Welcome to Corlears, a unique, multifaceted gem of a school for
children ages 2½ - 10 years of age. It has been my privilege to be the Head of
Corlears since 2003 and over the years I have found the daily experience of
watching joy spread across a child’s face as he discovers something heretofore
unknown or witnessing the deep satisfaction that comes with mastering a
difficult task, to be invaluable professional rewards.
Each day my work is dedicated to creating a learning environment where educators, families and
staff can find similar rewards from working together to make those small but
impactful moments possible. Over the past few years we have worked to expand our facilities in
order to provide program space for the addition of the 5th grade, a
separate foreign language classroom, a technology lab and enhanced classrooms
for studio art and music.
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We have also created spaces for our resource team of
learning and reading specialists as well as our school counselor to do their
valuable work. A green roof, full size gym and kitchen for lunch service are on
the horizon. In this economy one does not take on such a project lightly and
the goal has to go far beyond having the latest architectural landmark on the
block. From the inception of this project my goal has been the creation of a
facility that is itself an educational tool that supports daily
educational practice to meet the following goals for our graduates.
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Students will
understand and value themselves as learners. They will have strategies
to build on their strengths and meet their challenges, which will support their
successful transition to their next school and beyond.
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Students will be aware of and comfortable in navigating
the social systems of their communities enabling them to be active, engaged
citizens throughout their lives.
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Students will understand that humans are one
part of an intricate planetary life cycle and will honor the reciprocal
relationship they have with the environment.
As you tour through our website you will find a wealth of
information designed to convey how we make those lofty goals come to life each
day. In addition to our History, Mission, Philosophy, Culture and Educational
Programs, please take a look at our Parent Association pages where the nature
of our valuable partnership comes to life. I hope that our site will prompt you
to come to the school for an Open House or a tour. The site is meant to be an
introduction and one more way for us to say, Welcome, come join us!
Thya Merz
Head of School