Family Handbook 2011
Ages 5-6
Table of Contents
Introduction 4
The Background of Our Journey 4
The Key Elements of our Program 4
Facilitating Growth Error! Bookmark not defined.
Evaluating our Effectiveness Error! Bookmark not defined.
The Knowing Garden’s Mission Statement: 5
Where Our Journey Begins 5
Education, Development & Communication Research 5
Education and Learning Theory 5
Psycho-Social/Emotional Development 5
Communication and Relationship Building 5
Brain Development and Neuroscience 5
Mindfulness 6
Connection to Nature & Right to Play 6
Key Tenets 6
Constructivism 6
Cooperative learning 6
Whole Child 7
Brain Function & Development 7
Capacity building 7
Our Founding Community 8
Founding Teachers: 8
Parent Board: 8
Advisory Board 8
School program 8
Enrollment Process 10
Application 10
Parent Conference 10
Introductory Visit 11
Notification 11
Important Dates 12
Sharing With the Greater Community 12
Quick Facts 2010-2011 School Year 14
Summary 14
Curriculum & Environment 14
Focusing on the Whole Child 15
INDIVIDUAL NEEDS 16
MULTI AGE CLASSROOMS 16
CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT 16
CURRICULUM GUIDELINES 17
DESIGN OF THE DAY 19
Flexible Options Lead Teacher Error! Bookmark not defined.
CONFLICT RESOLUTION 21
CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION 22
PROGRESS ASSESSMENTS 22
PARENT PARTICIPATION 23
Reading List 24
WORKING WITH CHILDREN 25
Operational Information 26
PARENT BOARD 27
California State Education Requirements and Oversight 29
SCHOOL RECORDS 29
TUITION 30
AFTER-SCHOOL CARE 30
TRANSFER PROCEDURES 30
2011 Tuition & Financial Commitments 31
Receipt of The Knowing Garden Family Handbook 2011 32
Introduction
HE KNOWING GARDEN is a community Elementary school for the children and families of the Greater South Bay area. Our school supports the development of the whole child through constructivist philosophy and the understanding that humans generate knowledge and meaning from an interaction between their experiences and their ideas. We believe that a project-rich curriculum anchored in academics, hands-on experience and social plus emotional development will prepare our students to be critical thinkers who become lifelong learners and active contributors to the global community. With credentialed teachers, inspired by the principles of humane education, low-ratios and developmentally appropriate guidelines, our learning plans will be generated in partnership with each child. Our students, from diverse backgrounds, become part of a greater community that values respect, mindfulness, creative expression, confidence, risk-taking, and concern for the Earth. THE KNOWING GARDEN is a non-profit[1] private school with a public purpose. www.knowinggarden.org
The Background of Our Journey
There are many reasons including: choice, attachment/peaceful/unconditional parenting, honoring the individual’s development and passion for learning that have inspired our community to come together and create a safe place where children can learn - in a natural setting. Our school is owned and operated by the families of the school.
The Key Elements of our Program are:
The Knowing Garden’s Mission Statement:
Our School is a constructivist school with the primary goal being to motivate children to become self-determined critical thinkers and lifelong learners who are fearless and compassionate leaders in this rapidly changing world. We strive to facilitate the development of their unique talents, and to assist them in realizing their individual highest potential.Our focus, as educators, is on the whole child.Therefore, the learning environment promotes self-awareness, mutual respect, flexible thinking, and social and emotional, as well as, cognitive development. We also encourage family involvement and view parent attachment as a foundation for promoting optimal development and learning. As stewards of the earth, we aim to inspire concern for our world and to explore ways for creating a sustainable future for humanity and all of its inhabitants.Further, we are committed to creating a diverse, non-bias community of learners within which our students learn to value, respect, and enjoy people for their inherent worth.
Where Our Journey Begins
We are inspired by many whose expertise and research have helped us craft our Curriculum & Environment.
Education, Development & Communication Research includes:
Education and Learning Theory
Jean Piaget PhD-Constructivist Theory (www.piaget.org)
Howard Gardner PhD Multiple Intelligences (www.howardgardner.com)
Maria Montessori – Child-led revelation of potential (http://www.montessori.edu)
Alfie Kohn – Progressive Education/Punishments and Rewards (www.alfiekohn.org)
John Abbott – Cognitive Apprenticeship (http://www.21learn.org)
Psycho-Social/Emotional Development
Eric Erikson PhD - stages of psychosocial development
Bev Bos - Early Childhood Education (www.rosevillecommunityschool.org)
Communication and Relationship Building
Ruth Beaglehole - Unconditional parenting/CNVEP (www.theechocenter.org)
Aletha SolterPhD – Aware Parenting (www.awareparenting.com)
Faber & Mazlish – Peaceful Parent/Child Relations (www.fabermazlish.com)
Brain Development and Neuroscience
Dan Siegel PhD – Understanding the “internal world of the mind” (www.drdansiegel.com)
Adele Diamond PhD Improving School Outcomes by Addressing the Whole Child and by Addressing Skills and Attitudes, Not Just Content (www.devcogneuro.com/AdeleDiamond.html)
Mindfulness (Self-Awareness)
Martin Luther King Jr. – non-violence
Don Miguel Ruiz – The Four Agreements
Jon Kabat-Zinn - Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School
Connection to Nature & Right to Play
Richard Louv - "Connections between family, nature and community." www.richardlouv.com
International Play Association - "The child shall have full opportunity for play and recreation which should be directed to the same purposes as education; society and the public authorities shall endeavor to promote the enjoyment of this right" http://www.ipausa.org/
We are extremely grateful for the mentors and teachers we’ve had along the way, especially the THE ROSEVILLE COMMUNITY SCHOOL and their expertise.
Key Tenets of The Knowing Garden are:
Constructivism -- Piaget's Theory of Constructivism
Piaget's theory of constructivism explains that people produce knowledge and form meaning based upon their experiences. Piaget's theory of constructivism addresses how learning actually occurs, not focusing on what influences learning. The role of teachers is very important. Instead of giving a lecture the teachers in this theory function as facilitators whose role is to aid the student when it comes to their own understanding. This takes away focus from the teacher and lecture and puts it upon the student and their learning. The resources and lesson plans that must be initiated for this learning theory take a very different approach toward traditional learning as well. Instead of telling, the teacher must begin asking. Instead of answering questions that only align with their curriculum, the facilitator in this case must make it so that the student comes to the conclusions on their own instead of being told. Also, teachers are continually in conversation with the students, creating the learning experience that is open to new directions depending upon the needs of the student as the learning progresses. Teachers following Piaget's theory of constructivism must challenge the student by making them effective critical thinkers and not being merely a "teacher" but also a mentor, a consultant, and a coach.
Cooperative learning is a successful teaching strategy in which small teams, each with students of different levels of ability, use a variety of learning activities to improve their understanding of a subject. Each member of a team is responsible not only for learning what is taught but also for helping teammates learn, thus creating an atmosphere of achievement. Best-Selling Author and Cooperative Learning proponent, Alfie Kohn urges us to, “Look beyond methods, though, and consider goals. What’s the point of educating students in the first place?...As I’ve noted elsewhere, we have reason to worry when schooling is discussed primarily in the context of “global competitiveness” rather than in terms of what children need or what contributes to a democratic culture...”[2]
Whole Child - Adele Diamond, one of the founders of the field of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience addresses, Whole Child, “If we want the best academic outcomes, the most efficient and cost-effective route to achieve that is, counter intuitively, not to narrowly focus on academics, but to also address children’s social, emotional, and physical development. Similarly, the best and most efficient route to physical health is through also addressing emotional, social, and cognitive wellness. Emotional wellness, similarly, depends critically on social, cognitive, and physical wellness.[3]
Brain Function & Development - Daniel Siegel and Mary Hartzell have shared their Brain Function & Development research in the highly-regarded book, Parenting From the Inside Out. From the book, “by examining the science of how we experience and connect, a new perspective emerges that can help us deepen our understanding of ourselves, our children, and our relationships with each other.”[4]
Capacity building, as defined by Ann Philbin[5] are the “the skills, instincts, abilities, processes and resources that organizations and communities need to survive, adapt, and thrive in the fast-changing world." Critical thinking is a quality to be celebrated and encouraged, for the benefit of humanity.
Alliances and Affiliations under consideration:
National Coalition of Alternative Community Schools
Western Association of Schools & Colleges (WASC)
California Association of Private Schools Organizations (CAPSO)
Alternative Education Resource Organization (AERO)
The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
Our Founding Community
THE KNOWING GARDEN philosophy encompasses these principles: the first is that students are complex, creative individuals who learn deeply through methods which encourage them to become innovative critical thinkers. Their desire to learn can be trusted. The second is that optimal learning is achieved when it is built upon student interests and real life issues and problems. Third, that a flexible structure which includes heterogeneous and multi-age group arrangements for students is the best way to facilitate learning. Lastly, that the best environment for learning is a peaceful one that embraces freedom with responsibility and addresses the balance between the needs of the individual and the needs of the community.
TKG Teacher: Michelle Goldbach-Johnson
Founding Teachers: Elizabeth Bloom, Dana Holman, Jessica Schilling-Wigley
Parent Board: Josef Bobek, Jessica Mayotte, Daniela Samms, Trish Vasquez
Advisory Board: Lena Garcia-Kaufmann, Robin Podway
Read complete biographies of the Founding Community at www.knowinggarden.org
School program will encompass:
Environmental Studies
History
Language Arts
Mathematics
Performing and Creative Arts
Physical Education
Science
Social Studies
World Cultures
Practical elements of the curriculum:
Experiential Learning through Generative Lesson Plans
We utilize project based and experiential learning, an approach to instruction and learning that supports a person's need for hands-on experiences and choices in what they learn, how they engage in learning, and how they show they have learned. Projects may be short or long term and may be created by an individual, partners, or in groups. In project-based learning, students develop their academic skills as well as skills in organization, time management, communication, cooperation, compromise, interpretation, and creativity.
Whole Child
We are committed to nurturing all aspects of a person - intellectual, physical, emotional, social, creative, and cultural. Students engage in activities throughout the day, week, and year that help them develop as positive contributing members of our community. We focus on developing students' skills in cooperation, assertion, responsibility, empathy, self-awareness, and self-control.
Globally & Community Minded Real World Experiences
We believe it is important to do things that connect to and affect the community. Our themes emerge from current events the students know and care about. Our students have opportunities to strengthen their skills as global citizens through service learning projects, community outreach, charity events, identifying and addressing real world problems, recognizing and embracing differences, and being agents of change. Our goal is to help students develop as life-long learners and citizens of the global community.
Nurturing of Emotional, Social and Cognitive Development
We assert that being competent socially is as important as being competent academically. We see that valuable cognitive growth occurs through fulfilling social interaction. We employ a conscious discipline policy wherein both adults and children learn the skills needed to successfully manage life tasks such as learning, forming relationships, communicating effectively, being sensitive to others’ needs and getting along with others, while getting their own needs met. Facilitator-Teachers are taught to draw from within themselves to become responsive instead of reactive during moments of conflict. In this way, facilitator-teachers positively influence students by being models of empathetic, cooperative, and effective problem solvers, while being mentors in establishing relationships.
Innovative Thinking
We believe in the importance of creative, innovative, and critical thinking. We encourage our students to be risk-takers who are able to think independently to develop solutions to problems. In addition, we recognize that students need to be problem finders as well as problem solvers.
Asset-Based Assessments
Our goal in assessment is to understand and know the complexity of each person's development rather than to compare students with each other. If we are able to uphold the tenet that each person is unique, then it is imperative that this belief be reflected in our practices of assessment, as well as instruction. The constructivist view of learning sees students as full of knowledge and resource. The focus on assets is extremely important in the fostering of a supportive climate for students. By identifying each student’s strengths we encourage them to be resourceful and recognize the resources they possess. Rather than beginning with what students don't know or can't do, we begin with what students do know and can do and we build from there.
Thematic/Integrated Learning
Our curriculum is organized largely around themes that integrate core subjects like math, reading, writing, science, and humanities within the exploration of a broader topic. Thematic learning is based on the belief that students learn and retain information and skills best when what they are learning is connected to the real world and related to things they already know. The themes are determined based on what is developmentally appropriate and in the interests of the learners. Some of the themes that would be used are: The Community, Life Cycles, The Environment, Immigration, and the South Bay Past, Present, and Future.
Outdoor/Environmental Emphasis
Research shows that self‐directed play in nature is the most effective way for children to develop a deep bond of affection for the natural world. From this love of nature comes the passionate commitment to environmental stewardship that has guided such pioneers as John Muir and Rachel Carson. Free play can be included in environmental education alongside information‐based programs so that children can develop the passion and skills needed to protect the earth.[6]