Summerwood School

Throw back to last week's Information Session! We were playing with loose parts from the surrounding forest and one of the designs turned into a literal stick figure! If you missed out on our last session, come join us at the Birth Center on Saturday, Jan. 20th for another chance to chat about progressive education!

"What if it was more exciting to not know something in the classroom, than it was to know something?" We want to do more than just engage our students at Summerwood, we want to empower them to ask questions. We want to create a learning community that values curiosity, where exploring students' ideas is the curriculum. Not sure what inquiry-based learning is all about? Check out Kath Murdoch's TEDx Talk on "The power of ummmm..." for an inspiring and educational peak into what wonderment in the classroom is all about.

Check out the line-up of all our upcoming Information Sessions! We hope you can make it out to one of them soon! Not sure you can make it to the next Info Session? Feel free to email, message, or call us for more info or to set up a one-on-one meeting for more info.

We like to talk about "learning through adventure" a lot here at Summerwood. But what exactly does this mean? Fundamentally, it means that we provide for our students opportunities to figure out their own ideas and discover knowledge for themselves. We encourage our students to ask questions about what they're learning rather than just "telling them" how multiplication works or where squirrels live. There's a time and place for direct, explicit instruction, but in inquiry-ba...sed learning it is one of the last teaching strategies we try, rather than the first. Check out this article about a cognitive study on the value of play and discovery versus explicit instruction: "Explicit instruction makes children less likely to engage in spontaneous exploration and discovery... teaching is meant to impart skills quickly and efficiently. The danger is leading children to believe that they’ve learned all there is to know, thereby discouraging independent discovery." http://news.mit.edu/2011/teaching-children-0630

While we love nature, and want our students to find similar passion for the outdoors, Summerwood's commitment to nature-based learning is also an evidence-based educational practice. Very real and important skills, like executive functioning--which is the determining factor of whether a student can independently perform classroom tasks--are tied directly to unstructured time outdoors. "A recent study from Norway looked at the associations between time spent outdoors during c...hild care and executive functioning. Among children ages 4 through 7, those who spent more time outside during child care performed better on an executive function assessment and showed fewer inattention-hyperactivity symptoms. Further, numerous studies[1] have found that playful engagement with nature in kids under age 12 was linked with improved mental health and emotional regulation. (Playful engagement consists of open-ended, child-directed experiences such as free play, exploration, and child-initiated learning, in contrast to externally directed activities, such as school gardening projects and adult-led field trips). These findings were consistent among both children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and those without diagnosed ADHD." https://www.childtrends.org/year-round-outdoor-play-can-bo/

What is a Micro School? At Summerwood, our definition of a micro school is an intentionally small school that focuses on individual needs all while promoting quality educational experiences. Check out what Meridian Learning, a micro school resource center, defines a micro school as: "A purposefully small school typically with the following characteristics: led by a trained professional or group of professionals; offers flexible programming; consists of mixed age class or clas...ses with 15 students or less; focused on meaningful, sustainable, whole student learning." To learn more about what makes Summerwood a micro school and the benefits of our intentionally small size, join us at our next information session!

We're now listed in the only national directory for micro schools! Check it out! And while you're there, take a peak at all the other awesome micro schools around the country! https://www.meridian-learning.org/micros/summerwood-school/

Hi everyone! We're looking to meet up with and talk to 7-10 parents to help us with market research. Specifically, we need parents who are considering or would be willing to consider alternative educational options for their kinder or elementary age kids. If this sounds like something you'd be interested in doing, please PM us or email us at: [email protected]... Oh, and coffee's on us!

What is Socratic Circle Time? Using circle time for more than charting the day of the week and talking about the weather, Summerwood students conduct daily Socratic discussions. We believe that teaching our kids to think critically and orally debate ideas should start in kindergarten. Check out this info from Cambridge University about the importance of oracy skills. "[O]ur research shows that when students learn how to use talk to reason together, they become better at reaso...ning on their own and so improve their attainment in maths, science and other subjects." http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/discussion/why-teach-oracy https://thinkingtogether.educ.cam.ac.uk