Tree School
...growing curious minds and compassionate hearts
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philosophy
Tree School is founded on the principles of compassion and respect for our world and all those who live in it. From people living in our own community to people living 1000’s of miles away, we are all connected. Each one of us is an important part of our world, and therefore we all share responsibility for taking care of it.
Tree School's mission is to provide children of all ages with unique and exciting learning opportunities that help them to have a better understanding of their world and that which lies beyond what they experience everyday. By becoming more aware of new cultures and new lands, children can connect with our planet and in turn share responsibility in taking care of it. We are teaching tomorrow’s leaders in art, science, music, medicine, theatre, politics, nature, and education to act with compassion and to take an active role in protecting all living things.
What Is Tree School!?!?!
Tree School is a center for families in the Portland area to explore parts of the world that they don't see everyday. Every two months we will highlight a new region. We will have the chance to experience different cultures, languages, foods, music, and to "meet" the people that share our world! Our kids will connect with the world through a variety of learning activities. Each class will provide a new type of adventure. GROOVE! is an energizing stretch and movement class that incorporates a variety of music from the spotlight country. The Bookiologists group takes a book from the country and turns it up, down, and inside-out through creative and unexpected activities that bring the story and its characters to life. We are always adding new classes to our list so please see the Schedule for more details.
A Starting Point...
Tree School's first six months (June 2006-December 2006) were exciting and filled with adventure! We traveled to Kenya, Mongolia, Tonga and Samoa, Guatemala, Argentina, and Turkey. Thanks to everyone who came to classes to share these amazing experiences. And thanks to all of the parents for your support and to those who volunteered their time and expertise to make Tree School a better place to learn! Finally, thank you to all of the incredible kids who have participated and who teach me something new every single day.
In Fall 2007, we added our preschool program for children ages 3 through 5 years. In addition, we continued our free afternoon groups for families in Southern Maine.
Where We Are Headed...
We are so excited to be continuing our Tree adventures in a new home on Portland's West End. Our space at 131 Spring Street has allowed us to greatly expand our programming and reach out to many families that have not previously been able to access our classes.
Eventually, my goal is to have Tree School outgrow the walls of the classroom and become a model for programs in other communities...one leaf, one branch at a time!
...the more we are willing to learn, the more we are able to grow...
and then we find that
...the more we are willing to grow, the more we are able to learn...
As the founder of Tree School, I thought I should give a bit of background information.
I graduated from Northwestern University in Chicago with my Master's in Speech-Language Pathology and a specialization in the 0-3 year age group. As I provided speech therapy to children in a variety of individual and group settings, I developed a better idea of my interests and talents. I then began my PhD in Education at the University of Hawaii to move further toward my career goals as an educator. After my children entered my life, I realized exactly what I was supposed to do.
Tree School is the result of 2 1/2 years of brainstorming, researching, planning, and then re-planning. It is also the beginning of what I hope will have a significant positive effect on the lives of many children in many places.
Lindy Shapiro