When you begin the process of getting your child admitted to SunFlower you will notice how friendly and informal everyone is. The staff spends a lot of time getting to know you and your child and making you feel comfortable. This is why we spend so much time with you as you talk about your child, what they need, and what you are looking for in a school. We want the fit between child and school to be right.
We see the new five year old as a very young person who in their years at SunFlower will flourish and grow in mind and body and sense of self. This process is supported by the whole community of children, family, teachers, and other people in our society who appreciate each other's uniqueness and respect the importance of each person’s contribution.
We believe that this amazing growth takes place best in a small informal setting of rich human resources. If you have a small number of kids in groups it's easy to engender a feeling of “us”. There is no “them” and everyone counts in their individual way. Every child belongs and every child is needed.
Each group has special tasks, projects and events. We have never found the “one size fits all” curriculum to be of much use when there are so many different learning styles, academic levels, and interest in a given group. Following the textbook or simply teaching to the standardized test doesn’t work when serendipity strikes and a hatchling snake appears in the classroom, the birdbath freezes over or monarch butterfly cocoons hatch. Out on a morning walk you might see a pod of manatees at the pier, or a yard full of ground bees. This is marine science, herpetology, entomology, water physics- all more real than the textbook could ever be.
We have found that a group works best if it contains a range of ages. A child might be in a group for one or two years depending on where they fit best for that year. We never consider that a child is held back or “skipped”. in a given group there are always the experienced ones who have been there in the previous year. They know the ropes and can be extremely helpful to entering children just coming to know the routines. Isn’t it hard to teach at different levels? Yes, it is! But even in one age group there are no two students who have the same needs and interests. We expect more of the older ones, who respond magnificently to being the old hands. At the end of six years, a child is ready to go on to middle school.
SunFlower graduates go on to the most rigorous middle schools, magnet programs and private schools our community offers. Students often do very well on standardized tests (only given to the older groups). Beyond that they have grown to be independent thinkers and have a joy of learning. They care about making the world better. Many of these graduates come back to visit or call us to share their triumphs. They send us announcements of their graduations, their honors and they come back to volunteer or even to teach at SunFlower School.
Proceeding through the SunFlower groups, skills increase and competence blooms. Having traditions is part of feeling we live in a safe and predictable world and children love the traditions of SunFlower. They look forward to the special events of the open house and family picnic, and Stone Soup Day, the Halloween party, the Shakespeare play, the spring art show and many others. The oldest group goes on overnight trips. Each individual group has its own academic traditions.
Going to SunFlower means: small groups, stability, emotional connections, lots of individual attention, rigorous academics, emphasis on the arts, a joy in learning, a rich environment of people who know the kids and care about them. When your child enters SunFlower we want you to think carefully. After all, you will be paying for your child to have this particular educational opportunity.
Are you prepared to make a commitment to this unique educational experience? Do you truly believe that it is important for your child to have the stability of knowing that they will be there for the duration? Do you really believe that small groups are essential for optimal learning? Are you eager for your child to be a ‘hands-on” learner, or would it make you uneasy if your child devotes a lot of time during a six-week period to produce a Shakespeare play? Will you be upset when your child comes home from school covered in paint splatters or sand or salt because she spent time making that artistic masterpiece, or constructing a worm habitat, or being at the beach? If your child isn’t interested in reading when they are five years old, will you wonder if they’ll ever catch up? Are you willing to be an integral player in your child’s education? Parents must be that third leg of the solid triangle – child, parents, teacher. We expect a lot from parents, children, and ourselves. We would love for your family to be a part of (or continue to be a part of) the Sunflower family.
