Family Involvement

Aurora School believes that the single largest factor in a child’s success in school is the productive involvement of his/her family. We encourage parents to be true partners in learning. This begins at home, with reading aloud, providing creative materials, conversation, and positive interaction. We require parental involvement at school, which may include:

• instruction in areas of expertise or particular interest
• reading to, and being read to by, children
• organizing/assisting in various unit and special events
• preparation, with students, of snacks and meals
• supervision of games, sports, crafts, and creative play
• chaperoning field work and school trips -taking part in the care of the physical plant of the school.

These activities model cooperation and commitment to our children and to their education. They encourage communication between parents and teachers, and also help contain costs. The small size of the school also provides for deeper relationships, promoting individual understanding of each child’s and family’s unique needs.

Student Ownership

The more children have invested in their education, the more they get out of it. We encourage students to take ownership of their learning and of the school environment. The latter is done by giving each child responsibilities for the upkeep of the school. Each child has jobs to do, according to his/her age and strengths, ranging from gardening to shelving library books to washing snack dishes. Children rotate through various jobs so that each one learns the complexity of & system such as a school, and also values the work that others are doing.

Student ownership of learning is encouraged in two major ways. First, children help determine the activities for the year. While teachers plan overarching themes and many related learning experiences, the students have choices within the theme.

Secondly, students and parents take part in personal educational goal-setting. They work with teachers to assess skills, strengths and weaknesses. With this information, individual student goals are established for each week, each unit, and the year.

School as Community

In addition to family involvement and-student ownership, three other factors are important in fostering community:

1. Multi-age setting. This creates less competition and more possibilities for both skill-level and interest groups. It more accurately reflects the real world, where one rarely exists in isolated age groupings. The older children can be role models for the younger; the little ones can inspire the older.
2. Continuity of teacher-student-family relationships over several years. This leads to a secure and supportive environment and better understanding of individual progress and development.
3. Responsible social interaction. Aurora School practices and expects mutual respect. Students grow to understand their place as responsible members of the school community. By seeing the effects of their own actions, they learn in a realistic way to be socially aware.