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Learning at Fayerweather
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The goal of Fayerweather's educational program is to engage and
challenge students through meaningful intellectual exercise. Content areas
are of developmental interest, activities both broaden and relate to the
students own world and surrounding community, and goals are clear and
attainable. Teachers help students build strategies until skills are
mastered, while encouraging them to question, read and evaluate a variety
of resources, and understand alternative perspectives. Students participate
in class demonstrations and discussions, collaborate with partners or in
small groups, and use materials and all areas of their environment as
part of their learning. Students are asked to develop questions, make
choices, form opinions, reflect on their work, and assess their own
progress. Teachers emphasize the many ways that students can be successful
in school, both academic and social, rather than focus on standardized
assessment. Mixed-age groups in the 1st through 8th grades allow for
a greater range of learning partners, and provide opportunities for
students to take on different roles within the group. Over the
two-year cycles, teachers get to know each student's strengths
and interests well, and can differentiate the instruction accordingly.
Using informal assessments of a student's needs, staff work from the
child's strengths to build confidence and teach to any areas that
need development.
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