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A Clearer View(opens in new tab), Chapter 4, pp. 72-91 It may sound like a strange thing to talk about the significance of the democratic model in a school like ours, because the democratic model is so embedded in the school, and has been from day one. In fact, though, our understanding of what the […]
Can Sudbury Valley graduates get into college?
I myself am tired of my stories about SVS trips in general and of skiing trips in particular. But I just can’t help it! The truth probably is that what I see happening on trips happens all the time at school, but it happens so privately that I almost never get to see it. On […]
I can’t believe I even wrote such a sappy title. Me, the tell-it-like-it-is gal, who never exaggerates. But let me describe a bit of a very recent day. As I was walking down to school, on an absolutely perfect morning, a young boy (7), whom we will call Jack, was biking down behind me. He […]
This was published in our Janury 1998 Journal; a note from Jean and Rick Leif about what their daughter is up to now has been added. Quite a lot has been written about what it is like to be a student at Sudbury Valley School, but I would like to share some thoughts on what […]
This article is reprinted from The Field, the newsletter of Fairfield School. There is a debate among educators regarding the best way to teach reading and writing. In one camp are the whole language proponents. They believe that reading and writing must be presented in context, working with content that has meaning. They teach children […]
Sudbury Valley has just begun the 2017-2018 school year – and an exciting one it is! This will be our 50th year of operation, the half century mark for what was once a “far-out” experiment. Born in the tumultuous 1960s, SVS was destined to outlive virtually every other attempt made at the time to radically […]
The month of December always feels rushed, but in a good way. Students are more amped than usual. They are excited for Christmas, parties, and especially making gingerbread houses. Mimsy organizes a few days to make gingerbread houses before the winter break. There is always a buzz about doing them. People ask each other if […]
Five alumni, highly successful in their various careers, tell about how their experience at school helped make them who they are.
For many years now a Halloween dance has taken place in the barn. Wearing a costume is optional but most people come wearing something funky, beautiful or amusing. The dances are totally organized by students, while staff serve as chaperones who are willing to lend a hand when asked but do not affect the way […]
We grow up making assumptions, which are derived from our culture. We build on these assumptions to form our view on how the world works. Many are self-correcting because of new information. But some of these assumptions are so obviously true, so much a part of our culture, of what we are, that it takes a great effort on our part to question them carefully.
An Introduction, by Hanna Greenberg “In Israel, where I come from, there are two “Sudbury” schools, and both are thriving. One is in the heart of the city of Jerusalem, and the other, Kanaf (which means “wings”) is in the Golan Heights, in the North. We, at SVS, often exchange our writings with them. The following is […]
A Fall Apple Picking Excursion Hanna Greenberg New England has the perfect climate for growing apples. There are several orchards in the school’s vicinity where people can pick their own fruit. You pay an entrance fee, get a bag and you are allowed to fill it and take it home. It is a popular activity for many families […]
When talking about the school, we all find others confused about what we believe, and about what we do. As with most confusion, much of the confusion can be reduced to language. People casually use certain terms loosely and interchangeably as a shorthand way to say “this is a good thing.” Educators, in particular, use […]
Ever since I heard about SVS, I began thinking of ways to develop an awareness of the Sudbury model in France. Founding Ecole Dynamique, in Paris, was a fascinating adventure that reached well beyond the circle of the families involved in the school. It sparked a huge interest in ‘democratic education’ in France. But as […]
Children are born with one overriding drive. They seek to grow up and to gain mastery over their own lives. Any child who grows up in a wider culture that values freedom is naturally jealous of what s/he feels to be her/his right to pursue happiness. Any parent in the modern world, on the other […]
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