Our Philosophy

We believe early education provides a vital foundation for all future learning. We endeavor to instill a deep love of learning in children that will serve them throughout their lives while preparing them for their next educational experience. Our curriculum is developmentally appropriate and evidence-based with the goal of creating life-long learners who will engage in future challenges with confidence and determination.

 


We value children in the learning process.

We are influenced by the principles of the early childhood schools in Reggio Emilia, Italy. Teacher Jenny uses a collaborative approach to teaching, which incorporates both children and parents.

Children are seen in our classroom orchestrating the direction of their learning. They learn through touching, moving, listening, seeing, and hearing. They form relationships with one another and materials in the classroom.

Reggio schools also put the natural development of the child at the center of their philosophy and rely on parents to be closely connected to the schools.


We value play.

Children are naturally curious, and when in our carefully curated learning environment, children learn important concepts while they play. When children play, they explore their own ideas and concepts, learning what no one else can teach them.

At our school, opportunities abound for each child to learn from hands-on experience in an environment that promotes a young child’s complete engagement.


We value differences.

Our students are taught to navigate conflict and work together to construct positive solutions.

Membership shall be available without regard to race, color, creed, national or ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation or ability.

Both of our classes are composed of children with a larger age span than traditional single-age classes. In this setting, there is less competition and more collaboration. Younger children learn from their older peers and later serve as role models.


We value nature.

We are certified by the Oregon Environmental Council as an eco-friendly school.

We also incorporate nature into our curriculum and our students spend time outside every day.

 

We value community.

As a co-op school, we require active participation from parents who own and operate the school during their time as members. We offer many opportunities for families to connect and form friendships beyond the classroom. We strive to build community between children, classes, families, and the larger community beyond our school.