Philosophy

It’s a way of thinking, a way of living . . . a way of being in the classroom that defines who we are as educators and the core principles in which we believe.

Without something profound to move us emotionally, we are not able to open ourselves to the capacities and capabilities, the potential that often lies dormant within each of us. By using music and art while working through a process of creating something that has great meaning to us, we are able to discover this voice within. And once we discover it, it can never again be silent. It is an awakening that surprises us as it catches us off guard. For the first time in our lives we become vulnerable and through this vulnerability we grow.

Children and adults alike must all experience an awakening in order to learn what is most important in life … how to think critically and creatively, how to develop and maintain positive relationships, how to love, how to collaborate and cooperate, how to communicate effectively, how to be independent and interdependent at the same time, how to be responsible, to know that our actions always affect others, to accept responsibility for our actions and consequences, to think before we act, to develop a strong work ethic, to appreciate quality work, to embrace the idea that making errors is essential to achieving success, to understand that the effort we expend is directly proportional to that which we produce. In short, we learn how to be healthy, productive human beings as we mature socially, emotionally and intellectually in an environment that is truly representative of “real life”.