Policy: AD
Educational Philosophy/Mission
Lyme, New Hampshire, is a small town with exceptional opportunities
to educate its children. Its citizens come from a variety of
backgrounds: some have a long tradition of working the land
and have deep roots in our community; others are teachers, professionals,
business men and women who have come to Lyme more recently.
Our children are thus exposed to many points of view. They have
an opportunity to learn the solid values of New England, about
the importance of hard work well done, and an appreciation for
natural beauty and the outdoors. At the same time, our children
can learn about the world at large, and prepare for life in
an age where, as many have said, the only constant will be change.
The Lyme School must build on this opportunity to educate our
children, helping each to lay a foundation of knowledge and
quality of character, and to foster an ability to deal creatively
and positively with the circumstances and opportunities of the
future.
In the same spirit, we wish to lay a solid foundation for the
Lyme School and its direction and actions. This statement of
our philosophy, our beliefs and our intentions, forms that foundation.
We believe that each student must be prepared to succeed in
an increasingly complex, competitive, and demanding world. We
will help our students meet the challenges they will face in
that world by providing them an opportunity to achieve the highest
standards of academic excellence. We will provide them with
a firm grounding in the core academic subjects, including spoken
and written English, mathematics, history, the physical and
biological sciences, the study of social issues, and the language
and culture of other countries. We will promote an environment
of high expectations for our children, but also one in which
each child can participate at the level of which he or she is
capable.
We believe that each student should have an awareness of the
environment on which we depend, and an understanding of how
we can influence it in positive and negative ways. We will provide
instruction in the use of technology, including computers and
other information technologies.
We believe that children should be encouraged to explore that
which is beautiful and enjoyable in life, and understand the
importance of physical and emotional well-being. We will provide
opportunities for our children to experience and participate
in the arts, particularly art, theater, and music. We will provide
education about health and promote life-long habits of healthy
living.
We believe that education requires much more than the learning
of facts. We will promote a child's desire and ability to explore
and discover, and to understand through experience and creative
thinking. We will help our children learn to identify problems,
anticipate possible outcomes, and work to identify and implement
solutions. We will also help our children to develop the ability
to communicate and collaborate in positive and effective ways
with others, and to look beyond the present and consider the
possible consequences of personal and group actions.
We believe that students learn best in an environment in which
they feel valued and capable. We will promote an atmosphere
of mutual respect and trust among and between students, teachers,
administrators, school board members, parents, and other citizens
of Lyme.
We believe that Lyme and its citizens are an essential, inseparable
part of the education of Lyme's children. We will involve the
community in the educational and social activities of the Lyme
School. We will provide opportunities for our children to participate
in and contribute to the life of our community and prepare them
to be responsible members of a democratic society.
ADOPTED: 14 May 1992
REVISED: 13 January 1998
