Sonoma Academy - Independence in Education

Sonoma Academy Independence in Education

The last three years have been tumultuous in many ways: the pandemic and its fallout, a national reckoning with issues of racial and social justice, political upheaval, and increased concern about the future of our planet. In times like these, we have an opportunity perhaps even an obligation to reassess and reevaluate what is truly important and valuable in our daily lives and in our culture. As we move into the next phase, many educators, parents, and students are reflecting on lessons learned during the time of school closures and Zoom rooms. Many are thinking about core competencies and characteristics that students will need in the post-Covid future, and one of the most commonly identified qualities is independence. Independent high schools cultivate independent students, confident and well-prepared. Many of these schools scrappy new upstarts and well-established institutions alike have been hubs for innovation, experimentation, and adaptability in changing times. These schools have the freedom to try new approaches, to be creative, and to truly commit to their values, in and out of the classroom. So, too, do their students, and these are the conditions necessary for true growth and learning.

By StoryStudio on March 8, 2022 10:19 AM

High School is too important a time to leave up to chance. We have created a rich, multi-faceted, dynamic program that is designed to ensure the success of all of our students in all aspects of their lives.

Teachers can make or break teenagers' natural curiosity about the world and drive to know themselves. All of our teachers are great teachers. We recruit nationally, evaluate based on their teaching, and provide them with regular training and opportunities to further their passions.

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Independent community members know how to advocate for themselves and the causes that are important to them, and they know how to navigate challenging times with resilience and confidence. They collaborate and cooperate with others with grace, empathy, and perspective. Interestingly enough, fostering an inclusive environment in which individuals are accepted and supported in being who they are also creates a sense of community that allows students to see themselves as part of a larger whole, to understand their impact on others, and to envision themselves as the future changemakers of our society. Schools like Sonoma Academy offer tight-knit, warm, welcoming communities where students feel that they can be themselves. Social-emotional programs like yearly grade-level retreats and weekly Advisory (a small, multigrade group led by a faculty advisor who stays with each advisee for all four years of high school) foster close relationships among students that carry over in and outside of the classroom.

If the pandemic Zoom classrooms of the past couple years taught us anything, it’s that kids sitting at desks absorbing content, rote memorization, worksheets, and other traditional school approaches to teaching and learning are outdated and ineffective for the students and classrooms of the future. Independent schools have the freedom and flexibility to innovate in the classroom, to explore content in ways that are relevant and engaging for students, and to pioneer approaches to learning that can be more hands-on, project-based, fun, and engaging. Teachers are also allowed to design curricula that they are passionate about and that allow them to teach in ways that are best suited for who they are, what their subject is, and which students are in their classrooms. This approach also allows teachers to more easily scale their curricula to meet a variety of learning needs in their classrooms in ways that are not always as readily accessible to teachers teaching to state-mandated curricula and achievement on statewide standardized testing. Independent schools like Sonoma Academy offer educational environments where students are empowered to explore their passions and leadership abilities, inspired in the classroom, and seen and honored as individuals. In these schools, students are given the tools they’ll need to take on the demands of the future.

High School is too important a time to leave up to chance.

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Independent leaders know who they are: their strengths, their challenges, their passions, and their skills. They aren’t afraid to take risks because they know that risk is necessary for growth, and they are able to identify and utilize the resources available to them. In a smaller school like Sonoma Academy, students have the ability to try many different kinds of activities and experiences. It is common for students to play a sport, act or play music in a theater production, and hold a student leadership position all in the same year; students aren’t “pigeonholed.” Rather, they are encouraged to investigate new areas of interest and to try new activities with a “practice doesn’t make perfect” and open-minded attitude. Sonoma Academy’s academic program is built around the teenage brain’s need for novelty and risk-taking, with signature programs like Exploratory (ungraded, hands-on, multigrade elective classes that meet once a week) and Intersession (an 8-day period between semesters when students can take intensive, experiential courses on campus or further afield). Through this kind of exploration, students can discover new passions, hone their existing skills, and even identify potential careers.

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Independent thinkers process information critically, seek out reliable sources, and boldly offer their own interpretations and opinions, all while being open to hearing and discussing the viewpoints of others. In independent schools, students can hone these skills in an optimal environment: with well-qualified teachers, in small classes that provide space for lively discussion and personal attention, within a creative and engaging curriculum that goes beyond the college-prep basics. Sonoma Academy teachers are given the freedom to develop their own courses and reading lists. In addition to foundational classes like biology, chemistry, and physics, students have access to academic electives like human anatomy, engineering for social good, architecture, and environmental science. The humanities course sequence features an integrated approach that includes world history, geography, U.S. history, and political science in addition to language arts, composition, and literature. Beyond these core classes, students can explore topics ranging from postcolonial literary theory to constitutional law to archeology to Asian American literature. When students have the opportunity to engage with challenging subject matter that feels relevant to their lives, they get excited about learning and find meaning in their studies. This kind of learning often happens outside of the strictures of standard cookie-cutter academic classes.

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Teenagers profoundly influence, and are influenced by, their classmates. Ethics and character are being developed at the same time that your child is developing an overwhelming need to fit in socially. Additionally, peer influence becomes more dominant than parental influence.

Teens need a rich, challenging, multifaceted program to fuel their natural curiosity. Our students must complete a rigorous liberal arts curriculum that includes core and elective courses in humanities (history and literature), math and science, world languages, and the arts.

Teachers can make or break teenagers' natural curiosity about the world and drive to know themselves. We recruit nationally, evaluate based on their teaching, and provide them with regular training and opportunities to further their passions.

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Opportunities for All Kinds of Leaders

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