animals
Our fully integrated arts program includes visual art, music, theater, improv, and more! Students are encouraged to add artistic elements to their coursework and also to explore new mediums for their creative passions during the numerous art sessions they have each week.
the transformative benefits of outdoor learning
At Counterpane, we embrace the profound rewards of outdoor learning and nature immersion as integral components of our educational philosophy. Engaging students with the natural world enhances their academic experience by fostering curiosity, critical thinking, and a deep connection to the environment. Outdoor learning promotes physical well-being and resilience, as students participate in hands-on activities that stimulate all senses and encourage active problem-solving. Nature-based education also nurtures emotional growth, providing a tranquil setting that reduces stress and cultivates mindfulness. Each classroom opens to outdoor gardens and students are encouraged to study, read, and relax outside. Students engage in outdoor learning through hikes on our property, gardening, composting, and taking care of our animals. By integrating outdoor experiences into our curriculum, we not only enrich our students' understanding of core subjects but also inspire a lifelong appreciation for the environment and a commitment to sustainable practices.
“Counterpane helped cultivate my passion in the arts and gave me an environment that prepared me for college.”
-Rachel Craig, alum
Music Philosophy
Counterpane students learn music according to the Orff Schulwerk philosophy developed by German composer Carl Orff (1895–1982) and German educator Gunild Keetman (1904-1990). It is similar to the Montessori philosophy in many ways and the following text, taken from the American Orff-Schulwerk Association website, explains the Orff approach to music education:
"Orff Schulwerk is a model for music and movement education in schools in the United States that offers a potential for active and creative music making by all children, not just the musically talented. This approach to learning builds musicianship through singing, playing instruments, speech, and movement. Active music making is the core of this philosophy, supporting both the conceptual and affective development of children. Active learners develop more thorough and better long-term understanding of the material and ideas involved. Children who regularly improvise and create their own dances and musical settings are uniquely prepared to solve problems in many other contexts.
Orff Schulwerk music and movement pedagogy contributes to development of the individual far beyond specific skills and understandings in the arts. These skills and procedures have a wider application and value in several areas:
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Intellectual: The critical-thinking and problem-solving tasks involved in Orff Schulwerk call upon both linear and intuitive intellectual capacities. The carrying out of creative ideas calls upon organizational abilities as well as artistic knowledge and skill.
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Social: Orff Schulwerk is a group model, requiring the cooperative interaction of everyone involved, including the instructor. It is important that artistic development occurs within a satisfying and supportive human environment. Tolerance, helpfulness, patience, and other cooperative attitudes must be cultivated consciously. The ensemble setting requires sensitivity to the total group and awareness of the role of each individual within it. Problem solving, improvisation, and the group composing process provide opportunities for developing leadership.
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Emotional: The artistic media involved—music and movement—provide the individual with avenues for non-verbal expression of emotions. The exploratory and improvisatory activities can provide a focus for emotions, a means for release of tension and frustration, and a vehicle for the enhancement of self-esteem.
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Aesthetic: As knowledge of and skills in music and movement grow, students will have opportunities to develop standards of what is considered “good” within the styles being explored."
As with all things in Montessori, we believe that children learn best by doing!