Welcome to the Children’s School Family!  We look forward to getting to know everyone and to working closely to explore new possibilities for enhancing each child’s educational experiences.  To help in that collaborative process, let’s consider some of the principles from Rosamund and Ben Zander’s book, The Art of Possibility: Transforming Professional and Personal Life.

In the Children’s School family, we invite each person to be a contribution.  We best explore new possibilities when everyone takes a stance of proactively participating in the process.  When you have ideas, please share them.  Offer your talents and resources.  We frequently offer ideas regarding general issues via our newsletter, but feel free to request pointers related to your family’s unique situation. 

We begin our educational design with a framework of goals for children’s self-esteem & independence, interaction & cooperation, communication, discovery & exploration, physical capabilities, and artistic expression & appreciation, and we establish our structures, routines, thematic units, etc. to promote development and learning in all areas.  At the same time, we admit it’s all invented, so we remain open to change and we continuously reflect and refine our process.  Also, we know that every child has unique circumstances and strengths, so staff and parents must work together to light a spark that will help each child progress in the context of the group at school and the family at home.

Both parenting and teaching are challenging endeavors.  Let’s respect each others’ time and intentionally offer positive feedback whenever possible.  We can support each other’s efforts by trying to give ourselves and others an A, meaning that we start from an assumption that each person is aiming for excellence.  If we listen to others’ perspectives, we may better understand the diverse approaches and determine the most appropriate course of action.  When problems arise, you can lead from any chair by offering solutions and taking responsibility for whatever you can do to implement them.

The biggest challenge comes when the needs of children, parents, and staff apparently conflict.  If we tell the WE story creatively, we can cooperate to find ways to meet multiple needs effectively.  As a school family, let’s celebrate our differences and capitalize on each family member’s unique contributions to the group.  Please feel free to talk with me as you seek to identify your niche at the Children’s School within the “universe of possibility.”