The Window Inside the Door
I sit here in one of the new grey office chairs and listen to the voices outside the door. There are little girls playing a pretend game in the Kid Nook; they are giving precise instructions to each other as
Seeing That Light Come Back Into Their Eyes
My son was coming home from school, grabbing me by the arms, and growling in 3rd grade. He was getting good grades and was well-behaved, but it didn’t take a rocket scientist to see that something was wrong. When he
A Recent Sudbury Valley School Video
A British documentary recently profiled Sudbury Valley school. Here’s the video link.
Nature and Democracy
Although at times Fairhaven School’s ideas may seem new, people have been thinking- and writing- about nature and democracy for some time. After posting my previous post (“Spring Is Building”), I found myself reading Walt Whitman’s collected journal entries, Specimen
Yes I Will Continue To Trust Them
I’ve been a Fairhaven parent for many years. You’d think by now I’d be quite accomplished. Think again! Each year and each developmental stage brings its own triumphs and trials, joys and sorrows. Subsequently, I have the opportunity to discover
Spring Is Building
No season explodes with activity quite like spring at Fairhaven School. Some field notes: The newly chartered Garden Corporation has already tilled a plot in the backyard by the millstone, planting greens, potatoes, onions, and marigolds. Steady rains have eased
Recipe For Success
RECIPE FOR SUCCESS Sunny April day Three students, two alumni, two parents, one staff person Gloves, boots, trash bags, donuts Forms filled in with pledges from friends and family Dollar bills and checks Drive about a mile from the school
The School That Saved My Son
My son is funny and witty and full of life- and information. At not quite sixteen, he has started pondering what he wants to do with his life. But things weren’t always this good. Three years ago, Simon was almost
Agency
One day last week I made my way up the stairs to record my arrival on the attendance sign-in sheet. At the landing, one of our youngest boys looked me in the eye, holding up two quarters. “Hey, Mark, I’ve
Snow Day
Like their counterparts at other schools, Fairhaven’s students get excited when it snows. Here the similarity ends, for our students can act on their excitement and go outside! So it was this week. After one snow day at home, Fairhaveners
Presence
Perhaps more than any other quality, presence defines Fairhaven’s students. Sitting in the Chesapeake Room on a sunny Saturday in February as our eight potential graduates declared their intentions to seek diplomas, then fielded questions from assembled parents, staff and
