Friday Feature: Clonlara School

Colleen HroncichTop o ’ the mornin’ to you!Since yesterday was St. Patrick ’s Day, it seemed like a good week to check outClonlara School, which is based in Michigan but named for a small village in Ireland.Clonlara was founded in 1967 by Pat Montgomery, a former public and private school teacher who wanted a different educational environment for her children. Shewanted to create“a school where children of all ages, ethnicities, and beliefs could learn and grow in an unhurried, relaxed atmosphere; where enrollment would be limited so that the children, staff, and parents would all get to know one another; and where families would have an active role in school life and in the education of their children.”The original location still houses the on ‐​campus program, although it was on hiatus this year due to COVID-19 challenges. In 1979, the off‐​campus program brought the Clonlara approach to homes around the country.Trusting families and empowering them to take ownership and control of their learning is a hallmark of Clonlara. The off ‐​campus program helps families build their own curriculum and partners with them to monitor their students’ progress, provide guidance, and suggest materials and learning tools along the way.The school uses a “full circle learning” approach that encourages and supports students through things like project planning, finding mentors and resources to assist with projects, field work, developing a&...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - Category: American Health Authors: Source Type: blogs