Willow offers a student-centered program that focuses on student’s strengths and aptitudes. Many educational models tend to value a limited range of knowledge that is force fed to students through reading or listening.
The latest brain research shows, however, that true intelligence is multi-faceted and is best promoted by recognizing each student’s unique abilities.
Building on students’ strengths helps develop self-esteem and confidence, the necessary ingredients to maximizing learning potential. The Willow School approach produces student satisfaction and achievement instead of frustration and failure so commonly found in today’s system.
- We address the intellectual, social, emotional, and physical needs of all our students, similar to the Waldorf School method
- Conflict resolution skills are taught at every grade level
- All students are involved in community service projects
- Every afternoon students have 30 minutes of PE
- Students begin studying a foreign language in kindergarten
- Drama, art and music are integrated into the curriculum and taught as individual subjects
Educating the Whole Child
The underlying foundation at Willow is a belief that learning should involve the whole child: head, hands, heart. This philosophy is similar to the Waldorf School concept.
Through our multi-pronged approach, Willow students are provided not only with academic instruction but development of self-esteem, compassion and empathy, and an awareness of the world within and without.
Unlike some classrooms where students learn passively - memorizing lessons, listening to lectures, receiving information - we require active participation from our students, reminiscent of a Waldorf School. They ask questions and explore topics, gather and process information, and become part of the learning, teaching, discovering experience.