Social & Emotional Climate
All students participate in a curriculum that includes social and emotional development and fosters acceptance of and respect for self and others. Educating the whole child means educating a child who is aware of the fact that all actions have a permanent impact on his/her surroundings. Community service and environmental awareness are an integral element of The REACH School curriculum. Regular class meetings are held each week allowing students to work with each other and their teacher to address social climate of classes and students.
The Unity Retreat
Building a strong sense of community among the students at The REACH School is a central element of the school philosophy. Accomplishing this is an ongoing process that begins each year with an all school unity retreat.
In early September, the entire student body, teachers and staff, embark of an overnight field trip. The main goals of this trip are to encourage team building, teach collaborative problem solving, and to begin to establish a culture of respect. Before going on the retreat, our facilitator Paula Pardini, spends time in each classroom with pre-event orientation. Once at the camp, students are led through two days of small group activities, guided by Paula and a team of trained parent and high school leaders.
At the core of these activities is a low ropes course. The low ropes elements are close to the ground so the perceived risk is low, but still challenging to complete. Participants walk tightropes, negotiate obstacles, climb walls, and pass teammates through a giant web. Using cables, ropes and wooden beams strung among trees or poles, teams explore risk taking, leadership and communication. The low ropes course adventure highlights problem solving, coaching and collaboration.
Students bunk with their own grade and gender, but group activities are intentionally mixed. In this way, students are given the chance to meet youth from all grades and to get to know those they might not usually spend time with.
The results of these two days are clearly evident by the end of the trip. We see younger children laughing with the “big” eighth graders and older children offering to help the younger ones, new friendships are formed and old ones strengthened. In general, we see a community that has come together, that trusts one another and that feels comfortable as a group.
We do all this because we believe that a strong community is at the core of a strong education. If children feel safe and comfortable, they can then be free to learn and grow.
