Every child can learn. Every child is intelligent and creative. Children learn best if they feel like they are worthwhile and good. They know they are intelligent, lovable, and capable, and are an important part of the school community. Our school will do everything in its power to become an environment where each child is welcomed and nurtured. The environment will be a safe and structured place of learning. The "healing pedagogy" and the "child responsive classroom" are terms that we have coined. Healing pedagogy is a way of teaching that looks to children's mental, physical and emotional health as a major part of the learning environment. It recognizes that the child is central to the learning process. The child responsive classroom is a beginning guide to a healing pedagogy. The following model explicates the concept of the child responsive classroom:

Caring is essential to this model. A creative, challenging curriculum is one that is always mentioned when we talk about the elementary school. That's what schools are about. The problem is, that is not all learning is about. Learning is also about developing a personal relationship with each child and building a classroom where social relationships among the children are developed and encouraged. In a child responsive classroom, children are working together on projects, reading their stories to one another, and making plans for their next excursion. The fourth component is also essential: the development and maintenance of organizational systems, so children feel safe, understand the boundaries, and know what to expect. Our model then extends itself to the school, the family, and to the community. Back to Programs

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