Ashoka
Since 1965, each day at The Circle School begins with oral story-telling: teachers share a folk wisdom story from another culture, telling the same story each morning, until the students begin to tell the story themselves. We select stories to teach peace, empathy, open-mindedness, and social justice, carrying these wisdom lessons into the curriculum and classes. We want to more fully connect our Story Circle program with our recent international designation as an Ashoka Changemaker School, for equipping students with skills and confidence to solve problems for the common good. To live this practice, multi-age student-led Changemaker groups combine problem-solving for social justice with modern story-telling methods.
Through the shared ethics and knowledge of parents and educators, the Circle School cultivates a thriving and compassionate community while individualizing education, fostering a lifelong love of learning, and providing the confidence and leadership skills needed to become impactful citizens of the world. As a community we seek to model behavior that is neither demeaning nor discriminatory. Our goal is to foster healthy attitudes and global citizenship.