engaging in social democracy, finding their voice, learning how to resolve con- flicts, and building consensus. They learn how to compromise, how to dis- agree, and how to take responsibility for their choices, and they develop confi- dence and autonomy in the process. We are excited that you chose to explore Peninsula. School. We invite you to visit for a more in-depth look. Creating opportunities for children to have choices and to make decisions provides them with lessons they will use at every stage of life. Having choices and a voice in decisions are fundamental elements of a Peninsula education dat- ing back to our founding in 1925 Choices throughout the day may be simple or complex: where to play and what to play, which activity class to take, how to solve a math problem, what project to work on, where to camp and what to cook for trips. Older students often lead class meetings and have input on the agenda. Peninsula teachers are particularly skilled in guiding students in analyzing choices and discussing the responsibilities and impacts of their decisions. Here are a few examples of how having choices and a voice have resulted in activism at Peninsula: • When contractors began to remove a large mound of dirt left-over from a campus excavation, eight-year-old stu- dents made a proposal to school admin- istration to keep it as a play feature. Their proposal was accepted! • Seventh- and eighth- grade students wanted an interscholastic basketball team. They organized themselves, made a request, and discussed it w i t h their teachers. As a result, several teach- ers agreed to coach them and - schedule games with other schools. • After studying the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, nine-year-old students decided to publish a “Book of Dreams” inspired by Martin Luther King, Jr. that contained stories art aid poetry. They sold copies of the book raising $1,000 for the International Rescue Committee. “Activities” time occurs for one Children Feel Ownership
hour each day. Beginning with six-year- olds, children choose the activity they will attend on that day. With options that include weaving, art, woodshop, music, ceramics, science, library, and physical education, it can be a tough choice! Activities classes are multi-age which allows friendships to develop across age ranges and strengthens com- munity bonds. We invite you to visit us and experi- ence Peninsula School for yourself.
PENINSULA SCHOOL • 920 PENINSULA WAY, MENLO PARK, CA 94025 • TEL (650) 325-1584 • info@peninsulaschool.org
33 www.indiaparentmagazine.org
October 2019
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