September 2021
Dear Community,
Welcome to a very special year, with this being our 40th Anniversary!
Forty years ago, in 1981, I was working at the Fifteenth Street School in Chelsea. It was a Summerhill School based on the philosophy and practice of British educator A.S. Neill. Although I had many years of teaching in elementary school under my belt, I learned things there that changed my life as an educator, as a parent, and as a person. It seems so simple today: I learned to listen to children.
That same year, I learned that the school that taught me so much was closing. I wanted my 13 month old to attend this school! It was a sad time, until the Board offered me money from the sale of the building to start another school. I had no intention of starting a school from scratch until I found that I couldn’t say “No.” A buried dream was about to come true.
Chelsea Day School was born. We opened our doors to 23 kids and parents who believed in freedom, not license, the notion that children know where they’re going, and that the adults in their lives need to pave the way for them to unfold. And that there is intrinsic pleasure in learning.
These ideals guide us today.
Our days together are rich with laughter, music, each other and endless ideas. We spend our time building relationships, learning and using language, exploring materials, building on what came before, and leading with kindness.
Over the last 40 years, we have done a lot of growing up as have our children. They are now returning with their own children. Every teacher, parent and child has left a mark on the whole.
Thank you for being a part of this incredible dream. It is full of joy and hope.
And I will always stop everything to listen to a child.
With affection,
Jean
