A neurodiversity-affirming education, built around each child

Our guiding principles

The beliefs that shape every classroom and every day.

1. We respect and celebrate each learner

   Open Wings is a learning community that embraces each child as a unique and whole individual. Each child brings specific learning strengths, interests, challenges, and complexities. We have designed and implemented a school model that supports all learners, both neurotypical and neurodiverse. At our school, all children are given the opportunity to learn and grow in an environment that celebrates them as valued individuals that are known and appreciated. We respect learning and developmental differences while nurturing individual talents.

   We are a place where children enter the doors with enthusiasm because they are embraced and encouraged in their growth as competent and curious learners. Parents rest assured that their children are learning in an environment that is permeated with understanding, and support.

   We set our expectations high and believe in promising futures for all of our students. Children not only thrive at Open Wings; they soar.

2. We implement student-centered learning that is both academic and socio-emotional in focus for each unique individual

   We have created a learning environment in which social-emotional learning for all students occurs alongside and embedded within academic learning.

   We nurture our students' intellectual, physical, social, and emotional growth. Each student has individualized learning objectives and is challenged daily to make progress toward those objectives, while also continuing to develop their areas of strength.

   Along with academics, we are intentional about teaching content that helps our students learn empathy, communication, patience, collaboration, cooperation, and leadership. Students have opportunities each day to practice emotional intelligence as they grow as individuals and as a learning community.

3. We learn in community

   We are a dynamic community of learners with a shared respect for diverse approaches to learning. Students in our school benefit from learning in a community that supports and challenges them. They are inspired to engage and persist when their efforts and achievements, no matter how small, are recognized by their supportive peers. Our community allows students to grow individually and together.

   All communities consist of diverse individuals with strengths, weaknesses, abilities, and challenges. Our school educates neurodiverse children alongside their neurotypical siblings and peers. We believe each student possesses gifts that add to the culture and educational benefit of the learning community. Everyone in our community has thoughts to communicate and every voice is heard.

   At Open Wings, everyone (family members, teachers, administrators, and students) benefits from being part of a dynamic and inclusive community of learners. We have established a school community where learning is occurring every day for all children and adults, both within our walls and through engagement in the community.

4. We believe that implementing research-based pedagogy and curricula benefits all learners

   Each student at Open Wings thrives because their educational plan and classroom learning are informed by progressive and research-based educational principles to achieve long-term, meaningful outcomes.

   Learning opportunities are experiential and integrated to allow children to make connections and learn content deeply. Students work and grow as whole individuals in an active and supportive community. Each learner benefits from a differentiated set of learning activities based on the science of child development, student motivation, and teaching and learning. The cyclical nature of planning is informed by in-depth and ongoing assessment of each student's unique learning needs and progress.

   Development of learning plans involves coordination with grade-level standards and consideration of multiple pathways to meeting standards. We problem solve with teams of educators and specialists to address issues of access to standards for students who have diverse learning approaches.

5. We are committed to sustained learning and growth in our practices. We share our learning with other professionals to support the growth of complex learners in other settings.

   Through our research and our practice, we are always learning and developing new strategies to support the learning of all students. We do this through collective inquiry and collaborative decision making. We endeavor to share our learning and augment current beliefs and practices in the field of education in order to support more students and their teachers and families. We share this learning within our community through frequent teacher learning opportunities and we share beyond the Open Wings Learning Community through presentations and publications about our work. We value the contributions of all members of our community.

   Open Wings sets an example for independent and public schools for how to effectively educate a diverse group of children. Every classroom contains individuals with unique challenges and strengths. Our learning community is a living example of the optimal growth that can occur within a learning environment which provides each student the academic supports and challenges they need to thrive.