Dear Parents,Dear Swan School Parents,
What a wonderful open house we had last Friday! Many interested families attended, the playground was full of happy children, and visiting parents' faces showed happy anticipation as their questions were answered by current parents, board members, and staff. One question that I was asked kept bouncing around in my head throughout the weekend, "What educational program does Swan School most closely identify itself with?" It's an interesting question and one that I've contemplated before. In essence it asks who we are and what drives our methods. I suspect that the person asking the question wanted to place Swan in a box, one that would categorize our school as Montessori focused, Steiner based, closely aligned with the methods John Dewey promoted, with Gardner's multiple intelligences, or with some other foundational program. It's a good question and one that I would likely ask if I were visiting a school for the first time.
The answer of course is much more complex for us than a singular label can describe. As our logo states, we are an independent school; we don't subscribe exclusively to any one particular program, educational philosophy, or set of methods. As an independent school we are unique and as such we have gathered an eclectic mix of complementary methods and philosophies that help our school best meet the needs of our children and families. The distinctive mix of our Core Values - challenge, creativity, community, compassion, connection, enjoyment, and leadership - all point to our unique philosophical base. The use of Washington state's subject area expectations as guiding academic benchmarks, the multiage structure of every classroom, the incorporation of music as a nearly daily part of every child's curriculum, the guiding question asked as every school decision is made ("Is this what's best for the children of Swan School?"), the learning projects that permeate the curriculum at every level, the use of the community as a learning resource, all of these things and more guide the educational experiences that our children encounter. Truly we are independent and unique as well as eclectic, and that is something I think we can all be proud of.
As I was contemplating that initial question I happened upon a few more letters that students had written in preparation for the open house. They were all from the Adventurers' class and I thought you might enjoy reading them.
Dear Parents,I'm really lucky to be going to Swan School. This is my last year and I don't want to miss a second of it. Here's why:
It's easy to learn here, and I'm not saying the stuff we learn isn't challenging.The teachers push us to a certain extent, but we still get to goof off and have fun once in a while.
The field trips are amazing: the Children's Theater, Marine Science Center, Seattle Art Museum, and best of all, The Big Trip; our week-long trip to Eastern Washington.
I can be myself here and I don't have to worry about what other people think.
Being with the people here is the best thing I've ever experienced. And six years here have rocked my world.
Peri
age 11Dear Parents,
Being an Adventurer is an amazing experience. You get to learn new things by going to new places and finding out about how to improve the world in any way we can.
We go on field trips that teach us about academics and ourselves. We have a lot of fun in Swan School but aside from fun activities, we have discipline. We learn respect and the consequences of bullying, and how it never pays off. We learn about the importance of compassion and leadership and you always feel comfortable if you need to ask for help from a teacher or friend.
The main structure of Swan School is family. The classes are small but the students' ideas grow as we do.
Savana
Dear Parents,
This is what it feels like to be an Adventurer from my eyes.
It's frosty outside and I hop out of the car and start to walk to the office and skim the books (in the awesome library). I find a book and head for my classroom. I say hi to all the parents and kids. Man it feels good when they respond and they never bully me around!I walk into the classroom and greet everyone and check my mailbox. There's some math in it. I correct it and put it in my folder.
Lowell, our teacher, is always on top of us about checking our math when we get it in.
I look at the schedule. First is the whole school meeting when we meet with all the other classes. Next is our class meeting when we talk about the day's schedule: math, recess, snack, writing, music-violin or piano, and choir, on alternating days. I am in piano. I like it because I learn a lot and learn how to play it and listen. Next is lunch, recess, art - we also have P.E./Spanish on different days at the same time. Reading, then read aloud. "Remember there's a test on the mill's water use tomorrow, field trip to see the Dalai Lama on Monday, April 14."
Oh boy a field trip, they are fun, but we learn a lot. Like the last field trip when we got to dissect an albatross!
"Now I want you guys to finish this math page and go out to recess," calls Lowell. I finish my problem right as he says it. I hand it in and head for the door. "Oh, Anchor, I want you to do this problem." I couldn't get my head around it so I raised my hand, and not surprisingly another person at my table answered and helped.
And the day went on as usual.
It was sunny by the time I got out of school. I waited for my mom to pick me up, but one of my friends came up and said, "You're coming with me."
I was happy as I walked off.
This is what it feels like to be an ADVENTURER!
Sincerely,
Anchor
I believe these letters show not only the joy of learning our children experience while here, but also, by reading between the lines, who we truly are as a school. And who else to better define the Swan School experience than our students?
Russ