Philosophy

The Tidewater School recognizes each child as a special and unique individual who is in the process of organizing his/her world through discovery and establishing a self identity among peers, family, and others.  This program focuses on the abilities, the interests, and the needs of each individual child.  It provides for guidance to help the child plan challenging tasks at his/her own level in    order to grow optimally in social, emotional, cognitive, and physical activities.  The early years of pre-academic and elementary education are characterized by intense enthusiasm; an uninhibited desire to experiment and discover; a drive to know “why”; a reaching forward to establish an     independent identity; and a need to feel trust and security when searching for knowledge.  There is a need for school and home to be a safe place for error.

The philosophy of The Tidewater School is best expressed as a belief statement:

  We believe that children deserve space to recognize their individual value as necessary beings within a cooperative, respectful, and caring environment.

 We believe that each child is unique from genetic and environmental influences but that each child is also shaped and nurtured to grow in a positive caring place.  Behavior becomes   positive and purposeful when children belong.

 We believe that children learn by experiencing life through sensory opportunities which    enable them to encode new learning skills for application now and in the future.  Furthermore, children deserve a safe place in which to plan these experiments and to experience error in a positive manner.

 We believe that children discover information, and through successful self discovery, they increase their sense of self-esteem and grow in valuing not only themselves but others.

Our mission is to esteem children and encourage them to grow into intelligent, compassionate and responsible human beings.  The Tidewater School provides an organized environment that enhances learning and movement to develop individual potential.  This environment presents multi-sensorial tasks which recognize the strengths of the child and challenge the weaknesses in other modalities.   These concrete and real experiences enhance the building of the foundation to support the development of later abstract thinking skills.

The task of the teacher is to act as facilitator.  As a facilitator, the teacher must be   observant of all that the child expresses both verbally and nonverbally and then guide the child into discovery.  This demands belief in the wisdom of the child as well as mutual respect, positive regard, and great trust.  The staff is made up of experts in the field of child development, each one caring about the present and future of each child.