Willowwind School
Core Values
Willowwind's commitment to educating the whole child shines through in day to day student life. We aim to provide enriching experiences beyond the classroom that deepen our community bonds and enhance each child's development of self and their understanding of our core values.
SELF-DIRECTION
COMMUNITY
FLEXIBILITY
INCLUSIVENESS
STEWARDSHIP
Mutli-Age Connections
Group Discussion
Group Discussion holds a sacred space within Willowwind's learning community. Deeply rooted in tradition, Group Discussion provides an opportunity for students across grade levels to connect, collaborate, and foster friendships with older and younger peers. Group Discussion values and respects each voice in our community as equally worthy of being heard. During Group Discussion, you'll find students and teachers alike sitting together to discuss schoolwide topics, share thoughts on social issues, and simply laugh and play together. Group Discussions throughout the week bring together a variety of ages, from weekly Early Childhood Group Discussion (preschool and kindergarten) to multiple times per week K-6 Group Discussions.
Partner Families
Each year, kindergarten through sixth grade students are thoughtfully placed within a “Partner Family.” A Partner Family is a grouping of students from every K-6 classroom. Partner Families create a tight-knit, multi-age, connection and an opportunity for students to lead and learn from one another. Partner Families enjoy participating in lots of exciting traditions throughout the year, like pumpkin decorating, writing poetry, and sharing our Thanksgiving Feast together. Our community cherishes watching beautiful new friendships evolve through these special partnerships each year!
K-6 Lunch & Recess
Kindergarten through sixth grade students join together for lunch and recess each day. This dedicated time provides opportunities for students to connect and play. Students learn how to navigate social relationships and share space with peers outside of their classroom. When the weather is nice, you'll find us out on the lawn picnicking together!
Thanksgiving Feast
Each year, our learning community comes together to share a Thanksgiving feast. This beloved tradition speaks to our dedication to building strong and supportive relationships that extend far beyond core academics. Each K-6th classroom spends the days leading up to our feast working hard to prepare decorations, dishes to share, and notes of thanks. Our preschool students spend time studying the three sister crops (beans, corn, and squash) and share in a cooking and tasting experience that brings their learning full circle.
Teaching our students to hold space for special moments and appreciate the value of togetherness is something we instill through practice and action.
Learning Events
Author's Cocoa
Kindergarten through sixth grade students spend several weeks in the fall learning the art of poetry. They apply writing process skills to create poetry pieces of their own. Our Author's Cocoa event, held the week before winter break, allows students the opportunity to present their work to an authentic audience. In the weeks leading up to the event, students are revising and editing during literacy, using art and music to convey the emotion behind their work, teaming up with partner families during Group Discussion to write collaborative poems, and practicing public speaking and performance skills. Experiencing the spectrum of learning across K-6 and watching the bravery and vulnerability that unfold in each student's unique efforts makes Author's Cocoa an incredibly special holiday celebration. Sipping hot cocoa together at the conclusion of the event brings warmth and pride to our learning!
Spring Learning Showcase
Willowwind's annual Spring Learning Showcase offers a collection of preschool through sixth grade learning endeavors to celebrate and share. Projects across all grade levels are displayed, with many students taking on active presentation roles. The goal of the event is to give our community a closer look at the process behind project-based learning. Each year showcases innovative ideas and projects driven by the unique passions of our students. The Willowwind community beams with pride as our scientists, inventors, researchers, engineers, mathematicians, and artists engage with big ideas.
Integrated Arts Showcase
The arts take center stage for our end of year Integrate Arts Showcase! Our preschool through sixth grade community comes together for a performance-based learning showcase. Classes present project-based learning involving art, theater, music, and movement. Each year we are delighted by puppet shows, reader's theater performances, class plays, documentaries, song and dance, and lots more! Each performance uniquely ties into our science, social studies, or literacy curriculums.
Service as Action
“Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.” –Howard Zinn
Service learning at Willowwind is focused on inclusiveness, stewardship, and community. We want our students to build authentic connections between what they learn in the classroom and what they encounter in the community. Service as action is integrated into both our Group Discussion and social emotional learning classes. All students are expected to engage in meaningful service activities, where they work with others in a shared commitment towards the common good for the eastern Iowa corridor and the world around them.
Through service as action, Willowwind students:
- Become more aware of their own strengths and areas for growth;
- Undertake challenges that develop new skills;
- Discuss, evaluate, and plan student-initiated activities;
- Persevere in action;
- Work collaboratively with others;
- Develop international mindedness through global engagement, multilingualism, and intercultural understanding; and
- Consider the ethical implications of their actions.
We encourage all of our families to participate in our service as action opportunities alongside students!
