The School In Rose Valley - Article

I left with a feeling of pride in all of the goodness that abounds.� Collectively, you all have not only carried forward the spirit of The School in Rose Valley; but, you are carrying it to expanded greatness!� I know the forbearers are looking down and beaming with pride and nodding their satisfaction!

- Alum parent and former staff member after a recent visit

It is always heartwarming to receive positive feedback of this kind. It reflects the fact that we carefully consider the past, present and future of the school in all the decisions we make. From the founders we hold on to what is meaningful and relevant and then move forward by adding current wisdom and understandings to the mix. Our goal is to help SRV sustain its progressive mission in a purposeful, thoughtful, and consistent way as we wade into the complexities of the 21st century.

Some of the cornerstones of the school's past and present are to have a vibrant teaching community, help children to understand who they are, encourage a sense of responsibility to their community, and nurture a deep connection to nature. To do this we look at how we develop curricula, organize the administrative structure of the school, what professional development opportunities we offer, how we create budgets, and even what design decisions we make when we renovate our facilities.

To nurture responsibility and a growing connection to nature we have added a large organic garden and greenhouse to our campus. This gives our children a year-round opportunity to learn about the life cycle of plants, how to turn composted table scraps into fertilizer, and how the fruits of their labors help feed their classmates at lunch time. Through this work our students learn how to plan and organize, apply math concepts to everyday experiences, gain a deeper understanding of and connection to their food, and the importance of contributing to their community.

To encourage and support a thriving adult learning community we have created a more collaborative, shared leadership approach to running the school. This includes creating additional opportunities for teacher input into program, professional development and curriculum decisions. The leadership team, agenda committee, and curriculum committee are all fueled by teacher ideas, initiatives and areas of interest. This year we have piloted a peer observation system, an innovative backwards design approach to planning curriculum that centers around enduring understandings, and took on two whole school units of study, culture in Central America and geometry/ measurement, as ways to facilitate cross curricular teaching and learning.

To maintain a responsive learning environment we will renovate Rawson this summer using green building design principles. The building will have four spacious classrooms that open up to each other, with one central gathering space for community meetings and group project work. The back of the classrooms will all have outdoor science decks that will expand the usable exterior space. We will make the green decisions part of the learning environment by including signs and teaching windows that will allow the students to see and learn about the inner workings of the building.

It is with great pride and satisfaction that we carry the founder's torch forward, making SRV a lively, dynamic place for both teachers and students to learn and grow. Please come for a visit anytime!