A group of students, ages 5-10, planned a spontaneous field trip last week to enjoy the sun!  We go on many of these field trips to local parks and green spaces.  Any group of students can plan a trip during a school day, as long as a staff is available to accompany them.

During this field trip, I really enjoyed the dynamic between the students.  Students of all ages form such close relationships with each other, with older kids tending to younger kids, and younger kids being inspired by the older ones.

The students who have been here for a number of years have truly amazing friendships with people of all ages.  Some friendships have been the result of very hard, voluntary work on the part of two people who didn’t get along for a period of time.

I think that the friendships at the school are so strong and impressive because the students are free to choose the people they’d like to get to know, yet are required, by school law, to treat everyone with respect.

Eventually, people seem to discover that there is something to enjoy in just about everybody. Differences in beliefs and family culture (religion, politics, food, money, lifestyle and more) are discussed openly from a young age. But none of those things stand in the way of friendship. As students live, work, and play together in an environment of mutual respect, they create human-to-human bonds that are stronger than common interests or beliefs.

It’s good to live and learn among friends.

Kate Fridkis, who didn't go to elementary or secondary school, is now 26 years old, is happily married, lives in New York City, has a master’s degree in religion from Columbia University, is a part-time chazzan (cantor) at a synagogue (a job she’s held since age 15), and is a full-time writer. I'm delighted that she agreed to this interview.

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On Friday, March 23rd, Fairhaven School hosted a panel featuring three alumni- Pallas Bane (class of 2008), Thor Jensen (class of 2005), and Erin Gregory ( who chose not to graduate and left in 2005.) The 2011-2012 school year is beginning to feel like “The Year of the Alumni,” as we have enrolled a record number of returning students and we have begun to focus more directly on alumni as our most valuable marketing asset. The proof, as they say, is in the pudding. Who do these students become? Finally, our illustrious alumni have chartered an Alumni Association, so look for more alumni presence going forward!

We videotaped the March 23rd presentation and will soon be posting it online.

For now, here is a brief interview with Thor Jensen reflecting on his time at Fairhaven School.

Parents, students and visitors were universally pleased and reassured by the panelists, as they embody so many of the qualities a Fairhaven School educations engenders. Like many of our graduates, Thor, Pallas, and Erin have become articulate, ethical, successful, and interesting people!

Stay tuned for the alumni panel in its entirety.

Mark McCaig

Fairhaven School

For our last Making the Leap post, here are the answers to some commonly-asked admissions questions.  We hope you’ve found these posts helpful, and we look forward to meeting you if you choose to explore the school for 2012-2013.

When do I apply?

Enrollment is now closed for the 2011-2012 school year.  If you are considering Rising Tide School for 2012-2013, you are encouraged to begin the admissions process well before the end of the 2011-2012 school year.  Our unique admissions process involves a full visiting week, so you are encouraged to plan ahead for the smoothest transition to a new environment.  New enrollments are accepted on a space-available basis beginning on April 16th.

Does it cost money to attend Rising Tide School?

Yes!  Rising Tide School is an independent school, funded largely by tuition.  We deeply value our position as an independent school, as our independence frees us from requirements and practices that run counter to our values.  By operating independently, we have are able to practice equality, democracy, and self-direction in a way that wouldn’t be possible within today’s public education paradigm.  We, the Rising Tide School students, staff, trustees and corporate members (many of whom are parents), retain control of the program and operation of our school.  We view education as the most important investment you could possibly make in your child’s present and future, and our tuition is intended to be affordable, to ensure that the school is available to families of all backgrounds.

Is financial aid available?

Yes.  Financial aid is available, and early application is highly encouraged.  For details, please visit our website.

Can I visit the school?

Yes, there are several ways to visit the school.

• Make an appointment for an admissions visit, during which you can observe the school in session.  Please call or email to schedule.  Admissions visits are generally available M,Tu,W,F between 9am-2pm and Th from 12pm-2pm.
• Attend an Open House.  Our next Open House will take place on Sunday, April 29, at 1:30pm.
• Drop in at Office Hours.  Office Hours are an informal time to meet with the Admissions Clerk and to discuss the school and the student and family’s interests.  Office Hours are scheduled for April 12, 19, and 26th, from 3:45-5:00pm.  Just drop by!

Is your school only for self-motivated/gifted/talented kids?

No, the school can work well for all kinds of kids who want to experience freedom and responsibility.  Rising Tide School is a unique transformational learning environment in which many kids who have lost hope around education are able to thrive and recover their innate drive to learn.  Equally, it is a challenging and empowering environment for kids who already experience themselves as motivated and successful.  If you are wondering whether Rising Tide School might fit for your or your child, we encourage you to contact us and begin a conversation.  You can reach the Admissions Clerk, Abbe, at abbe (at) risingtideschool (dot) org, or at school at 360.753.0820.

What is the biggest challenge or hurdle that families must surmount in order to "unschool" their children (that is, in order to allow their children to control their own education)? According to a recent large-scale survey, the biggest challenges lie not in unschooling per se, but in societal attitudes toward it. It is hard to stand up to social norms.

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Welcome!  If you’re just joining us, this is the second in a short series of posts about the admissions process at Rising Tide School.

Today, we’ll consider what makes a student and their family likely to experience success and satisfaction at Rising Tide School.  I’ll offer some general thoughts on what makes Rising Tide School a fit for students and parents, and if these thoughts spark questions about your student’s specific hopes and needs, please feel free to contact me.

The short answer is that Rising Tide School is for anybody who wants to be here.  To be more precise, Rising Tide School is for any independent person, ages 5-18, who wishes to have responsibility for their own education and who wants to attend the school.  It’s for kids who want to know themselves, and to have the freedom and support they need to figure out life on their own terms.  And equally, it’s for parents who are ready to support their student in making their own choices and directing their own education.  The school requires a partnership between parent and student, based on the parent’s trust in their student’s ability to learn and succeed.  Without this core trust, it is very difficult for students to do well at the school.  So when we assess a student’s readiness to enter the school, we are looking for four things:

• Is the student independent?
• Are they ready to take responsiblilty for themselves and for their education?
• Do they wish to attend the school?
• Do they have the support and trust of their parents?

At the very core of Rising Tide School, there’s a belief about humans:  We believe that every young person has the ability, desire, and drive to learn.  The school is based on complete trust in the ability of each and every young person to successfully drive their own learning process.   It’s a trust that is borne from practical experience:  When we observe children in a free environment, it’s obvious that they are insatiably curious.  They are wired to learn.  They want nothing more than to learn to succeed in the world, and to master the skills they need to create that success.  Free children always move toward meaningful challenges.  That’s why anyone who can be independent can do well here–if they wish to, and if they are supported by their parents.  Everyone can learn.

Rising Tide School is a transformational space.  Students who enter the school with faith in their own ability to learn and succeed will continue to grow, learn, and become fully themselves, in wonderful ways that can’t be predicted.  But even if a student has been convinced by their prior life experience that they can’t learn, or are bad at learning, they may have a completely different experience of themselves at Rising Tide School.  Time and freedom are great healers, and self-connection can be repaired.  In other words, people are welcome here wherever they are in their learning journey.  The only requirements are the desire, willingness, and ability to take responsibility for oneself.

Have questions about your student and their unique needs?  I’d love to talk to you and help you explore how the school might fit for your family.  You can reach me at school at 360.753.0820, or at abbe (@) risingtideschool (dot) org.

posted by Abbe

I thought I’d do a short series of posts about making the leap to democratic education–otherwise known as the admissions process!  I’ve been the Admissions Clerk for most of our three years of operation, and I really enjoy working with the families and students who consider entering this new world of freedom and opportunity.  For many people, it is a leap that is exciting, yet a bit scary, as this new world is unfamiliar and very different from what most of us have experienced in our own education.  In this series, I’ll talk about how admissions works, who should apply, and answer some frequently asked admissions questions.  If you have a question to ask the Admissions Clerk, please email me at abbe (at) risingtideschool (dot) org, and I’ll address it here on the blog.  Also, please save the date for our next Open House, on April 29th at 1:30pm.  At the Open House, you can tour the school, ask your questions in person, and meet other prospective and current students and their families.

Today, I’ll speak to the question: How does admissions work at Rising Tide School?

First of all, congratulations!  If you’re considering admissions, you may have decided that you are ready for something different, and you want to see if Rising Tide School is the school for you.  Enrollment at Rising Tide School is open to any student, age 5-18, who is independent, ready to take responsibility for themselves and their education, and who wishes to attend the school.  The admissions process is a mutual interview process in which the student, their parent(s), and the school assess whether or not the school is a good fit for the individual student and their educational needs.  During admissions, students and parents have plenty of time to ask questions and come to a full understanding of the school’s philosophy and operations.  When students and their families decide to make the leap, they do so as informed participants in the school’s free, democratic environment.

The admissions process has 4 steps:

1.  Visit the School

• We strongly recommend an initial visit to the school, either at an Open House, or during an Admissions Visit.  Admissions Visits are available by appointment at a time that is convenient for you.

2.  Application and Interview

• Student and parent(s) complete an application.  The application is designed to help prospective families understand the school and assess their readiness and desire to participate within it.
• After your application is received at the school, we will contact you to schedule an interview.  The interview typically lasts an hour, and is a time to discuss the student and family’s past educational experiences, your hopes and needs for a new educational environment, and to answer questions about Rising Tide School and Sudbury education.

3.  Visiting Week

• After the application and interview are complete, students spend a full 5 days as visiting students at the school.  During the Visiting Week, students experience the school for themselves and decide whether they are interested in attending.
• At the end of the week, the Admissions Committee makes an admissions decision.  If no concerns are noted during the Visiting Week, the student will be invited to enroll.

4.  Enrollment

• Upon successful completion of the Visiting Week, students may enroll.  Enrollment is open on a space-available basis from September-March of each school year.  New family enrollment for the 2012-2013 school year begins in April.

posted by Abbe

Here, based on a survey of 232 unschooling families, I address these questions: Why did they remove their children from standard schooling? Why did they transition from homeschooling to unschooling? What authors, and what life experiences, influenced their decision?

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We’d like to extend a warm invitation to all friends and supporters of Rising Tide School to join us for our annual Auction, which will take place on Saturday, April 14th, at 6pm.  This is our biggest fundraiser of the year, and a wonderful chance for you to enjoy a fabulous auction evening while supporting democratic education in Olympia!

We have some amazing items to auction this year, including:

• Incredibly beautiful Kramer Shun Slicer knife from world-renowned bladesmith Bob Kramer
• Dr. Israel (!!!) will remix one of your original compositions, or appear as a guest on a track.
• African Photo Safari and luxury accommodations at Ezulwini Game Lodge
• Original large-scale drawing on canvas by Chelsea Baker
• A stay at the Wavecrest Resort on the island of Molokai
• Sam Gray of Sam Gray Sound (Rising Tide School founder) will record, mix and master one audio piece (song, commercial, interview) for you!
• Laughter Yoga session for 5-500 people with a Certified Laughter Yoga Leader at your venue.
• Private wine tasting for for people plus 3 bottles of wine at Convergence Zone Cellars.
• Signed and framed posters by Nikki McClure.
• Hundreds of other items and experiences from local businesses, including Lengua Rica, Aaron Barna Photography, 360 Motorsports (Rising Tide School alumnus-owned business!), K Records, Waves Studio, Rusty Cock Ridge, Olympia Family Theater, and many, many more, plus art, handcrafts, and lots more goodness.  Click here for a complete list of auction donors.

The evening includes:

• Live auction with Cindy Schorno, auctioneer
• Silent auction
• Wine Ring Toss
• Best of Live Raffle
• Delicious food and wine
• Childcare and junior auction for kids 4-12

We hope you will join us!  For tickets, please call the school at 360.753-0820, or purchase at brownpapertickets.com.

Rising Tide School is a place where students are responsible for making their own way in the world. They are responsible for deciding what to do with their time, for discovering their own direction in life, and for setting and reaching their own goals.

In order to support students in setting and achieving their own unique goals, there is no assessment whatsoever at the school. No academic record is kept, no grades are ever given (save for the rare circumstance where a student requests a grade within a student-initiated class), and staff do not pass judgment on students’ work or progress, unless a student specifically asks for feedback. Students are forced to look carefully at their work and decide if it measures up to their own standards. Have they learned the skills they need to get where they want to go? Is their work good enough for the purpose it was created?  Was their vision effectively translated into reality? This type of assessment is authentic and the stakes are high.  Students must do their work well enough for real purposes, and it’s up to them to assess themselves with clear eyes (or to ask for other eyes when needed!)

When the time comes to present their work to the world, students are responsible for creating the records they need to effectively present themselves to future employers or college admissions officers. Here’s a view of a very dedicated student artist,  who enlisted the help of one of the school’s interns to create a digital portfolio, using high-quality photo equipment to which the intern has access.  (A great example of how students access resources in the larger community). This process was a happy one for both people; serving as celebration of all the student’s hard work and perseverance, as well as the the beautiful art she’s created and the skills she’s taught herself.  Assessment is often about seeing all the wonderful growth, strength, and skill that can be the fruit of self-directed education!