The following four core values guide Bridge School’s distinct educational program, and serve as a foundation for the ongoing enrichment of our learning community:
Personal Excellence
At Bridge School, we embrace and support each child’s unique strengths and abilities. We offer a variety of opportunities for children to flourish throughout each day, ranging from core academic subjects to classes that include visual art, theater, music, and physical education. Our goal is for students to recognize their own growth and progress in all areas, including social and emotional development. Students are always recognized as individuals within a class group. Class groups are not created solely on the basis of age; students’ personal interests and strengths are equally important to Bridge School teachers. Student work is evaluated based on individual growth not compared to others in the class. Teachers often work with students on a one-to-one basis, whether they are collaborating to work through a particular challenge, or receiving praise for a job well done.
Respect for Children
Respect for children informs the professional practice of Bridge School staff each day. We strive to support children as they develop their personal connection with their own learning process. We want our interactions with students to be a model of respectful communication. When, as adults, we listen thoughtfully to what children share with us, we increase our capacity to learn from these personal interactions. Whether we are involved in projects, activities, problem solving, or simply enjoying our time together, we challenge ourselves and the children to communicate with clear intentions. When we show that we respect students’ work, they, in turn, demonstrate a greater level of respect for the work of others.
Engaged and Passionate Learners
We believe that successful learning emerges from the relationships that form between teachers and students. Bridge School teachers are expected and encouraged to continually nurture their passions, interests, and teaching skills in order to engage their students in the learning process. Children develop confidence in their learning when teachers authentically care about them, and have a genuine interest in the subject of learning. This is why Bridge School teachers design their own classes and curriculum. Through these efforts, we aspire to nurture every child’s spark of genuine interest, and to challenge them in the development of new skills.
Children blossom in a learning environment that is designed to meet their developmental needs, and we strive to create an environment that responds to the various ways that children learn. The unique learning style of every child is the driving force of our individualized curriculum. Because of this, we provide an educational program that encourages a personal connection with learning. Children have many different kinds of opportunities to learn: this includes making choices about topics, thinking critically, investigating scientifically, exploring artistically, and relating socially. We view children’s learning as a lifelong process, and the teachers strive to model this process as a way of life.
Caring Community
At Bridge School, community is a fundamental cornerstone of our philosophy. Bridge School is an intentional community of families seeking individualized education for their children in a supportive and nurturing environment. Each child is encouraged and challenged as a learner while being cherished and respected as a child.
Since its founding, Bridge School has emphasized community involvement and support to realize key foundational principles, such as providing need-based scholarships. From fundraising to classroom and extracurricular activities, current and alumni parents play an important role as volunteers, Bridge School’s community of parents and friends share skills and passions with kids in a wide range of academic and artistic areas. Adults work with children; children work with each other, spanning age and gender differences as we become engaged as a community of learners.