The Beach School

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The Beach School
Location
42 Edgewood Avenue
Toronto, ON
Canada
Information
Grades JK-12 (ungraded, ages 4+)
Campus urban
Established 2003
Philosophy Sudbury
Governance School Meeting (democratic, vote by students and staff)
Homepage http://www.thebeachschool.org/

The Beach School is a democratic free school in Toronto based on the Sudbury principles of education; The model has two basic tenets: educational freedom and democratic governance. Small and independent, The Beach School is a community of self-motivated learners aged 4-19 who determine their own curriculum, and each have an equal voice in school governance. Located at 42 Edgewood Ave near Kingston Road and Dundas Street East, the school has been open since the fall of 2003. The Beach School is incorporated as a co-operative and is one of two Sudbury schools in Canada; the only one in Ontario.

Contents

[edit] Philosophy

Modelled after the Sudbury Valley School in Massachusetts which opened in 1968 and has inspired many similar schools worldwide, The Beach School community believes that learning which is initiated and pursued by the learner happens naturally, meaningfully, and enduringly. As such, there is no set curriculum; instead there is individual curiosity and self-initiation direct learning. Beach School students are trusted with their own education and are free to draw from the school’s resources as much or as little as they see fit. The Beach School encourages self-evaluation; there are no grades, tests, or assignments unless desired. This educational approach is based on the Sudbury belief that everyone is instinctively curious; therefore when trusted to do so, they will discover independently the knowledge and experiences they need, becoming self-aware and resourceful in the process.

[edit] Programming

Students decide for themselves what a meaningful use of their time is. Each day at The Beach School is a unique combination of formal and informal activities, including classes, books, video- and computer-games, unstructured play, meetings, debates, tree-climbing, pillow fort-building, paperwork, and cooking. Some people participate in most of these activities; some spend their whole day on one. The regular school program is tuition-based and is open for attendance from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, Monday to Friday.

A free drop-in program entitled ‘Parent and Tot’ operates at the school on Friday mornings from 9:30am -11:30 am for children aged 5 and under and their guardians.

The Beach School has been an annual participant in the Beaches Easter parade and they have hosted an annual school play.

[edit] Governance

All members of the school community, both staff and students, are equally responsible for the daily affairs of the school.

[edit] School Meeting

Decisions on rules and policies, staffing, use of resources, program opportunities, discipline, budgeting, and other communications are made at the weekly School Meeting, which every student and staff member may attend to debate and vote on current issues.

[edit] Judicial Committee

Students and staff take turns serving on the Judicial Committee or JC, a group that meets daily to formally review complaints about behaviour, and help those involved find solutions.

[edit] Assembly

Parents, staff, and students participate in the operation of the school as automatic members of the school assembly, which meets at least twice a year to discuss issues of overall policy involving school by-laws and finances. People who are not already directly involved in the school may be elected as public assembly members.

[edit] Board of Directors

The directors are elected by the Assembly and act as occasional advisors to the School Meeting.

[edit] Tuition

Because the Ontario Ministry of Education does not fund independent schools, The Beach School must charge tuition in order to fund the basic operations of the school. The decision on what amount to charge is made each year by the Assembly. The Beach School is recognized by the Children’s First Foundation through the Fraser Institute, which provides grants for education to disadvantaged families.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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