Our School is designed for child-centered education. We understand children have a strong, natural desire to learn and the role of our teachers is to foster and guide that learning. Authentic education is a holistic process. We recognize each child is a whole person, composed of a multitude of parts. In response to this wholeness, we present education with a multi-faceted approach. Our focus is on children's expression, development, and experience within academic, social, artistic, and physical areas. The extensive inclusion of outdoor nature study and creative arts in our curriculum is not ``extra enrichment'', but rather an integral part of the Our School educational setting.

To promote the environment needed to nurture each child, Our School is intentionally small. This feature helps create a warm, secure family atmosphere. Interaction among older and younger children is built into the day. Younger children enjoy, admire, and learn from older children, who in turn, carry out the responsibility of being helpers and models for younger children. Many activities are school-wide. These include every day events such as morning meetings, snack time, and outdoor play (see daily activities), as well as special events such as the science fair, presentations by one family group to the other children, attending live performances, a trip to Mendon Ponds, school performances, and a campout.

Because of the size of Our School and the shared activities among the children and teachers, everyone knows everyone early in the school year. When conflicts arise between students, teachers are equipped with insight about each child involved. This assists the gentle guidance used to facilitate conflict resolution. Children are encouraged to share feelings, express needs, and listen to others. Playing together, learning together, and working through struggles together create the true community of Our School where children feel secure to be themselves and to develop essential social skills.

In addition to the multi-aged interaction throughout the school, each family group consists of a range of ages. For example, our middle family group is a second/third grade combination.

One aspect of a mixed age group is the understanding that children's academic and social development often varies greatly from child to child, may vary within one child, and may progress at varying rates. There really is no typical or ``normal'' prototype of a seven-year-old. There are certainly ranges within academic areas and social areas that many seven-year-olds will be within. However, the emphasis of education needs to not be on fitting a child into a mold, but rather on contributing to the further development of each child within the framework of that child's present development and with respect to the learning style of that child. For example, a consistent phonics experience may be important for one child, while another child may benefit more from participating in an advanced reading group. Or a child may fit socially with the middle family group, but need to work on math with the younger family group. With a focus on individual progress, rather than a benchmark for all children of a certain age to achieve at a certain time, children move easily into the appropriate group where they succeed and are challenged.

A second aspect of the mixed age group is that children spend more than one year with the same teacher. This deepens the child-teacher relationship and increases the teacher's ability to create a tailor-made program for that child.

Parents are also important adults in the Our School community. Regular contact between the school and parents promotes communication about the children. A weekly newsletter goes home with information on various school projects and events. Teachers and parents call each other with questions or concerns. Formal parent-teacher conferences are scheduled twice a year, and a detailed written report is sent home at the end of the year.

In summary, Our School is a close-knit community that responds to the interests and needs of children. Motivation is part of an internal system in which the love of learning flourishes. The Our School staff is dedicated to offering quality child-centered education. This important resource has been in Rochester for thirty-two years. Over time, many friendships among children and parents made at Our School have extended far past the elementary school years.