PHILOSOPHY
We are the Watershed Learning Center because we are essentially concerned with our relationship with nature.
We are a learning community studying how we might live within the natural world in a sustainable way.
We are environmental activists and artists as well as educators, we are focused on our bioregion, and we teach our students from that engaged world-view.
We hold at our core the principles of Ecology-
In a community of learners every member’s unique qualities add to the complexity and diversity of the whole group. Our students are a mix of ages and talents and levels of ability. We don’t attempt to homogenize or standardize them.
The Watershed School provides a context for student’s spontaneous growth and learning, as well as structure for organizing and understanding their journey.
At the Watershed School we are inspired by and grounded in nature. The natural world sustains human life, and so all things relate back to nature. In these times of limited resources and increasing human damage to the natural world, we believe it is more important than ever to learn about, appreciate, and relate to nature and the outdoors.
We take inspiration from what we see in the natural world. At the Watershed school we embrace diversity, and honor and celebrate the unique contribution that each child makes to the school community.
We encourage group participation, and consider each child and each family part of the school community. We have weekly and daily school meetings where all students are asked to participate.
We have a clearly defined Democratic process that we, as a school, consciously participate in. Students take responsibiilty for themselves, learn to keep their word and be accountable to others, and to communicate their ideas and feelings. We create a safe, caring community guided by knowledgable, passionate adults in which our children can learn and grow.
We embrace and embody concepts of character education. We teach responsibility, respect, and caring, in a community of kindness. We are conscious about the way we interact with one another, and encourage positive attitudes.
We foster awe and joy in self-directed learning in a community of learners.
