Writing by:
Hanna Greenberg
Essay post |
There is a question which I dread and which I am invariably always asked. It is: “If you say that the children at SVS are supposed to be in charge of their lives at the school and do and learn what they want when and how they want, what then is that… Read more ›
Blog post |
The first two weeks of this school year were blessed with superb weather. It was sunny and cool and the outdoors was full of students who were using the whole campus for their myriad of activities: conversing, reading, taking walks and so much more… Read more ›
Blog post |
When I was in Israel (the country of my birth) this summer, I visited two thriving schools inspired by Sudbury Valley. Both are filled to capacity and growing fast, with a current total of over 200 students between them. What was especially… Read more ›
Blog post |
When you walk into the art room on any Monday or Wednesday, you can hear an almost constant murmur which turns out to be coming from several kids sitting at the clay table or at the two wheels working with clay. Some are throwing pots, others are… Read more ›
Blog post |
From the very beginning of Sudbury Valley, cooking has been an activity enjoyed by many members of the community. The people working in the kitchen always have great fun, mixing ingredients, making messes, tasting, joking, and hanging out together.… Read more ›
Blog post |
Age mixing is a constant phenomenon at school. We see it so much that it is not remarkable to us any longer. However, at the annual Halloween dance the “mixing” is part of the fun, and is obvious for all to see. For me, it is still amazing to watch… Read more ›
Blog post |
I am often asked why I keep working at Sudbury Valley after so many years, doing the same things over and over and over. People wonder what sustains my interest in going camping at Nickerson State Park for five days, followed by an overnight at… Read more ›
Blog post |
A young girl of nine or ten asked me to teach her math. I gave her some problems which she enjoyed doing. Next day she came to me with many sheets of paper covered with similar problems which she made for herself and then solved.
She is obviously… Read more ›
Blog post |
Last Spring, after a long stretch of cold gray days, we finally had a warm, sunny day. Virtually everyone at SVS was outside. I was eating my lunch at the picnic table and was idly watching the various activities all over. Kids were running, sunning… Read more ›
Blog post |
The one and only “best class’‘ I have ever attended is the Judicial Committee at Sudbury Valley.
Basically, the JC is the organ of the school which keeps the school safe, deals with interpersonal conflicts, and ensures that the physical plant is not… Read more ›
Blog post |
Often we as adults don’t get why kids make a big deal about things that seem trivial to us. A good case in point is the matter of fashion. It probably has been a bone of contention between the young and the old since the beginning of history, but… Read more ›
Essay post |
One day in late summer Danny came home from school with a very grim face. I knew that he had bad news for me and he indeed said that something terrible happened. Of course, being me, I thought that someone I cared about died. Danny said, “Yes, it’s… Read more ›
Blog post |
Sudbury Valley’s big drama in November was a trial.
Trials are rare. Almost always, when the Judicial Committee decides, after careful investigation, to charge someone with violating a rule, the person charged accepts the fairness of the process and… Read more ›
Blog post |
I happen to love watching the NBA play, especially the finals, in which only the best of the best compete with each other. The skill, power and grace displayed in these games is amazing to me.
The games at SVS are quite different, but oh so… Read more ›
Essay post |
For years and years every Wednesday the upstairs piano room is taken over by Sharon Kane and her students. When I glance through the door’s window I see kids of all ages working with Sharon, but I have always wondered what is really going on in… Read more ›