Moo

This is Moo, and if that sounds like a name right out of Dr. Seuss, that’s because Moo is, basically, right out of Dr. Seuss: she’s dada, clever, and incisive in a delightfully unexpected way. More refined than a “class clown,” Moo is closer to a court jester; if you are hypocritical, Moo will hold up a mirror, if the situation becomes awkward, she has a diffuser. She describes herself as an, “explosive person,” but she doesn’t mean she has a temper; it’s more like the explosiveness of an athlete, except in this case for a sublime joker: she’s always ready to vault straight into screwball business at the slightest provocation (or no apparent provocation at all), no warm-up required.

Moo came to HVSS just last year, but she is a Free School pro, having attended two others. She is a gamer, indoors and out, and runs in a thick and tight crew. She is intensely loyal and tougher than the grinch, though oh so much kinder. Last week she grabbed the Lorax by the horns during a field trip to the city, leading the group to Chinatown to eat the best noodles in New Yorkia and celebrate Chinese New Year in the confetti-filled streets. She’s become a fixture of our theater productions, and she’s becoming an accomplished actor of talent and whimsy. Lately she’s also been working through math and spelling with Goose and Dots.

We see you, Moo. We see you growing, and owning your voice, more and more and more and more, and little by little, the way solid things grow. We see you doing the hard, sometimes scary work Sudbury demands. We see you skirting by the office window, the gold stars of your coat twinkling in the corner of our eye. We are eager to see more; we see so much, and we’re curious still, to see you do what you do and do what you will.

We see you doing such a gosh darn good job, the job of being a kid, which is what we think you should do, because that’s what you are, and- we thank you for that. And we thank you and thank you for Seussifying the school, all by just being you: Moo, like only you could do, because – as the Dr. would say – “today you are Moo! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is Moo-er than you!”

Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than 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.