22051 Wilson Road • Georgetown, Delaware 19947 • Phone 302-856-3300 • Fax 302-856-1750
The Jefferson School has come a long way since that day in September 1992, when nine kindergarten children entered a small building in Rehoboth Beach as part of an ambitious educational agenda. Through the years, we’ve diligently honored the ideas of the founding educators, and we stand firm in that philosophy today. We do so because we know that children learn best while observing, listening and taking part in group play and projects that engage all their senses. Through vigorous geographical and historical studies they acquire an appreciation of other peoples and cultures and come to understand their roles as global citizens. For these reasons we’ve created a school that:
- Encourages personal relationships between teachers and students and among students by allowing them to interact in classrooms with a teacher-student ratio that averages 1:10.
- Promotes multi-aged classes that allow children to become more accepting of their strengths and challenges while learning from each other. Non-graded or multi-age groupings facilitate a cooperative learning environment that accommodates a wide range of developmental levels, exposing the children to a diversity of learning materials. Children become more accepting of their own strengths and weaknesses and of each other since different academic levels are more apparent in the class. The multi-grade class allows for the variations in child development by giving children a wider choice of activities and interactions and by providing a more complex and varied environment in which to learn and grow. Students are vertically grouped in first/second grade classes, third/fourth grade classes, fifth/sixth grade classes, and seventh/eighth grade classes.
- Values hands-on learning and offers an integrated curriculum optimizing the total educational experience, including a child’s ability to think critically. Students simultaneously learn about economics and civics, art, math, architecture, culture and science through such activities as the future city project, during which the third/fourth grade classes developed innovative scaled models, complete with maps and demographic profiles.
- Advocates a developmental approach to education that respects the cognitive needs of children at each phase of their lives. This approach addresses the social and emotional growth of a child and recognizes that children learn in different ways during different stages of their development. Some students need the focus of worksheets, while other students learn with their hands. Teachers approach subject learning through multiple methods and permit students to pursue the topic in a manner that helps them comprehend and retain the information.
- Fosters a sense of community within the school and the surrounding area. This spirit inspires our children and parents to reach out to others in our community and across the world through various service learning projects. For instance, through the Read Aloud Delaware program our students are trained as volunteers to read to young children in Head Start and area preschool programs.
- Incorporates a global perspective into the curriculum, giving students a deep understanding of and appreciation for the various cultures of the world. The entire school studies a different nation each year. In the past we’ve focused on Greece, Mexico, China, Australia and Tanzania. This year, the school community is studying India, and at every early-morning assembly, students present a fact about India. They are not only developing research and communication skills, but they are building self-confidence. Every student, from ages 3 through 14, participates in this learning activity.
- Excels at cooperative learning to allow students to appreciate their strengths, assist their peers, share ideas, solve problems and learn to civilly disagree. Students are expected to take ownership of their education. Helping others to learn is a part of that ownership process. In any classroom, one can observe older students assisting younger students, group activities and individualized teacher-student instruction.
- Integrates art, music, theater, physical education, and Spanish as a core component of the curriculum. All students are exposed to these enrichment classes or “specials” and often study these disciplines in concert with the school’s selected country.
A Progressive Approach to Learning
The Jefferson School applies progressive educational methods towards student learning. Several decades of research support this perspective of how children learn. With this approach, the students gain a sense of ownership of their education, while teachers focus on the individual needs of each learner. The progressive education movement was inspired by such thinkers as John Dewey and Francis Parker at the turn of the century. In reaction to a “one-size-fits-all” curriculum, Dewey and his followers sought an educational experience that produced critical thinkers and not merely dutiful workers. Emphasizing internal motivation, creativity, experiential learning and the arts, the progressive approach to education continues to prepare young people effectively for the challenges of higher education, civic participation and the work place. At The Jefferson School we embrace the spirit of progressive education. We recognize individual differences and provide classroom practices that permit each student to learn and develop to his or her own unique potential.
Student Achievement
At The Jefferson School we take a holistic approach to education to meet the needs of children growing up in a world that has simultaneously become smaller yet more complex. As they grow, we help them develop their unique strengths so when they continue their education and enter their chosen careers, they will bring a balanced and thoughtful perspective to their communities and work environment.
Our teachers come to school every day with more than the intent to teach an academic subject. They aim to instill an enthusiasm for learning in the children that will last throughout their lives. They do this by making learning an exciting and rewarding experience, one that focuses on seeking fundamental knowledge rather than aspiring to the highest score on an exam.
Our approach doesn’t just work, it works well! You can see the results every day in every classroom. On the Stanford Achievement Test, a nationally-normed, standardized academic test, more than 20 percent of our students ranked in the 95th percentile. Almost 60 percent of our children placed in the above-average category on the same test. More than 45 percent of our students qualify for programs at The Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth, a world leader in the assessment and development of highly gifted children.
Service Learning
The Jefferson School community also values service learning. Teachers, students and parents want to make the world a better place, and they’re doing their part one project at a time. Recent projects have included:
- Collecting and selling Halloween candy to raise money for the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Tanzania, saving the life of an endangered cheetah.
- Funding the private school education of a Tanzanian orphan who would otherwise not have a chance at an education.
- Sending holiday care packages to Delaware troops serving in Iraq.
- Building a library for a Head Start program in Georgetown through the Read Aloud Delaware program.
