferring, “I am experiencing so much relief; there is less pressure and my social anxiety is not nearly as intense.” She adds, “it’s amazing how nice it is just to be able to go outside whenever you want to, or to the bathroom, or to eat whenever.” She also insisted I quote her out of context saying, “fun in the sun,” before describing the other aspects of our school she is loving: “You never know what’s going to happen on any given day. I love to have the opportunities to build deeper friendships, and to build them with people of different ages, rather than just the kids in your grade. Also it’s cool that school isn’t limited to just academic stuff, it’s silly to be so limited.”

Gibbons’ friends have a lot to say about her too. One describes Gibbons as “energetic and smart, always coming with a lot of information. Usually unneeded information. Also she has saved our lives several times. And taught us a lot of fighting skills.” Another adds that Gibbons is “loud and silly, but when she’s passionate about something she becomes serious and dedicated to it.” Gibbons says that right now she is excited about psychology, and behavioral analysis in particular.

Gibbons, we are so pleased to have you among us. Thank you for bringing your wit and good cheer to the school on a daily basis! Divorced dad is v a cool look too, btw 😜

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.