Our Philosophy
Home-Style Schooling
We have rooted our philosophy based on what we believe to be the best Educational Practices. Childhood is a time to foster wonder, creativity, and discovery through exploration; play is a child’s work and we must create a child-honouring environment. In order to create an environment that actively teaches, we provide materials that encourage children to wonder, explore, slow down and look closer. As we observe our students we grab on to opportunities to incorporate the Academic Standards in ways that are authentic and meaningful to them. Subjects are fully integrated because one activity can cover a variety of areas. By doing this, we consider the development of the whole child. Not only do we focus on academic outcomes but also on the social/emotional development and uniqueness of every student. Children can receive quality academic education, while also nurturing a sense of curiosity, joy, and awe that encompasses a positive childhood.
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We Believe
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We believe in ‘Home-style Schooling’
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We believe that childhood is a time to foster wonder, creativity, and discovery through play and exploration.
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We believe that children can receive quality academic education, while also nurturing a sense of curiosity, joy, and awe that encompasses a positive childhood.
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We believe that there are four teachers: the adults, the students, the classroom environment and nature.
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We believe that children learn because they want to, not because they are forced to remember.
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We believe in letting children learn at their own pace and always honouring the child.
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We believe in giving children an abundance of opportunities, time and access to beauty – like art, music, literature, nature, and their own imaginations.
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We believe this path isn’t just for childhood but for a lifetime of pursing interests, responding to adversity and building a life based on purpose, not perfection.
Nature
Based
Nature provides countless opportunities for discovery, creativity, problem-solving, and by interacting with natural environments allows children to learn by doing and experiment with ideas. In nature, children think, question, and make hypotheses — thereby developing an inquisitive mind. Nature play is, of itself, an intrinsic good and from it flow benefits in health, cognitive, social and emotional development and aids in the building of resilience and creativity.
Reggio
Inspired
A Reggio inspired classroom is a non-traditional learning environment where there are no assigned seats. Children have easy access to supplies and learning material, and are consistently inspired and encouraged to direct their own learning based off their curiosities and wondering.
The Reggio Emilia approach is student-centred and constructivist self-guided curriculum that uses self-directed, experiential learning in relationship-driven environments.
Education
Classical
Inspired by Charlotte Mason, a British educator who lived around 1900. This methodology of teaching focuses on teaching the whole child – not just with academic facts, but also with habits and character development, living books, experiences in nature, communication, artists and composers, handwriting practice with a purpose, and more. One of her most popular quotes is, “Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, a life.”
Character
Development
Aside from being cute and interesting to watch, pets bring a lot to a classroom. Having pets to care for helps teach responsibility, compassion, empathy, and an understanding and respect for other living things. Pets teach children to value life other than their own, in addition to teaching them about the natural growth and life cycles of many different species which they can observe on a daily basis. Another benefit is the stress reduction that occurs as a result of observing and petting the animals, from which both the children and the animals can benefit.
Influenced
Children learn through their own experience and at their own pace. They respond to the natural curiosities that exist in all humans and begin to build a solid foundation for life-long learning.
In Waldorf Education, the learning process involves engaging head, heart, and hands
- or thinking, feeling, and doing. Teachers work
to nurture and engage each child through a curriculum and methodology that integrates academics, arts, and practical skills.
The Montessori Method, developed by Italian physician Maria Montessori, is a child-centred educational approach based on scientific observations of children. Montessori aims to develop each child physically, socially, emotionally and cognitively through
hands-on experiences.
