At Orchard Hill Children’s School our philosophy is based on the
belief that children are strong and capable; that they are able to
construct knowledge by being encouraged to follow their passions and
interests. As adults in their lives, we are to be present, to listen
intently to their thoughts and ideas, and to provoke learning by adding
to their environment. We also believe that learning literacy and math
skills is an important part of the development of the whole child. So,
at Orchard Hill Children's School, we begin teaching these skills to
children who are ready.
A strong connection with the natural world is vital to the development
of all parts of a human being. At our school we make sure that ample
time is spent playing, working in, and studying nature. Recent studies
have shown that time spent in natural spaces has a significant positive
effect on the intellectual and emotional development of children,
including increasing a child’s attention span and his ability to control
impulses.
“Every child should have mud pies, grasshoppers, water bugs, tadpoles,
frogs, mud turtles, elderberries, wild strawberries, acorns, chestnuts,
trees to climb, brooks to wade, water lilies, woodchucks, bats, bees,
butterflies, various animals to pet, hayfields, pinecones, rocks to
roll, snakes, huckleberries and hornets; and any child who has been
deprived of these has been deprived of the best part of... education.”
- Luther Burbank
“Kind words can be short and easy to speak... ...but their echoes are
truly endless.”
- Mother Teresa
