What is the Harbor School Method?
The Harbor School Method is a child-centered educational model built on high expectations for both student behavior and academic endeavor. The Harbor School Method provides a comprehensive plan for character education and a rigorous program of core subject instruction. The method proactively sets up an environment that allows students to focus on learning while in a safe, secure setting.
Character Education
The character education component of The Harbor School Method employs a unique expectation curriculum that taps into each child's innate need to know boundaries while protecting every child's dignity. The heart of the character education curriculum is simply being kind to one another. To that end, behavior expectations are clearly illustrated and defined by the teachers for the students in a fun, non-threatening approach before students have a chance to choose to be unkind. Those expectations are reinforced and modeled throughout the year to insure that kindness is always top of mind in the student population. Daily school procedures are also designed to support the school's emphasis on kindness. The result of character education at a Harbor School is a school free of teasing, taunting, bullying, or negative peer pressure, and students who help create a kinder community around them whether at school, at home or in their neighborhoods.
Academic Program
The Harbor School academic program offers an enriched gifted-and-talented curriculum for ALL students. Teachers, with the help of educational assistants, and a team of parent volunteers are engaged in the act of direct teaching throughout the day using every method available to them (tactile, visual, kinesthetic, auditory, group and independent approaches). By taking into account and addressing the varying developmental rates and learning modalities of the student population, it is possible through this direct-teaching and monitoring approach to keep the curricula challenging and the expectations for learning high. The result is above grade level performance, high standardized test scores, and extraordinary levels of parent and student satisfaction.
Summary
The Harbor School method establishes a school philosophy, embraced by the teachers, the administrator, students and parents, that holds that every student is valued and every student will succeed at a high level both socially and academically. The Harbor School character education results in a safe school infused with positive peer pressure, students who are ready to learn everyday, and who possess the self-discipline needed to maximize theirs and other's educational experiences. The academic program of a Harbor School is designed to meet the needs of the students, not cater to the convenience of teachers, administrators, or the school calendar. That means that all styles and rates of learning are taken into account, yet expectations for achievement are not compromised. The Harbor School method is evidence that where expectations are high and supported with proper instruction in an environment conducive to concentration and comprehension, the results are outstanding.
Harbor Documents