Blacksburg New School

The school instills in each child the desire to learn by:

letting each child progress at his/her own rate using positive reinforcement
emphasizing how to work with one another and to enjoy each other’s talents
stressing development of critical thinking and inquiry rather than rote learning
having parents participate in school activities and participate in the daily running of the school
avoiding competitive, racist, or sexist mindsets
making school work a challenge, not a frustration
giving students and teachers the opportunity to set goals, develop projects, and evaluate them jointly
encourage the mixing of age levels within the school so that children can help one another
stressing that with freedom comes responsibility, both to oneself and to others.

The school works to promote self-knowledge and growth by aiding each student to:

respect oneself and others, both in language and behavior
be cooperative rather than competitive
learn self-discipline and take responsibility for one’s own actions
develop a spirit of service-mindedness by helping others and being patient
learn to concentrate
listen to and also understand what others say and feel
learn to focus on one’s needs, feelings, and goals
learn to show feelings in appropriate ways
respect property and treat the environment with care
witness the importance of family involvement in their education