A progressive education and the guiding academic philosophies at Southshire.
Emerge
Emergent curriculum allows for a child’s interests and needs give direction to the material. As themes emerge, teachers develop curriculum that reinforces the child’s interests while expanding the scope of inquiry. Children gain information and develop skills in a manner that has personal meaning and is relevant and useful to them. They remain active participants in the learning process, and view learning as natural and enjoyable. They see that others value their interests and ideas. They build self-esteem while developing themselves as students.
Observe
Emergent curriculum requires a keen understanding of individual students. Teachers observe students during periods of self-directed activity, such as activity time and recess, to help identify areas of demonstrated interest and patterns of inquiry. They meet regularly to discuss observations and plan curricula, and they write narratives to describe their students in context and elucidate the qualities of individual learners.Together, observation and narrative guide the creation of curriculum based on demonstrated interests and an expectation of academic excellence.
Progress
Expectations are held with continuity and reflect the student’s learning style, ability, and need. Progress is evaluated by a partnership of student, teacher, and parents. To encourage intrinsic motivation, tests and grades are not used at Southshire. Progress is assessed based upon the achievement of individualized goals and realistic standards of excellence. Students meet individually with a teacher who reviews their work and supports them in planning and setting new goals. If a student is having difficulty accomplishing their learning goals, parents are consulted. Once goals are met, new learning goals are established.
Evaluate
In lieu of letter grades, teachers write two very comprehensive evaluation documents per year; these narrative reports are sent to parents in February and in June. Parent-teacher conferences, in which the child’s progress is discussed and parents are educated on how they can help their child to learn, are scheduled twice a year, in October and in February. Parents may request additional conferences at any time. Expectations of the Vermont State Board of Education for learning and achievement are closely attended to at each grade level. As an approved independent school accepting students from tuitioning towns, Southshire uses the assessments required by those towns to measure the performance of tuitioned students. In addition, the school provides data on student assessment as required by the Vermont Agency of Education.