HOW OUR VALUES GUIDE OUR WORK 

Power of Early Childhood

• Valley School teachers are early childhood experts.  
• Our work is rooted in developmentally appropriate practices and guidelines. 
• Our program promotes healthy habits through a social and emotional curriculum, plenty of exercise, fine and gross motor skill development, time spent outdoors, and a low-stress environment.
• The pace of our school day is designed for optimal learning and fewer transitions.
• Stress inhibits learning. We expect best effort work in a relaxed setting. Homework is minimal.

Respect for Individuality

• Each student is at the center of his/her learning. Children learn and grow in unique ways. We recognize each student’s individual path and pace.
• We offer varied types of instruction and assessment to meet individual student needs.
• Our small school and class size allow us to know the whole child.
• Classroom assistants work with students during core subjects, enabling us to work with students in even smaller groups.
• Our focus is on students. We reserve time during weekly meetings to discuss how to best meet the needs of every child.
 

Creativity & Joy

• Our students engage in Purposeful Play and Playful Work every day.
• Our program includes an integrated, responsive curriculum with room for student inquiry, voices and interests.
• Learning is doing. We use play and exploration as catalysts for learning.
• We call our playground “The Second Classroom” because so much learning happens there. Playground “provocations” offer opportunities for open-ended, student led play and the practice of imagination.
 

Kindness & Collaboration

• We ask, “Is it kind, necessary and true?”
• Teachers teach, model and assess social and emotional skills.
• Students participate in a School Buddy Program.
• We practice kindness with our Valley School pets.
• All grades engage in a variety of meaningful community service projects connected to our curriculum.
• Students collaborate in classrooms and on playgrounds all day.
 

Equity & Inclusion

• Small School or Big Home? We are a close knit community.
• Student voices and interests have a place in our curriculum.
• We value the background of each child and family.
• Teachers build strong relationships with students.
• Small class sizes enable strong connections.
• All School Celebrations bring us together.