A Strong Human Connection

We firmly believe that students learn best when they are active and invested in their community. At the beginning of every school year, each classroom creates its own set of common goals and guidelines for personal behavior, agreed by all, teacher included, and posted for ready reference on classroom walls and online.

In elementary school, every day begins with a Morning Meeting, 30 minutes of conversation and preparation. In middle and high school, every Wednesday’s schedule includes a Town Hall, where students take the lead in celebrating achievements, presenting ideas, and arranging intramural activities. Teachers provide expertise as facilitators, sounding boards, enthusiasts.

Interaction between the individual and the group is a never-ending lesson at The Étude Group. Our purpose is to develop the self-awareness that fuels self-directed learning and self-regulating behavior. The more we succeed, the stronger our community. In elementary school, we draw on the acclaimed Responsive Classroom system that invites asking questions and assessing risks. In middle and high school, our program of Guided Direction supports students in setting goals, overcoming difficulties, and creating success as a collective endeavor.

Both approaches use research based strategies to create a naturally engaging classroom. This helps reduce discipline issues and off-task behavior in the classroom.

In the near future, knowledge of traditional core subjects - reading, writing, math - will be necessary but not sufficient for success. Creativity, collaboration and problem-solving skills will be essential. The schools of The Étude Group seek to prepare our students by providing an environment for personal development and career success.

We believe that a student who is healthy in body and untroubled in mind is ready to learn to the best of their ability. We have learned that students who feel valued as individuals within a supportive community are likely to keep going to school. We know, too, that when academic and practical programs alike are challenging, stimulating, and fun, students become engaged in their own success, as scholars and citizens.

From the beginning we build relationships with every student, discovering the person beyond their performance in class, creating trust and comfort, with themselves, their classmates, and the entire school community. We guide students to areas of study that engage and develop their gifts and interests. Our teachers are listeners, not lecturers, patient, imaginative, and expert practitioners in educating the whole student.

From kindergarten through senior year, The Étude Group teaches students to make the most of their minds. They learn to observe and question, to evaluate information and connect ideas across disciplines - essential skills for lasting success, in and beyond the classroom.

Étude’s system of self-directed learning invests students in projects that align academic content with experiential, collaborative learning. Our continuing emphasis on research, peer discussion, and presentation skills creates a competitive advantage when they confront real-life issues.