Philosophy

Every time a prospective parent or a visitor spends time on our campus, we hear a consistent message: There’s something special about this place.

It comes through in the sense of community and closeness that permeates every relationship here. From teachers to students, from staff to parents, there is a profound, shared sense of mutual caring.

That caring provides a vital underpinning to the education our children experience every day. Teachers, staff and parents believe that each child is special, and that it is love that will develop each child’s gifts and give them an appreciation of their own life and the lives of others.

Children thrive in this kind of environment.

There is a lot of talk these days in the educational community about “hidden curriculum,” the unstated cultural and social norms that students learn along side their formal training. These are the values they absorb while attending school that, along with what they learn at home, help to shape their approach to life.

At the Schoolhouse, we see a “hidden curriculum” that teaches our children to embrace their individuality, to do and be their best. It is a curriculum that teaches children to respect others and to enjoy and be curious about their world.

In a world that does much to promote conformity, our children attend school with a collage of individuals, in a setting that encourages and nurtures appropriate individual expression. The Schoolhouse provides a safe place for all of us to be ourselves, and a rich opportunity to appreciate the diversity of others.

As the Schoolhouse continues to grow, as our campus expands and we make ongoing improvement to our programs and formal curriculum, this “hidden curriculum” will be embedded and imbued in all we do.

You will always see it in our teachers and administrators, who go beyond the call of duty to motivate and teach their students to do their best and be their best. You will always see it in the many, many parents who volunteer at the school each day, encouraging and supporting all our students as they grow and learn.

And you will see it in the students themselves, who continue to amaze us in the way they care for each other, encourage and support each other to grow, to learn and to fully be themselves.

These are students who will help to change our world.

What a privilege it is to serve them.