Day one at Sudbury

My kids started at a Sudbury school today, since a few people were interested in the experience I've decided to devote my blog to their year at school. I don't really have enough time to follow my original path for the EBC anyway.

So, a little background. I had intended to homeschool my kids and only heard about Sudbury when I wanted to take my younger daughter to a playgroup there. I had to go to an information session before we could sign up and as the school's founder explained the philosophy and the structure it was like hearing my own thoughts on education echoed and taken even further than I had imagined. Google sudbury and you'll find a bunch of websites that will explain what they are about better than I can. My focus will be on my family's experience as we see theory put into practice.

My 5 year old twins have two very different learning styles. Desmond is a little sponge. He loves facts, he asks a million questions and isn't always concerned with the practical application of what he's learning. Amelia, on the other hand is a doer. We call her our eager beaver. Whatever is going on, she wants to be a part of it. She asks one question, over and over-"Can I try?" Despite their different temperaments, they are very close and for the most part supportive of one another. We chose a Sudbury school because we felt it could meet both of their needs and they could stay together or separate on their own terms. I wasn't surprised, when I picked them up and Amelia came rushing up to me exclaiming "Mom, I had my first cleaning job today and I got certified to use the vacuum cleaner and I'm going to have to go to JC (judicial comittee) tomorrow because I found somebody's soda bottle when they littered".
All Des said was, "I'm hungry. I was too busy to eat." When I asked what he had been doing he said"Playing."

Rereading this paragraph I see that there are a few terms I'm going to have to define. Before you can do pretty much anything at a Sudbury school, you have to be certified. For example: To be certified to use markers you have to show that you know how to put the top back on and where to put them away when you're finished and that you know what you can and can't write on. It's a pretty useful tool because the kids have to demonstrate that they can handle whatever level of responsibility is needed to participate in various activities.

At a Sudbury school, students are not only expected to follow the rules but to help enforce them. Anybody can write anybody up for breaking the rules at a sudbury school, that includes students writing up staff. The judicial committee is the body within the school that handles discipline and everybody serves on it at some point, including the 5 year olds. During their visiting week Des and Amelia were called into JC for running in the halls and throwing sticks. Des summed up the experience by saying "Oh man, when you break the rules they take you into this room and talk forever !"

I will have to end here, because its quite late. I know this post is all over the place, please bear with me as I figure out how best to present our experience