On behalf of parents and Assembly members I would like to thank all of the Fairhaven students and staff who worked so hard to execute an absolutely flawless and enjoyable evening dedicated to parent appreciation.  Although we as parents have a pretty good idea of the amount of work involved in [...]

In April, 2005, film-maker Danny Mydlack made a lovely documentary abour Fairhaven School, Voices From The New American Schoolhouse. Here is the trailer. Enjoy!
Danny staffed here at Fairhaven for the 2007-2008 school year prior to founding Arts And Ideas Sudbury up the road in Baltimore.

In the patch of woods just outside the school office, three boys sneak by. Two more lurk deeper in the trees. Suddenly, they’re sprinting across the school grounds. Two outdoor games have been big on campus  lately: “Hunters and Prey” and “Infected.” Both are hide-and-seek variants and can  involve anywhere from ten to thirty students [...]

Just before Winter Break, after more than twenty years on the forefront of education, our colleagues at the Sacramento Valley School voted to close the doors on their Sudbury school. As one of the first generation of schools who modeled themselves after Sudbury Valley School, SacVal has served as an inspiration and support to us [...]

A slideshow of Fairhaven School presented at the Greenfest during October 2009.

Like any good theater project, Fairhaven’s recent outdoor production of MacBeth proclaimed its merits on many levels.  Student actors, crew, and sound all executed their jobs with distinction. Fulfilling the doomed Scottish king’s prophecy–Blood…there will be blood–oh, yes, there was blood.
The autumn trees made a perfectly gloomy backdrop. The witches bewitched and the swordplay thrilled. [...]

I recently had the great honor of directing a play at Fairhaven. Many know that theatre is very near and dear to my heart. I formally taught it in the public schools for many years. Throughout my time there, I was constantly battling budget cuts, focus on core subjects, emphasis on the sports program…one gets [...]

“She wouldn’t play with me, even after I asked her!”
She’s young and she’s upset. Her friends at school console her in the stairwell when she cries about the incident. Staff members, including me, check in, see she’s upset but okay, and move on. Although the intricacies of why these friends are in conflict are lost [...]

How does a mind grow?
How does a person become a person?
Sometimes the best measures are collages, as thoughts take shape before our eyes. In no particular order, then, here are some things we’ve seen and heard in this, the first month of our twelfth year at Fairhaven School :
The twelve-foot swings arc all day. So [...]

When Congressman Wilson of South Carolina shouted “You lie” during President Obama’s speech the other night, it became yet another example of the coarsening of the political dialogue in the nation. What’s become of civility?
Picture, if you will, a different meeting that also convened this week, not far down the road from the chamber where [...]