The AVS Philosophy
Alpine Valley School follows the Sudbury model, which for over 40 years has proved that trusting children’s innate drive and intelligence works.
The Sudbury model rests on a few basic principles:
- Children are born with an intense drive to understand and manage their environment.
- Learning happens all the time, in whatever we do.
- Children need lots of time to play and be outdoors.
- The best way for children to learn responsibility is for them to be given responsibility.
- Individuals should have a voice in decisions that affect their lives.
- Growing up in a mixed-age community gives children a beneficial blend of backgrounds and perspectives.
Like Sudbury schools around the world, Alpine Valley places great value on:
- Responsibility. By making decisions and respecting the rights of others, students come to see connections between actions and consequences, and they develop good judgment and character.
- Individuality. By learning in the manner most appropriate for them, students discover who they are and how to get what they want.
- Initiative. By initiating their own activities, with support from the school community, student figure out what needs to be done and then do it.
- Empowerment. By learning to speak up and take action, students improve their lives and surroundings, instead of being passive or getting frustrated.
