Philosophy

=Our School Philosophy=

Central to the school philosophy is respect for the childs creativity and self-empowerment. Our focus is to foster the development of self-esteem and awareness through self-expression, ecological awareness, conflict resolution, self-paced and guided learning. Class sizes are kept low to ensure that the children are given individual attention and that individualized learning programs can be developed that caters to each childs needs.

The general philosophy and educational approach taken at our school can be summarized as follows;

1. Academic skills acquisition is based on childrens readiness. 2. A non-coercive approach is adopted, balancing a degree of conformity to group activity with the needs of the individual child. 3. Non-violence is encouraged as a means of problem solving, particularly through communication and dialogue. 4. Emphasis is placed on education of the whole person. Arts, crafts, physical and spiritual education are considered of equal value to academic pursuits. 5. Learning needs to be enjoyable and considerant of the local environment. 6. Children are treated patiently and given time to work out difficulties in relation to class work and relationships. 7. Adults and children learn together. 8. Independent learning is encouraged, showing children and adults how to learn rather than what to learn, giving them the opportunity to become increasingly self directed. 9. Value is placed on the presence and involvement of parents and community members in the school.