Beyond the clear understanding that they are always loved, there may be no greater gift we can give to our children than effective social skills. It is the key to success in all relationships throughout life. Family is relationship. Friendship is relationship. Business is relationship. Even governing ourselves successfully in the workplace, and as a world community, is based upon our communication skills and relationship abilities.

We create multiple opportunities to develop these skills at school. Providing limited access to popular areas of high interest such as our butterfly terrariums, brine shrimp hatchery, ladybug hatchery, and televised microscopes etc., offers daily opportunities for the children to learn how to negotiate with each other. We teach them a step-by-step process to “Work it out” to resolve their own conflicts. They soon develop the ability to resolve difficulties without teacher intervention and become a joyful community.

They learn how to be Safe and Kind and develop Gentle Hands. We also love doing Acts of Kindness for each other. Because these practices are part of our everyday interactions, they settle deep into the foundation of each child’s long-term memory and become lifelong social skills. We like to keep in touch with our former students, several of whom now have young families of their own. We are delighted to learn that they remember these lessons and are utilizing these same practices with their own children many years later.