by Jim Rietmulder | Aug 10, 2015 | Daily life, Public policy
Today The Circle School releases a study of its graduates, casting the school in a very favorable light. Our graduates go to college at high rates: 84% of those who were here for 4 years of high school, and 91% of our “lifers.” Nationwide the rate among...
by Jim Rietmulder | Sep 26, 2014 | Daily life, Stories
I’ve been marveling that not a week goes by (sometimes not a day) without something brand new happening, that’s never happened before in the school’s 30 years. Here’s (one of) this week’s first-time happenings, an interesting cascade of...
by Jim Rietmulder | Mar 11, 2014 | Daily life, Ideas, Stories
Five minutes before the Hour Of No Rules, I saw Cord and Zach sneaking out of the conference room lavatory. It was Zach who had proposed to suspend the rules for an hour, and brought it to a vote with mischief behind his charming grin. And Cord—well, Cord is our...
by Julia James | Mar 3, 2014 | Daily life, Ideas, Stories
If I’m being honest, it wasn’t anarchy, but something more akin to libertarianism. The rules weren’t really gone, but School Meeting voted to suspend enforcement of any victimless violations. And not even all of the rules were gone — those...
by Julia James | Feb 7, 2014 | Daily life, Pictures, Play
This doesn’t really require a narrative, right? Circle School kids are not unique in their love of snow, but they might be unique in how much time they get to play in it! Helpers Ashlin, Avery, Lexi, and Lucie sorted through pictures from 1984 through 2000ish...
by Julia James | Nov 19, 2013 | Daily life, Stories
There are three 10ish-year-olds at the kitchen booth doing homework. “I have SO MUCH homework,” they keep saying. They’ve made two bags of microwave popcorn between them, covered the table in paper towels, and poured the popcorn out into a huge pile....
