Berkwood Hedge School's developmental philosophy is based on the understanding that children construct their own knowledge of the world through active and collaborative exploration of their learning environment. While the philosophy developed at Berkwood Hedge sixty years ago has evolved and progressed with the changing world, the core beliefs of the founding parents and teachers about how children learn are still strong. We believe that the ability to observe, reflect and formulate questions, the motivation to learn and create, and the practice of collaboration within groups are all connected to respect for others and an appreciation of the natural world. We want to nurture these qualities at the elementary education level. In each classroom, our experienced teachers create lessons, materials and activities that challenge and engage a diverse range of students. Curriculum is built as a series of in-depth studies, and teachers use a variety of learning materials that respect the developmental needs of each child. At Berkwood Hedge we believe learning should have purpose. As children master the skills of playing and working with others, they develop perspective and judgment. An important role of the teacher is to understand how each student is thinking and then use this information to expand student learning. Teachers value collaboration among children and become collaborators themselves with their students. The diversity within our student body enhances these relationships as children have many opportunities to negotiate perspectives with others who may see the world differently. The curriculum is active across subject areas so that children engage in experimenting, reading, drawing, writing, modeling, dramatizing, discussing, building and inventing. Through active engagement, children are able to tap into a range of learning strategies and represent their thinking in many ways. Observational assessment helps our teachers understand what their students can do and what they are still working on. These assessments occur in a variety of settings; for example, one-on-one evaluation of children's performances on selected tasks, teachers' observations of children during classroom work, evaluation of student exhibits and the creation of student portfolios encompassing a range of student work. Children's social interactions in the school environment also provide teachers with important information as they make teaching decisions. At Berkwood Hedge teachers understand and value individual children's strengths, interests and learning styles. At the same time, teachers set clear standards for student accountability in ways appropriate for the child and the group. Overall, the Berkwood Hedge developmental perspective sees children as competent, articulate and curious about their world. Teachers create learning environments where children learn by doing things themselves. They are given opportunities to explore and discover using a variety of materials. Our students emerge as critical thinkers, creative problem solvers and enthusiastic independent life-long learners.