How do you teach all of the grade levels at once?
Great question! We learn as a community! School is really the only place we see where people are grouped solely by age. Everywhere else in society has a mix of ages which means that it’s important to know how to learn with people of all ages and abilities. How that looks in the classroom is that kids go at their own pace for reading, writing, and math. We don’t say “you’re ahead” or “you’re behind”…you are where we are and we want to grow from there. For that growth, they get one on one, or small group, instruction from a teacher and they can also learn from and get guidance from another student in the class who has already mastered that particular skill. Peer to peer teaching is incredibly profound! For all of our other subjects, kids learn together and what they get out of these subjects will be what is developmentally appropriate for each kiddo.
How many students are in the class?
We will take up to 18 students and have a full time teacher, a part time assistant, and volunteer teachers for music, P.E., science, and math.
Do kids bring their own lunches?
Yes! Kids bring their own lunches and snacks and we encourage foods to be brain fuel- limited processed foods and sugar, limited food dyes, and lots of brain charging protein, vitamins, and minerals!
Do grandparents ever help pay tuition?
I get this question a lot! YES! So many grandparents see the value in this type of learning environment for their grandkids and will help out financially!
What is your curriculum?
We do not subscribe to any one curriculum or pedagogy. Instead, we take bits and pieces (the best of the best) of many curriculums and teaching styles to create a program that best fits the class each year. That being said, a couple of our go to programs that seem to fit every year are 4 group math for our early math learners and Secret Stories for reading and writing. We also do a lot of work around self awareness, emotional regulation, and interpersonal skills and use a program called Tournesol Kids to get us started on that. You can learn more about Tournesol Kids and find your child’s superpower here: https://tournesolkids.org/
How do you get all your students to love school so much?
This question makes me so happy because it shows that you guys recognize how much the kids at The Mate School love school. Rapport and relationships (between teachers and students and students and students) is a big part of that. That takes a lot of time and teaching but the rewards are huge. Our kids are regulated, happy, successful, and know that they have a part to play in our community. We also flip the script a little bit from a traditional school in that we focus on strengths, not weaknesses. In many schools, they look at what a kid doesn’t know or can’t do and try to pile on more school, more work, and more class time to fill in those gaps. While that can have value, I have found that if we focus on what a kid CAN do (what are their strengths, what value do they bring, what can they teach others, even if it is not academic in nature)- if we can nurture and foster those strengths, the kids will naturally try harder in the areas they may need some improvement in because they are confident in themselves. We also allow kids to go at their own pace which brings in a love of learning as well because they are rarely stressed or bored.
What if my child is gifted?
Since kids work on their reading, writing, and math at their own pace, they are able to be challenged or have extra support as needed. We also don’t shy away from hard concepts! I once met an author who exclaimed, “I know you- you’re the teacher who teaches metaphysics to elementary kids!”
Do you teach music, art, and PE? What about computers/technology?
This year we have music class twice a month with our fabulous music teacher. We also have a wonderful PE teacher come in once a week as well as a jump rope coach come in a few times a month! While we do not have a separate art teacher, we do art a lot and even have a Mate School art gallery to showcase the kids’ work in December!
For computers, we are a very low-tech school and do no use computers for our learning. We save the technology piece for parents to introduce to their kids when and if they are ready.
Are you a non-profit?
Yes- we are a non-profit and any donations made to The Mate School are tax deductible!
Are you a part of the church?
We rent space from the church and absolutely love the pastor, the elders, and the “bible study ladies” but we are a separate entity from the church. We just rent space from them.
What happens after 5th grade?
Elementary schools in Colorado end at 5th grade so all kids transition then to a middle school. Some of our students will go to their local public middle school, begin homeschooling, or go to a middle school setting more similar to The Mate School. There are a lot of options in our area!
How does everyone get along when they are all different ages?
It’s not different ages that sometimes struggle to get along, it’s different personalities and a lack of self-awareness. We do a program through Tournesol kids where each kid has a superpower that is based on the 5 elements specific to their personality type, their stress type, what they need when they’re stressed, etc. As we learn more about each element, we begin to understand ourselves and others better. It also helps us to apply the platinum rule at school- give others what they need, not what we need.
https://tournesolkids.org/assessment/
Do you mentor other teachers?
Yes! The Mate School actually has an official mentorship/induction program through the district where teachers can go from the provisional to professional license after going through our program. We also consult with and work with other teachers and schools who want to model their own school or class after The Mate School!
How do you handle sibling rivalry in the classroom?
We have a lot of siblings but we don’t often get sibling rivalry. Usually this dynamic happens between siblings when they are competing for an adults attention, jealousy, or seeing a sibling’s needs get met at the expense of their own needs. In a mixed ages classroom, there is always someone who will give you attention and since we work to find each child’s unique strengths, that helps minimize jealousy. Our Tournesol kids superhero program bring in so much self and others awareness for the kids (and teachers) that kids recognize how their needs are met and that kids with different superpowers than them will have their needs met differently. This helps minimize any rivalries between siblings as well as any of the kids!
Do you have homework?
VERY rarely! There just isn’t a lot of research that supports the value of homework AND we want our students to be able to engage with family and events after school, not have more school.
Do you take 4-year-olds?
Yes! We offer a transitional kindergarten program for kids that are ready. They go through “kindergarten” to learn the ropes in a fun and engaging way! The following year they are more than ready for kindergarten!
Do you offer financial assistance?
Yes! We partner with an organization called ACE. Families can apply for tuition assistance directly through them. The deadline for applications for the upcoming school year ends on April 15.
Do you do assessments?
Yes- we do assessments at the beginning of the year then at the end of each trimester. Our assessments are norm referenced and gives us an idea of what grade level each student is on as well as where in the year they fall (beginning, middle, or end.). This is very helpful since students can go at their own pace and may complete a grade level and a half or 3/4s of a grade level in a 10-month school year. Instead of needing to start back at the beginning of the year for the next school year or needing to repeat the grade all over again, students pick up where they left off at the beginning of the following year. It makes the transition so much smoother! Our assessments are through a national company called Easy CBM.
Do kids transition well to other schools if they have to move?
Yes! Our kids have a lot of freedom and flexibility, and they also learn how to be active and engaging members of society and that transfers over to other learning environments even if it’s not the same as ours. They are flexible and adapt. They have amazing critical thinking skills and are able to go “above and beyond” what is normally presented in a traditional classroom. They also make great helpers for their teachers since they have learned how and when to help others.
Do you teach math to all of those grades?
Yes I do! And since kids go at their own pace, I am teaching up to 8th grade math right now. That’s a lot of math lessons! It’s the favorite subject of The Mate School though and kids also love to teach each other!
Do the kids learn the same thing every year?
No- we rotate through different content so kids are learning different things each year! Some of our content has a 4-year rotation so if a kiddo learns something as a 5 year old, they will learn it again as a 9 year old and be able to go deeper!
Can we take a tour?
Absolutely- e-mail me at msbaker@themateschool.org and we can get you scheduled!
What are your hours?
We have school from 8:45-3 on Monday- Thursday and 8:45-12:45 on Fridays!
Do kids get tardies if they are late?
No- we value calm mornings and regulated nervous systems so we do not give tardies! Doors open at 8:45 and we have free choice for the first hour to give kids time to get settled and ready for their day. Some ids may not arrive until the end of free choice which is fine!
