Outreach was begun to involve interested community members in the founding process. These people and others who have joined since, have done all of the work of founding the school, entirely as volunteers. Students develop skills in art, math, science, reading, writing, problem solving, and critical thinking as they work within the central theme. Inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach, we believe that children learn best through direct experience with materials. Therefore, classes have a rich supply of materials available for many uses.
Teachers respond to and expand upon the children's interests in all areas.
Parent involvement is an essential factor in our school because we believe that education is enhanced by strengthening the ties between the school and home environments, and because of our limited operating budget. Parents are strongly encouraged to become members of the non-profit corporation by fulfilling a work requirement of 8 hours per month. This level of involvement allows for parent input in the decision-making processes. There are also parent representatives on the major decision-making bodies of the school, the Management Team and the Board of Trustees. They hold monthly open meetings and make policy decisions which directly affect the operation of the school.