Our Philosophy

We believe in the inherent worth, beauty, and artistry of each child. Childhood is a sacred space within the life of a human being where wonder, hope, and joy all naturally reside. Our approach at Almond Branch School aspires to embody reverence for childhood. This is practiced within the atmosphere we cultivate and the rich and broad curriculum we employ. We believe children are capable of great achievement through scholé, or, “restful learning,” and so, our teachers carefully and gently orchestrate this academic environment as guided by the children’s natural curiosity and wonder. Our school is home-like, embracing, and peaceful, and our atmosphere is sewn with good humour, gratitude, and joy, creating a haven of discovery and growth. We heartily welcome children of all backgrounds, cultures, beliefs, and capabilities and we have intensionally cultivated our classroom to serve children of varying capacities. We care for our children’s holistic well-being and so, beyond a well-rounded education, our furniture, toys, and materials are largely sustainable, natural, simple, and non-toxic, and our meals and snacks are nutritious. We believe in fostering a deep connection to nature within our children by spending much of our time outside and engaging with objects and phenomena found in nature as tools for sensory play and learning. Woven alongside developmentally-appropriate reading, writing, maths, and other traditional academics, practical skills such as cooking, sewing, pottery-making, woodworking, and gardening, our children are guided gently towards character and virtue formation. Ultimately, our deepest desire is for children to experience joy, grow holistically, and lead abundant lives both now and in the future.