Blog

In May, the Sudbury schools in Europe usually get together at one of their schools for a few days of deep conversing and even deeper collegiality building. Mostly staff attend these conferences, but some students who are particularly interested in… Read more ›
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 ›
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 ›
I would bet every student at Sudbury Valley has at some point been pushed by someone outside the school’s community to defend the school. As a student, I've gotten used to full-blown interrogations about my school's "effectiveness." It has happened… Read more ›
This week’s post comes from a presentation given by three SVS parents in November, 1998. How do you parent a child who is having a school experience totally different from your own? I can't really refer to William as a child anymore, now that he is… Read more ›
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 ›
This week's post was originally published as an essay in the Sudbury Valley School Journal (November, 2007) I.  There are three activities everybody does regardless of culture: make music, decorate things, and talk. Talking, making music… Read more ›
Every morning, at the beginning of the school day, you can watch the children gradually making their way toward the main building, preparing to start their day. Some come running, breathless to get down to work, to carry out whatever they had… Read more ›
There aren’t any grades at Sudbury Valley School. No standardized tests. No portfolio reviews. No regular assessments. But that doesn’t mean that the kids haven’t devised their own ways to “measure their progress.” One of these ways is by mastering… Read more ›
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 ›
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 ›
The school has had few friends in its 47 years to rival Rick Burns. Actually, you can’t rival Rick – he is too much of an individual! Nominally, Rick is our roofer. That's how we met him. We were looking for a skilled slate roofer. Even over 30… Read more ›
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 ›
I just remembered something, and very vividly. When prospective students and their families describe their days, their schools, or their camp experiences, the word "activity" pops up frequently. They ask about what “activities” students are involved… Read more ›
This post was written by our Office Manager, Jean Cote. Recently, I had the opportunity (privilege) to introduce a calculator in all its glory to a young, inquisitive student for (I don’t know it to be fact, but it seemed to be) her first time.… Read more ›