Saying Goodbye
May 19, 2019
The time has come to start putting the finishing touches on our small but mighty little school. Those closest to the Heart Centered Multi-Age family have known since late January that we will be closing our school on June 19th. It has been an incredible journey over the last eight years as we started with six young students and a tiny space on Pleasant Street. The first space was a labor of love for myself, my family, and the five other families that joined us there. Those six children will always hold a special place in my heart, as they set me on this path. The last eight years would not have been possible without Addie, Ben, Cora, Elle, Mason, and Tess. Thank you! Everything was a first with this tribe. They set the tone for all that came after them. They proved to everyone that yes, young children can be strong and independent. They showed everyone that they could ski from the top of Ragged Mountain, hike to the top of Cardigan, develop strong, and caring bonds, and each learn in their own way.
Over the years we grew out of our first home and moved into the beautiful space on Central Square that we call home today. As the testing culture was becoming more and more prevalent in education, I was becoming more and committed to Nature Based Education and found there were many families in our community feeling the very same way. With the help of the Slim Baker Foundation we added a Nature Preschool in 2016 and began spending more and more time in the fields and woods around Little Round Top. The collaboration with the Slim Baker Foundation would have never been realized if it wasn’t for the dedication of Heart Centered Multi-Age parents who knew there was a better way, and sought it out for their children. To these dedicated families, I will always be grateful.
What worked well for these original six kids in 2011, still works well! Children need to be connected to nature and have opportunities for screen free time. ALL children deserve to have the opportunities that the last eight classes have had at Heart Centered Multi-Age, not just families who have the economic means to send their children to a school that values developmentally appropriate practices and the sense of peace, and concentration that can be found while spending your days outside. As I move forward in this journey, I intend to continue to bring all that was wonderful at Heart Centered Multi-Age to children. After all, the children that started with us at Heart Centered Multi-Age when they were 3,4,and 5, have now grown up, and they deserve to have the same opportunities in their next 12 years of school as they had in their first years.
To everyone who has helped us out and supported Heart Centered Multi-Age through the years, the most sincere Thank You! To all of you who sent your little ones off to us each day, know that these last eight years have defined me as an educator. I would not be who I am today without the time spent with your children, The lessons taught to me by your little folks have prepared me for what comes next!