Parents Talk
Parents talk about their children's educational
experience at Living Wisdom School
"Enthusiasm
and self-confidence are what you need to be really successful in
life. So often, when children go to school they lose these qualities.
Living Wisdom School makes them stronger."
"My daughter
can be herself at Living Wisdom School . When she was at public
school I felt she was trying so hard to find out who she was supposed
to be that she missed noticing who she actually is. My child feels
really secure. She knows no one is judging her, so she's not afraid
to try new things."
"My son's
teachers have demanded and received from him a level of excellence
far beyond what I expected. And they've done it without ever making
school a pressure cooker. His self-esteem is so high."
"When you
have such high-quality teachers and so much individual attention,
learning happens naturally. The teachers know what is going on
with each child, and because the classes are small, it's easy
to accommodate differences. It's not boring for the bright kids,
the way school often is. They can really excel and just zoom ahead
as fast as they want."
"When she
comes home from school, my daughter is so peaceful, calm, and
happy. The children at Living Wisdom are very much like her๗the
same sensitivity, the same values. I feel better, too, just being
around the school. Living Wisdom feels like real family, in a
way I haven't seen at other schools."
"They see
children as individuals first, not just as five-year-olds who
have to fit into a certain box. My son is very advanced in some
areas, especially academically, but on track or even a little
behind in others. His teachers are helping us understand him better,
to accept and appreciate his unique differences."
Parents
talk about their children's educational experience at Living
Wisdom High School
"He's
been challenged in a good way, a way that he's been inspired to
reach for, rather than withdrawing from school. Now, his favorite
subject is physics, which he says is hard, but he just really
likes it."
"The
LWHS philosophy is to challenge the students physically, mentally,
emotionally, and spiritually, so that they can use their energy
in a positive way. The teens are given positive outlets for their
energy that just aren't available in public or even most private
schools."
"Our daughter came to Living Wisdom High School from Germany.
Most important to us was that in the very sensitive time of adolescence,
children learn to be more in contact with their inner selves and
to look inside for answers to their questions. The teachers guide
the students to help them to see their own difficulties as well
as their strengths."
"I think
today, teenage boys are exposed to too much sex and violence.
I see it in the movies and videos, in the news media, the pornography
that's easily available in magazines and through the Internet.
All this contributes to over-stimulation. At LWHS the teens are
encouraged but not mandated to follow a vegetarian diet, which
I think is good...."
"As
a parent, I like the fact that the teens at this school are exposed
to various world religions. For instance, there was a Moslem Sufi
who came and spoke to the teens after the September 11th tragedy.
The teens have several exposures to Tibetan monks and nuns who
visit the school, sharing with the teens about Buddhism. Within
the Ananda Community, the teens learn about yoga philosophy, meditation,
Christian teachings, Hindu beliefs, and more. The students have
done plays about great saints and teachers from different religions
throughout history. They don't just get a comparative religion
lecture."
"The
teens actually get to talk and interact with people who live their
religion. Here, the teens get an expansive view of the world at
the exact time in their lives when they are naturally looking
outward for different ways of living, trying different possibilities.
There are choices in life, and other ways to live. This school
opens the doors to these choices in a way that's safe while also
being extremely interesting."
"They're
learning the practical applications of physics. For instance,
they made motors, generators, and various hands-on projects that
challenge him to use the principles of physics in order to complete
the project. The physics teacher works with the students in an
intuitive, individual way."
"At
LWHS, the physics instructor helps the students do interesting
projects that teach them the academics and principles they need
to know, while challenging them in a fun and adventurous way...."
"This
is the first year since I can remember that my child hasn't asked
to be home-schooled. They're doing more homework at a much higher
level. Their English skills and his computer skills have improved
dramatically this year."
"He's
been given enough English Composition projects, and that, combined
with his increased typing and computer skills, have enabled him
to excel in English, which has never been his strong point. His
grammar has also improved...."
"One
day a week the students do a service project in the local Grass
Valley-Nevada City area. Sometimes these service projects take
them to San Francisco and other places within the state.... They're
having fun and they're also having classes in an interesting outdoor
environment."
One day,
my son came home from doing a service project for a poor, elderly
woman who desperately needed help with brush clearing on her property.
All the boys really enjoyed doing this. This woman was very grateful
to the boys. Just seeing that he could make a difference in someone
else's life, that he could be of help or service to someone made
him feel happy. There are many different service projects that
the high school students engage in, and so the students have some
choice in what they'll do. For instance, my son works with handicapped
children in third and fourth grade. They also work at the food
bank and with the homeless shelters."
"To
be in a class with all boys and have teachers who really like
working with teens this age, I don't know where else he can get
this. I think this is one of the reasons he's really happy at
this school. There are some combined classes with the girls, so
it's not like he's totally isolated."
"All
teens have different personalities, but here the teens aren't
all forced into one mold, with only one way of learning. There
are different ways of learning, and here the student's individual
needs are more important. Because the classes are so small, the
students can be given individualized help, instruction, and projects
that suit their own learning styles. This way every student wins.
The teens learn that there's not just one right way or one wrong
way for things to happen."
"When
I was in school, I don't remember needing to interact with a huge
amount of different students. My child is very sensitive to group
vibrations and energy, and I just don't think he would be happy
at a big, public school. They are happy here because there need
is being fulfilled and they have no big desire to be on a big
sports team or anything that involves peer pressure or competition.
My child is very athletic, but they don't appreciate the stress
over winning and losing that exists in most big schools."
"There
are extra-curricular school activities with different teachers,
like bicycle riding, weekend trips to the ocean, and up to the
nearby ski areas for skiing or snowboarding. For older teens,
there are even
supervised outings with the girls and boys together, so that they
have some outlet for getting to know each other in a fun and wholesome
way."
"The
kids get a huge workout. They workout at the school gym with weights.
They hike; they play basketball and volleyball, jogging, baseball
and soccer."
"They
all have daily yoga, energization and meditation sessions. These
are very positive skills that will help throughout life."
|
