Reclaiming Their Campus
It’s been about a month since we re-opened our campus to students, and what a wonderful month it has been. Most of our students had not seen each other in person since March, and seeing them reunite and catch up
At Home…and Not Alone
Being stuck at home doesn’t have to mean being alone. Fairhaven School parents reflect on their families’ experiences at home during the school closure: How have your children been coping with staying home from school these past couple of
COVID relief update! Consider Donating to our Tuition Assistance Fund
May 8, 2020 Dear Supporters of Fairhaven School: We hope this letter finds you healthy and safe. We are writing to update you on Fairhaven School in this unprecedented time of a global pandemic. Prior to closing on
Kitchen Corp Continues Giving
Since the beginning of the school year, I and other members of the Kitchen Corporation have been working to assist the Light House Homeless Shelter. The Light House is an organization in Annapolis dedicated to helping the homeless and people
D&D at Fairhaven School: Playing Online
This pandemic we’re in has made us adapt nearly everything in Fairhaven School as we transition to Virtual Fairhaven. Our democratic meetings have been easy to transition online, but some forms of play have been a bit more tricky. One
Field Notes: Adaptability on Steroids
Cooking pancakes together in home kitchens. A survey of pandemics throughout history. Writing rules for a new iteration of Fairhaven School. Embarking on numerous D&D campaigns. Meeting pets. Learning figure drawing. Thesis Committees. An Assembly meeting. Hanging out. After two
Field Notes: Adaptability
“It was a meditation on life, love, old age, death: ideas that had often fluttered around her head like nocturnal birds but dissolved into a trickle of feathers when she tried to catch hold of them.” ― Gabriel García Márquez,
Field Notes: Trust and Time
While we can understand much of the lapidary process both of tumbling glass (or rocks) and of watching students grow and develop, some of both remains a mystery, ultimately reliant upon trust and time.
Unencumbered Learning – A Parent Perspective
“What struck me was that this student was comfortable in her not-knowing. She didn’t feel compelled to justify her answer, to apologize for what she didn’t know, or any number of other possible responses. Her knowing felt both true and unencumbered. As a person who went through traditional schooling, I am very aware of how my learning is anything but unencumbered.”
D&D at Fairhaven School:
Wired for Play and Story
Simply put, we as humans are wired to learn through play and story, two things role playing games merge perfectly together. It helps us make sense of the world and prepare for what’s next. D&D, of course, is not the only role playing game. At Fairhaven School, we see children of all ages play various role playing games throughout the day.
Self-Directed Learning Leads To Student-Directed Play
Last month, Fairhaven School’s Theatre Corp produced “A Simpler Time.” A smashing success, the play ran for two nights and ended up turning a profit. For most of our twenty-two years, the student-run, democratic Theatre Corp has been staging plays, and these are wonderful examples of how the school works. We caught up with director Sam Duffy. At fourteen, he’s younger than most of his cast.
Dungeons & Dragons at Fairhaven School: An Introduction
A few weeks ago I was in the Old Building cleaning up from room to room at the end of a long school day. As is typical, the building was mostly empty with a couple students needing to be reminded