Is Headwaters Right For You?
Who is a Headwaters Student?
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Students who thrive at Headwaters are curious and motivated. Our students ask “why?” and want to learn more.
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Headwaters students regularly get out of the classroom and into the local community. They interact with local leaders, they take on independent projects, and they want to make a difference.
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Our students are intrinsically motivated. While we offer grades, the opportunity to excel in academics, both inside and outside the classroom, is what makes our students unique.
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Headwaters students are curious to participate in activities and academics outside their comfort zone. This might mean representing their peers as a grade-level representative for student government, or it might mean sharing a tent in a field during Fall Outdoor Ed. They are willing to try new things.
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Our academics are hard. We mean really hard. What does hard mean? It means you push yourself to do your best work. It means you set high expectations for yourself. It means that students are expected to complete top-tier academic work, and engage regularly in an academic community. We want for them to actively participate, be proud of their work, strive to learn more, and make a difference in the world around them.
Who isn’t a Headwaters student?
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Our school doesn’t do as well with students who have severe behavioral needs. Our discipline model is based on Responsive Classroom, a restorative justice process. In order for restorative justice to be effective, students have to want to take constructive feedback, and make amends for wrong-doing. This model is effective for some students, and ineffective for those who don’t want to be a part of the Headwaters community.
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Students with complex learning differences are not set up for success at Headwaters. We are a small independent school with small class-sizes and a small faculty. We cannot give enough attention to students who regularly need intensive academic one-to-one instruction to complete grade-level work.
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Similarly, students with severe emotional needs will not find an adequate level of therapeutic support at Headwaters. While we recognize that many students have situational challenges that affect them during adolescence, we are unable to adequately support students with long-term and complex issues that inhibit them from fully participating in the Headwaters experience. ​
Still have more questions? Ask yourself…
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Are you willing to camp overnight with 20 of your friends and classmates in the mountains in the fall?
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Would you dress up in an historical costume to present as a person from the Revolutionary War to a group of parents and friends as part of your US History project?
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Are you excited about the prospect of having the independence to walk between school buildings, play outside, and enjoy lunch in a collaborative environment?
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Even if you are nervous, are you excited to learn Spanish with hopes of traveling overseas to a Spanish-speaking country and eventually completing the Seal of Biliteracy?
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Do you want to create strong relationships with your teachers, where you can get support to learn skills about anything and everything - from to how to study to how to resolve conflict?
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Are you willing to learn the skills to present publicly? Public presentation is a hallmark of a Headwaters education, and throughout each grade-level, we will challenge you to shine.