Mission & Philosophy
at
Spring Street International School
Our Mission
Spring Street International School nurtures the development of intellectually curious students, enabling them to meet academic and personal challenges with confidence as it prepares them for higher education and life-long learning. The school integrates rigorous academics with experiential learning, fosters compassion and respect, and helps students to realize their full potential and responsibilities in the local and global community.
We achieve this goal as we:
- Set adaptive expectations for a diverse community of individual learners
- Cultivate personal relationships among all members of our school community by maintaining a low student/teacher ratio and school-wide participation
- Offer coursework that challenges each student both inside and outside the classroom, including experiential learning through a sequence of domestic and international field study programs
- Promote active involvement within the local and international communities through service and internship
- Encourage students to take responsibility for their impact on their social and physical environment and to take increasing responsibility for their own learning
At Spring Street International School
- We believe that small classes build confidence as they support student involvement, participation, and individualized learning.
- We believe that good student-teacher relationships lay the foundation to a good learning environment.
- We believe that incorporating international students into the student body broadens our community’s understanding and experience of a global society.
- We believe that an academically challenging environment motivates and encourages discussion, inquiry, creativity, and critical thinking.
- We believe that students have the right to be involved in educational decision-making as they pursue self-directed learning and independent study.
- We believe that all students should be treated with respect as they learn to respect one another and that all students have the right to be themselves and express their inner creative side.
- We believe that experiential learning sets a strong foundation for life-long learning and that it allows students to grow beyond those ways afforded by the traditional classroom. It engages the whole student and creates a tolerance for and an understanding of the world as it exposes students to new and different ideas and cultures.
- We believe that teachers should love and believe in what they teach and that a variety of teaching styles and varied educational experiences encourage curiosity and a love of learning.
- We believe that students learn and become more intellectually versatile as they are challenged to stretch the perceived boundaries of their thinking.
- We believe that every student is an individual whose voice is worth listening to and we encourage our students to develop a strong sense of individuality and respect for personal values.
- We believe that all students are accountable for their behavior and we do not tolerate disrespect, dishonesty, bullying, harassment or the use of any illegal substances.
- We believe that student service and involvement in the community promotes leadership, altruism, and individual learning as it strengthens the school’s positive, active role within the community.