“The Deck House
School is” - Our motto is “Saepe
Create Molles Aspera Spina Rosas” (Often the prickly thorn produces tender
roses) [From Ovid]. We believe that
The Deck House School is a place where ‘roses’
or positive selves may grow from the ‘prickly
thorn’ or trajectories of difficult experiences and unfortunate events.
“a small” - A
student body of twelve boys is tiny by any measure of a school. However,
‘small’ in our case means small enough to fit around the kitchen table each
evening to share a meal. Bringing his/her own experiences and viewpoints to the
table, the presence of each individual changes the nature of the company.
“residential” – Residing
at The Deck House School entails preparing meals and doing daily and periodic
chores. In this respect, life itself is the curriculum.
“high school” - We
have found that there is great potential for boys to change their pattern
through their own agency between the ages of 15 and 19.
“for boys” - It
is well documented in current educational literature that boys have unique
social/emotional/learning needs, such as masculine identities, making
connections to others, building relationships, and active-experiential
learning.
“who have struggled”
– ‘Struggled,’ in past tense, means having worked below his potential, as evidenced
by his deteriorating grades, school dismissals, and rule-breaking behavior.
“in the academic
mainstream” - In mainstream educational settings, our students may have
wanted, or needed, more attention, and they may have gotten off track because
of distractions. Some of our students may have institutional identities that
limit their sense of potential.
“students and staff”
- Students and staff are true partners. Through active discussion – our primary
method of teaching – a constant verbal exchange draws out the energy and
encourages the possibilities.
“work together to”
– Working together is a vital expression of The Deck House School’s culture.
“create a community” –
‘Community’ refers to the network of individuals who foster social, emotional,
and academic connections inside, and outside, the schoolhouse. Metaphorically
speaking, our community network is a tuber or rhizome, branching out in many
directions, yet deeply rooted here on our hill.
“that builds positive
relationships” - Positive relationships require effort and solid connections. We assume that our boys
may construct positive identities through positive relationships with adults.
“and encourages” -
Though we may encourage change, ultimately this is something that the boy must
desire to do; he has to take ownership of the process. By creating a supportive
community, we provide a context that allows this to happen, what our founder,
Edward T. Hall, referred to as the “the soil of success.”
“social, emotional,
and academic growth” - We define ‘growth’
as expanding social, emotional, and academic connections within our diverse community
network.
Central to the growth process, students connect with our
dedicated, and talented, faculty through collaborative activities in our
Academic and Daily Life programs. From cooking meals to cleaning the school
buildings, we work hard, together, to care for this place. Reaching out in our
Co-curricular and Community Service programs, students forge connections with
local business-owners and managers, organic farmers, pre-school teachers,
freelance musicians, working artists and craftspeople – opportunities to build
constructive relationships by actively participating in the livelihood of their
mentors. This experience often leads to greater self-confidence and positive
identities.
Dr. Melinda Evelyn
Browne, Head of School
