Author: Fairhaven School

2022 Giving Letter: Education Outside of the Box

2022 Giving Letter: Education Outside of the Box

Greetings Friend of Fairhaven School, I hope my letter finds you and your family well. My son started at Fairhaven four years ago, and each day has been a great adventure encouraging autonomy, finding beauty in the natural world, and self-advocacy. Fairhaven promotes autonomy and independence in its students by giving them the space to…

Alumni Profile: Tucker Bane, Class of 2011

Alumni Profile: Tucker Bane, Class of 2011

“It was really helpful to have grown up around artists at Fairhaven. As a game developer, you have to be able to work with people of all sorts of different disciplines. I need to work with streamers and artists, all these kinds of people with different skillsets and ways of looking at the world. I think my experiences at Fairhaven were really helpful with being able to communicate with all these people in their ‘native language’.

In Memoriam: Daniel Greenberg (1934-2021)

In Memoriam: Daniel Greenberg (1934-2021)

We write to share the passing of Sudbury Valley School founder Danny Greenberg. He was a mentor and colleague since the mid-nineties, when we first contacted Sudbury Valley and began the process of starting Fairhaven School. Brilliant, funny, and always direct, Danny often showed the way, whether writing one of his many books or working these many decades to keep Sudbury Valley going.

Why We’re Happy for a Busy JC

Why We’re Happy for a Busy JC

We think of this as a healthy, normal part of the process. Fairhaven students are testing themselves and the school. What are my limits? What are the expectations of the school community? What can I get away with? How do I operate successfully in this place, doing the things I’m excited about without infringing on others? Answering these and similar questions are often the heavy lifting of a Fairhaven experience, and the input of a jury of one’s peers alongside reasonable consequences for one’s actions can be essential data.

Time Travel with Otto

Time Travel with Otto

Otto and I sat on the porch and talked about the Mastodon molar that a former student found in 2008, and of the replica in the showcase in the upstairs hallway. Otto wanted to see the spot where the molar was found. We ventured down the wooden steps to the path in the woods. He asked me questions, adding and subtracting the answers in his head, and he took me on a journey to the earth’s past. By the walk’s end I had newfound reverence for the present moment.