Mission Statement
The mission of the 9th
Street Schoolhouse is to empower future citizens to find their authentic
interests and skills by providing strong and loving mentorship in a rich
learning environment that connects them to their place in their communities and
on this earth. 9th Street is committed to making alternative
education accessible to those who seek it.
Vision Statement
The schoolhouse vision is to help raise
children to love themselves, to cultivate meaningful relationships, to contribute
to their communities in positive ways, to be good stewards of the natural
world, and to create satisfying vocations that lead to happy, full lives.
Philosophy
Children learn best when they have
plenty of hands-on experiences. Doing and creating in this way allows them to
construct their own understandings. Real life learning is meaningful in their
lives.
Children need time to move, talk, and
play. Development of social skills / conflict resolution, emotional
intelligence, self awareness, and physical development are equally important to
academic learning.
Children need a multi-age environment
where they have the opportunity to learn from older peers and model for younger
ones. Age diversity also promotes acceptance of all learning styles and speeds.
Children need to spend a lot of time
outdoors learning about, connecting to, and falling in love with nature in a
concrete way. Their health and the health of the earth depend on it.
Children need to know that they are an
important part of the web of life on Earth. They need to develop a positive
self-image and have a strong sense of their unique place in their family,
community, and the world. They need opportunities and guidance to deal with
conflict constructively. They also need to experience the connections that
allow a community to thrive and know how important it is to give back to that
community.
Children need to develop a lifelong
love of learning. They need blocks of self-directed time to learn how to
identify and pursue their own interests and to follow their innate curiosity.
Instruction should be tailored to these interests and to individual learning
styles. Hard work, challenge, and focus are developed through the channel of
authentic interest.
Teacher-mentors need to see students
as they really are by spending time cultivating relationships with them. Our
instruction is based on observations of the child, listening to the child’s
talk and play, and watching for those growing edges where new horizons can be
introduced. Conversations with the parents factor into learning goals as well.
Learning happens all the time,
especially at home! Parents have the greatest influence over their kids, and
are invaluable partners in education. We support families learning at home through communicating current learning objectives and recommending resources. We welcome parent involvement though volunteering at the schoolhouse and soliciting project ideas and skills to share with the kids. We facilitate a strong community through our monthly Park Days and Spring and Fall camp-outs.
A low teacher-student ratio promotes meaningful relationships between mentors and each child, and the small group facilitates peer-to-peer learning.
