Philosophy and Curriculum


		PHILOSOPHY AND CURRICULUM Philosophy The mission of New Vision School is to provide a loving education that nurtures the whole child emotionally, academically and spiritually. School as a Sanctuary: School should be a place of peace and security. We take great care to create an aesthetically rich and warm environment that feels like an extension of the student’s home life. Class sizes are small, with a maximum 12 students, to ensure individual attention and to help create a sense of family. The school is a clean, cozy, structured and safe place, which makes it possible for students to reach their highest potential both academically and spiritually. The environment sparkles with freshness, creativity, innovation and liveliness. Learning as a Foundation: At New Vision we understand the need for strong skills in reading, writing, math and foreign language and teach these basic academic disciplines with efficiency, creativity and astuteness. Students receive a well rounded, creatively oriented study that expands far beyond the reaches of the basic academic skills. Learning and academics are viewed as a foundation for pursuing ones interests and ambitions with the abilities needed. Progress in academic study, or lack thereof, is never used to judge a child or determine his or her value. Parents receive lengthy written reports twice yearly about their child, including in-depth descriptions of their learning style, interests, strengths and areas that need attention. Curiosity as a Key: Curiosity is the threshold of learning. At New Vision we provide an environment where curiosity and the love of learning flourish. Teachers continuously present children with situations that encourage their curiosity. This leads to sessions of looking and contemplating the “ordinary” things around them, and results in awakening and deepening their perceptions. Invention, progression and creativity are the results of a curious and expansive mind, so we nurture this through practical experience. Cooperation as a Foundation: Creating school family, cooperation and a sense of belonging to each other is an underlying goal of the whole experience. The defining quality and strength of our school is that we operate as one unit. We place a high priority on treating each other with no competition, guilt, or belittling through comparisons. We teach and promote that everyone is worthy and respected through their very being. Outdoors as a Classroom: Being outside in the beauty of nature is a key element to a child’s ability to focus and stay balanced. We balance outdoor and indoor time during the school day and throughout the year. We conduct many daily lessons outside, and set aside time every day, rain or shine, to play in our wonderful playground, garden, and snow, mud or flower-filled fields. Arts as a Necessity: Children respond to art, music and dramatic play because it reaches to the very core of their creativity and inspiration. Therefore, we draw upon the creative arts in our teaching of each subject. Mind as the Force: We practice conscious living at New Vision. Students learn to respect what is in their experience through the right use of their minds. They are taught meditation skills, communication skills, and quieting skills, the keys to a lifelong practice of mind stillness and reflection. They become deeply aware of how their mind actions affect both their immediate experience and global consciousness. They learn that they are part of a global connectedness and that they are incredibly meaningful. Love as our Source: The law of life rests in Love. At New Vision, whether we are teaching communication skills, or adding and subtracting, the law of love permeates all we do. Curriculum General Curriculum: The curriculum is highly individualized to meet the needs of each student. It is shaped and specialized to honor each child’s unique learning style and ability. Each teacher is trained in the “vision” method of teaching, where there is a continuous internal assessment as to what the children need and what best guides them to their optimal learning zone. This allows for the ultimate in creativity, efficiency and communication between teacher and student. Curriculum Pacing: Children learn skills at different paces, and at different ages. New Vision teachers recognize that there is not a set pace, age, or learning style that meets the needs of every student. Therefore, we are sensitive to the pacing and development of our students. We come from the perspective that children are innately intelligent and with exposure and developmentally appropriate work, they will unfold. We create challenging work for areas students are gifted in, and support them when work feels difficult with curriculum and projects that build confidence. In this way, we create a very harmonious educational experience, where the child is uplifted and feels positive when learning new concepts. Group Work: There is a daily balance between individual work and group projects, in order to promote team work, cooperation and communication. Inner Development: Equally balanced with academics is character development and awareness activities. We reinforce and practice important values, such as: giving, respecting, loving, consciousness, thought awareness, focus, and much more. Daily meditation and communication open pathways for deeper learning and revelation. Underlying the whole curriculum is a value of and emphasis on service and gratitude. Projects: At the beginning of each year, the class votes on 8-10 large topics that they would like to study in the school year. We incorporate these as “Units of Study”, and focus on them for approximately a one-month period as a thematic unit. Examples of Units of Study chosen in 2008: volcanoes, space, home and structure building, animals in the Northwest, Native Americans, boats and buoyancy, ocean life and bridges. Topics are incorporated into each educational discipline, including: reading, math, art, science, writing, presenting, geography, spelling and more. Children also do home projects and group presentations. In this way, we work with the flow of interest and curiosity and weave it into each child's essential learning. Inspiration from Influential People: Beginning in 2^nd grade, we focus on people who have invoked positive changes for mankind in the way of forgiveness, love, courage, beauty and creativity. We study their messages and contributions to society, which leads to student projects in the realms to which they offered their strengths. Extracurricular: Music and Spanish are taught by specialty teachers throughout the course of every week. Physical education is taught by the primary teacher and is woven into the daily schedule. Art: Art is viewed as more than an extracurricular activity. We use it to teach each educational discipline and it is integrated into all subjects. In addition to this integration, art is viewed as a subject in itself and we do ambitious, specialty projects. Play: Children are at work when they are playing together. They learn important skills in communication, making compromises, imagining, and relating. We do our best to create opportunities for children to have fun playing, being and creating together. New Vision students have done amazing group projects together, without direction from the teacher such as: creating a life size tee-pee out of sticks, building a dam and water way for run-off, organizing whole-group games, building snow forts, and digging for geological gems to name a few. Outdoors: Whenever possible, our learning takes place outdoors. Children do many observations, hikes, art projects, science activities, math lessons and reading in our outdoor sanctuary. In 2010, students will be participating in a gardening project taking place on the organic farm adjacent to the schoolhouse. Main Lesson Books: Main lesson books are used instead of textbooks. Children create their own beautiful books in math, language arts, science and art. Standards: Oregon State Standards are referred to in order to ensure that children are learning what is required. Standards are used as reference points, but with the perspective that each child has unique timing for when they will be ready for new concepts. Daily Life: Each day has a rhythm and structure. However, many projects are spontaneous and co-creative, based on intuition, flow, direction, student interest and subjects of the day. Sample of Daily Rhythm: 9:00-9:10 Arrival/Recorders (until 9:30 Mon, Fri) 9:10-9:30 Morning Circle (music, verses, presentations, reading, poetry) 9:30-10:30 Morning Lesson (language arts/Spanish) 10:45-11:30 Snack and Recess 11:30-11:45 Story/Meditation/Music (which goes until 12:30 on Wed) 11:45-12:45 Afternoon Lesson (math/thematic unit projects) 12:45-1:10 Lunch 1:10-1:50 Art/science/nature time/awareness lessons 1:50-2:00 Closing Circle/Parent pick up I n addition to our daily rhythm, we take field trips throughout the year and invite workshop teachers in to our school. Examples of our enrichment adventures: Field Trips: Kinderconzerts, which are classes with members of the Oregon Symphony in Portland. We will do 4 classes in 2008-2009. Home At Last (ongoing field trips to walk shelter dogs) OMSI science labs Tears of Joy theater (we have been to 4 productions to date) Discovery Center Art walk and community mosaic participation WAAM, the local aeronautics museum KV Ceramic Studio Dancing Moon Farms harvest trip Apple cider pressing at local orchard Beaver dam excursion Railroad ride Portland Art Museum Portland Children's Theater Hikes all over River Song Farm Workshops: Ongoing: African dance, drumming, singing and storytelling. The workshop teacher, Okaidja Afroso, teaches a full day workshop to students once a month. Rick’s Astrophysics Workshop Compass and navigational orientation on the Columbia River ______________________________________________________________________ Coming soon to the New Vision curriculum web page! A Detailed Look at the Teaching Sequence for Basic Skills: