Jelly

This is Jelly, a kid who runs in packs so tight they’re like sandwiches, each ingredient smushed together and enhancing the others. He goes *perfectly* with his friends Peanut (still to come) and Butter (AKA Rubber Ducky), and he makes a sweet little pirozhki with his bro Vanya the Werewolf and his cousins Phi, Peanut, and Little Gem. I know it’s confusing, and so is his heritage (to this simple American anyway – he’s Korean and Siberian, and his mom’s from Uzbekistan; his life is a jumble of rich, wholesome things.

In big, messy sandwiches, someone has to keep it all together. That’s where Jelly comes in. And Jelly’s crew can mix it up (remember that guy called Vanya the Werewolf?). But Jelly is lowkey on top of things. He is tall, quiet, introspective, and serene; he is observant, and often still – a pillar. He is the reasonable one, the thoughtful one, the empathic one. He’s also 7. How did he get this way? Probably not the way you expect: “My dog is calm and relaxed, so I am too. My old dog was very crazy, then I was crazy too.” So Jelly takes on the persona of his dog? “Mmmm, yes.” At school Jelly likes to play with the pack, Roblox indoors and tire tag, hide-and-seek tag, and role-playing games outdoors. He is in that poignant stage of finding his own voice instead of being one of many, like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon, or a banana emerging from a peel, or Jelly dripping out of an overturned jar. Maybe we’ll stick with the butterfly image.

Jelly, we feel crazy lucky to have you here in the HVSS mega-pack. We can’t wait to spend more time with you, and to grow alongside you, and to see what you will say next year, and the year after. You may be quiet, but it doesn’t stop us from noticing you, or from noticing the way you enhance all the friends around you.

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.