Welcome Kino Families
Student Emily Gradriditis has created a website
which strives to spread the act of kindness through art. By purchasing a t-shirt, all proceeds will be donated to help animals in need. Some of Emily’s favorite animal charities are the Hermitage Cat Shelter and the Hope Animal Shelter. |
What Kino Means to meParent Perspective
I was asked to write what Kino means to me as a parent. I’m honored. I suspect it’s because we’ve been here now 6 years, since my son was in 1st grade. He’s 13 now and so we’ve been part of the progressive education process for a while. So what does it mean to me? It’s meant many things to me over the years; not the least of which was it was a place where we didn’t have to deal with the horrors of circle time with almost 30 other kids – which, quite frankly, I thought would be the undoing of me during the kinder/1st grade years. Well – the undoing of our son at any rate...
As I said, Kino has meant many things to me over the years. I’d be concerned if it didn’t. I say that because I think it would indicate that my own child wasn’t developing and changing over time either. If that was the case, we’d be elsewhere. But really, this shouldn’t be what Kino means to me but rather what Kino means to my son – because that’s what this is about. It’s about his education, and more importantly his own sense of self-worth and becoming an involved member of his community. And his happiness. Years from now I don’t want my child to look back on his life and have hated school; hated 12 years of his life. I cannot imagine anyone learns much when they’re not in an environment that nourishes them. Or where they’re miserable. So Kino has meant a lot to my son. He started out school a little wiggly, a little talkative, a little like the kid that couldn’t sit still in circle time (at least not with 30 kids). I knew about Kino growing up (and always wanted to go there – they had GOATS!!!) so we looked into it. Small classes, a different approach to education, animals, a green house, a library I loved, and an overall good feel. So we tried it. My son loved it – but was still a wiggly kid for the first year or so and not overly interested in academics. And that was ok –he got to be himself and expend his energy in good directions. And over time he evolved. Like with all kids – there were ups and downs; but more ups then not. The love of learning comes over time and the process has to play itself out. And it did. And now as a young teen – he’s playing music, he loves going to history class, loves his lit class, is doing well with math and is generally excited to go to school almost each and every day. He also feels heavily invested in and a valued part of this community of people he spends a good portion of his everyday life with. I can’t ask for much more than that. |
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