Our Philosophy of Education

Our primary purpose as educators is to nurture the nascent minds of our future leaders and protectors of our world. We believe that creativity, compassion, negotiation, and ingenuity are some of the important traits to foster in our youngest people to ensure their most potent success. You will find our classrooms reflect these values in many ways. We strive to create a predictable and structured routine without being lockstep and inflexible. We will take time to solve a conflict or problem, teaching students to be their own advocates and express their motivations, rather than enforcing a consequence with little discussion. We take the students’ questions and insights seriously, and will always treat them as a whole person with valuable ideas and experiences to share.

Children learn best when they are invested in what they are doing. Just like adults, their interest level dictates how hard they will work to find out more information. Our job as teachers is to ignite curiosity in children, to encourage ideas, to guide their natural desire to learn, and to provide them with various experiences to broaden their scope of the world. That being said, children are not learning just in the classroom. Every moment of every day is an experience that a child integrates into what they know about the world around them. That is why it is important that families and teacher work closely together as a team. We approach our relationship with you as parents and vested community members, who know the glories and worries, the prideful love and the woeful struggles of the most important job we have. We will celebrate your child’s successes with you, and work with you to find solutions to problem areas. We are concerned for your child as a whole person, and feel it is our responsibility to nurture their intellectual and emotional and social well-being.

Communication

If you want to talk to either of us for any reason, you can always reach us by email:  culvert@aaps.k12.mi.us, kushis@aise520.com, and waandersa@aaps.k12.mi.us We check them daily, and will usually reply to you within 24 hours. You can also send a note in the returned homework folder. The office is an option during the day (994-1958), voicemails are checked intermittently throughout the week, and may not be the most efficient means of communication. You can have Mrs. Szuszman leave a note in one of our boxes.