What "Holistic" Means 

Our Holistic School starts with a Montessori classroom and the unique Montessori manipulatives and materials; then adds stations for learning through multiple intelligences (spatial, musical, auditory, visual, kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, linguistic, logical, mathematical, etc); plus the flourish of Waldorf creativity, daily and seasonal rhythms, and imaginative play; and finally we add to this the unlimited great outdoors and nature education.  Being a Holistic School also means nurturing the whole child for who they are.

Sustainable Path to Growth

In order to be sustainable, we initially opened our doors to just one 3-6 year old class in Fall, 2008.  In August of 2009, MSCS welcomes a lower elementary class, too--and Brevard's ONLY afternoon preschool!  We're following intentionally progressive steps over a period of time.  We will eventually provide education from preschool through 8th grade. We welcome opportunities to integrate homeschool students at every stage.  Class sizes are intentionally kept small.

 Diligence, Good Attention Spans, and Strong Work Ethics are only Natural

Tuition in a Nonprofit School

Tuition is necessary at a private school to make the school a reality, but our intention is to make enrollment possible for any student through alternatives such as financial assistance, part-time enrollment, or work exchange.  We are incorporated as a nonprofit organization and unlike other schools in town, are not subsidized by a church or the government.  Despite this, we have the lowest tuition in WNC for any comparable school.  

A Different Morning Drop-Off 

One of the unique things about our school starts at the moment parents drop off their child.  Instead of parents walking children in and then leaving (which can feel like abandonment to a child, create unnecessary chain reactions of crying, and fosters separation anxiety), we have the familiar face of their teacher walk outside to individually greet the children and bring them in from their car.  In this way, it is the child's choice as to when to say goodbye to Mom or Dad, and thus the child is empowered. 

About Brevard

Brevard, NC, is blessed with many families of young children who have high ideals, dedicate themselves to work that embodies their personal values, work hard to balance such professional interests with quality time with their children, are actively engaged in outdoor activities and the natural world, and who strive to leave the world “better than how they found it.”  

Brevard is situated in the valley of the mountains, a half hour from the Asheville airport. We are lucky to live around the corner from Pisgah National Forest, Dupont State Forest, and Holmes Educational State Forest, not to mention the rivers.  Neighboring towns include Hendersonville, Etowah, Horseshoe, Penrose, Rosman, Toxaway, and Balsam Grove. Transylvania County has more waterfalls than anywhere else in the United States.  It's a beautiful place to live, work, play, and raise kids!

www.brevardncchamber.org 

www.visitwaterfalls.com

www.brevardnc.com

www.brevardnc.org

Berry Picking at Black Balsam on the      Blue Ridge Parkway

WHAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT? 

We live in a time of cultural re-evaluation.  Just when you'd least expect it, camps are seeing increased enrollment, as are other programs that get kids to be creative or explore the outdoors.   Americans are moving away from sedentary materialism toward deeper truths like community and inner groundedness. We think these trends are  precisely because we've seen what happens when  "more stuff" is the emphasis, while taking away recess, pushing the natural world out of our lives--and not allowing a place in the classroom  for ethics education and the sacred.  People are re-prioritizing, returning to a way of life closer to Nature, in touch with spirituality, and guided by core life values of how we should be with one another.  Our school is a reflection of this growing need to live in harmony with what we believe and teach our kids a better way of life--hand over a better future.

Investigating 

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?

Mountain Sun strives to:

...Utilize teaching techniques developed by leaders in experiential and holistic education and philosophies such as John Dewey, Rudolph Steiner (Waldorf), Maria Montessori, Jean Piaget, Howard Gardner, and Ron Miller as well as the teacher’s intuition.

...Be a community of active learners in an open classroom setting along with a fluid daily schedule created to provide diverse learning experiences, including dedicated project time and regular field trips.

...Discuss student progress without the use of traditional grading and report cards—instead, using individual conferences between the director, teachers, and parents, with student input and ongoing communication.

...Value diversity and be open to any sexual orientation or religious, racial, ethnic, or economic background.

...Have active and participatory parents creating a climate of cooperation, innovation, and creativity.

Smiles & Swings

ASPIRATIONS

• Offering parenting workshops such as Conscious Discipline, Positive Discipline, Attachment Parenting, Non-Violent Communication, Partnership Parenting, etc.
• Owning our own building in the woods somewhere
• A foundation to provide funds for scholarships
• Having parents prepare a lesson from their own knowledge for the kids

The Pegboard