Our Mission
The Bridge School is a cooperative, multi-age, progressive elementary school program that fosters authentic learning through whole child development.
To accomplish this mission we:
- Provide an emotionally and physically safe environment
- Offer educationally progressive, multi-age classrooms
- Support the development of the whole child
- Promote a love of learning and curiosity in all students, parents and teachers
- Encourage children, teachers and parents to challenge themselves, take risks and persevere
- Allow students to grow at their own pace to reach their full academic potential
- Actively build community among our students, teachers and families
- Offer hands-on, authentic experiences to allow children to develop their unique creativity
- Believe that children learn best when they are happy and engaged
Our Values
The following values guide our learning program and community:
Building a Strong Community
Our school is rooted in families and teachers working together with respect and gratitude to forge connections with each other and the larger community. We strive to communicate effectively, promote mentorship and empathy, resolve conflicts and act responsibly in support of our community.
Compassion
Compassion starts with listening, understanding and believing in others’ good intentions. We respect and value all individuals for their unique needs and strengths.
Everyone Has a Voice that Deserves to Be Heard
Being fearless in voicing one’s thoughts and ideas is essential to learning; so is being able to listen effectively to others. We support both at The Bridge School.
Connecting to Nature
Human beings have an innate desire to connect with nature; outdoor experiences in and outside the classroom make learning concrete, recognizable and normalize being outside. We encourage environmental stewardship to preserve this for all to enjoy.
Experiential Education
Learning by doing helps ideas make sense in a practical, meaningful way. Regular field trips, student-inspired projects and hands-on education are integral parts of The Bridge School curriculum.
Multi-age Education
Multi-age learning opportunities allow for flexible student groupings based on developmental readiness rather than age. This encourages mentorship among the students and fosters patience and collaboration in the classroom.
Accessibility
We believe that all families should have the opportunity to be part of our community. To support this we strive to keep tuition as low as possible, offer financial aid whenever possible and create a variety of ways for families to authentically participate in our community.