Essays
Saxon Hill School families receive many wonderful communications from SHS staff about all facets of their children's educational experiences.
Here are some sample essays by Michele Campbell (SHS Director of Education, 4-day teacher) which describe some of the educational approaches SHS has adopted and examples of the newsletters sent home by teachers in each of the three classes.
YOU CAN'T SAY YOU CAN'T PLAY
February 2007
Over the past few weeks, I have heard different children tell one another, "You can't sit there. I am saving it for my best friend." "Can I play?" "No, we are not playing." I happen to be nearby and I respond with some questions: "Didn't I just hear a puppy barking?" "I see you are holding a baby. Are you the mother?" "No, she is the mother and I am the sister taking care of her baby." I suggest a few roles that this new child might be able to have. Their response is that there is no room.
This past week a mom and dad relate a story that their child came home and asked for make-up because she was told she could not play because she did not have any make-up on. She felt left out.
"We are best friends. We want to play by ourselves with nobody else."
"Only boys can be up here."
These are the voices of exclusion, children rejecting another child.
Learning to Learn is a Journey — My Perceptions of Reggio
Reggio Emilia, Italy is recognized as having the best early childhood programs in the world ("The Ten Best Schools in the World, and What We Can Learn From Them," Newsweek, December 2, 1991). Education is seen as a communal activity and sharing of culture through joint exploration among children and adults who together open topics to speculation and discussion. This approach provides us with new ways to think about the nature of the child as learner, the role of the teacher, school organization and management, the design and use of physical environments and curriculum planning...
