| The Beach School | |
|---|---|
| The main building | |
| Location | |
| 42 Edgewood Avenue Toronto, ON Canada |
|
| Information | |
| Established | 2003 |
| Closed | 2008 |
| Grades | JK-12 (ungraded, ages 4+) |
| Campus type | urban |
| Philosophy | Sudbury |
| Governance | School Meeting (democratic, vote by students and staff) |
| Website | http://www.thebeachschool.org/ |
The Beach School was a democratic free school in Toronto based on the Sudbury principles of education; The model had two basic tenets: educational freedom and democratic governance. Small and independent, The Beach School was 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 opened in the fall of 2003 and closed in June 2008 because of a shortage of students. The Beach School was incorporated as a co-operative and at the time of closing was one of two Sudbury schools in Canada; the only one in Ontario.
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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.
At The Beach School, we believe in:
Self-initiated learning: We believe effective learning is self-motivated, self-regulated, and self-evaluated. Students are not told directly or indirectly what they should do or how they should do it. Students determine their own wants and needs, and ask for help if they feel they need it. It is also up to the students to evaluate their own activities based on their own conscious or unconscious goals. Since we believe that people learn in many different ways there is no bias towards or against traditional academic subjects. We also believe that boredom and 'doing nothing' are valuable learning experiences, which can be motivators, helping students identify their true passions.
Democratic governance: If students are truly to be in charge of their own learning, they need to be able to make real, meaningful decisions, which shape the school community. All members of the school community, both staff and students of all ages participate equally in the day-to-day decisions of the school. This democratic community is based on the ideal of freedom with responsibility: students are free to spend their time as they like, as long as they do not infringe on the right of other students to do the same. The school's democratic government serves to uphold that ideal.
Trust: We believe that students learn responsibility towards themselves and others by being given responsibility. The students' freedom is undermined unless the adults associated with the school (staff and parents) support it by their actions. This can be hard to do, but it is needed. The Beach School does not issue grades or report cards. Parents can obtain information about students' activities at school directly from the students. They can also consult staff members in the presence of the student in question. To preserve the students' sense of freedom and trustworthiness, parents who wish to spend non-scheduled time at the school should get approval from the school's democratic governing body. Staff members serve not as supervisors of the students, but as role models for life-long learning and responsible adult behaviour. Staff members consciously give students the space to develop and grow unhindered by adult interference. Staff members listen to and address students' wants and needs, but otherwise leave students to find and create their own way of learning.
Age mixing: Students are not grouped by age, so they are free to interact and learn from people of all ages. They can reap the benefits of experiencing many perspectives, and can learn both by example and by teaching others.
Community: We see The Beach School as part of a larger community encompassing students, staff, families, neighbours, and ultimately, the world. The school is not a haven which shelters students from society, but is rather a safe place from which to explore the resources and negotiate the challenges of the world at large. We value our place in the local community, and also appreciate students' and staff's diverse backgrounds which can enrich our own school culture.
Students decided for themselves what a meaningful use of their time was. Each day at The Beach School was 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 participated in most of these activities; some spent their whole day on one.
A free drop-in program entitled ‘Parent and Tot’ operated at the school on Friday mornings from 9:30am –11:30 am for children aged 5 and under and their guardians.
The Beach School had been an annual participant in the Beaches Easter parade and they have hosted an annual school play.
All members of the school community, both staff and students, were equally responsible for the daily affairs of the school.
Decisions on rules and policies, staffing, use of resources, program opportunities, discipline, budgeting, and other communications were made at the weekly School Meeting, which every student and staff member may attend to debate and vote on current issues.
Students and staff took turns serving on the Judicial Committee or JC, a group that met daily to formally review complaints about behaviour, and help those involved find solutions.
Parents, staff, and students participated 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 were not already directly involved in the school could be elected as public assembly members.
The directors were elected by the Assembly and acted as occasional advisors to the School Meeting.
Because the Ontario Ministry of Education does not fund independent schools, The Beach School charged tuition in order to fund the basic operations of the school. The decision on what amount to charge was made each year by the Assembly. The Beach School was recognized by the Children’s First Foundation through the Fraser Institute, which provides grants for education to disadvantaged families.