Working together

Our family moved to Framingham over six years ago, mostly so our children could attend Sudbury Valley School. When we were researching schools, my husband and I read every book we could find about SVS. My favorite is “Kingdom of Childhood,” the one… Read more ›

People regularly ask me how Sudbury Valley is preparing my kids for adulthood, and what they’re learning there. Early on, I would try to explain some of the things I thought my sons were learning. I now respond by saying that none of us really knows… Read more ›

Welcome to the new school year. We are more excited than ever about starting school this year and about (okay, I admit it) the incredible quality of the student body. Yes, we have new and visiting students, and yes they may only make it better, but… Read more ›

This year we had a three-week summer session at Sudbury Valley, open to those who were regular students during the school year. It is hard to explain how lovely it was. I don’t think there were more than 15 or 16 kids for any of the three weeks, and… Read more ›

This post originally appeared in The Sudbury Valley School Journal, volume 27, no. 5, May 1998. 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… Read more ›

Hanging the photo exhibit on Friday, January 24th proved to be an exhilarating experience for me. It goes without saying that the photos are varied in their subjects, beautiful and interesting. What else would one expect from kids at SVS? They are… Read more ›

When I went to traditional high school, the place reeked of rebellion. Contempt for the establishment was a badge of honor and students impressed each other with tales of misdeeds. Some circles were more obedient than others, sure, but there wasn't… Read more ›

I often ask myself why I am so enamored of the December ritual of making gingerbread houses (and trees) at Sudbury Valley. It is a big deal! Everyone has to put a lot of work into it. Not everyone in the school, but a much wider cross-section than… Read more ›

I’m a sucker for live theater. It’s all magical to me, whether it’s a Broadway show or a local production. So when I went to see “An SVS Musical” last June, I had no doubt that I would be entertained. I knew the actors. I’d heard snippets of the… Read more ›

Walking into our art room is usually fascinating. It seems that most young people love to do art in all sort of ways. They make things out of clay. They draw and paint and make amazing collages. And, they do many other things, like building… Read more ›

Jean Cote spends her days fielding incoming calls, preparing PR materials, providing an oasis of calm amidst the general hubbub of the school, and writing blog posts! If you haven’t checked out the School’s online bookstore lately, you may be… Read more ›

The Dance Room is a large room with lots of wall space and windows. It looks and sounds rather cavernous. However, when the walls are used as an exhibition space for the art created at school, the room is transformed and becomes a delightful place.… Read more ›