Mulberry School
Encyclopedia
Mulberry School is an independent, nonsectarian
, coeducational, private
day school
founded in 1963 by members of the American Association of University Women and created to include parents as active participants in their child’s education. Initially a one-room parent cooperative nursery school, Mulberry remained a preschool until 1980, at which time kindergarten was made available. In subsequent years, the growing number of parents wanting a Mulberry education for their children resulted in the addition of junior kindergarten, followed by first through fifth grades. After more than 40 years of leasing space from a church in the Willow Glen neighborhood of San Jose, California
, Mulberry School found a new home and moved to Los Gatos, California
in 2006.
and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges
.
. The Mulberry curriculum includes concepts listed in California’s academic content standards and is based on a developmental guidelines. In addition to a strong and balanced approach to academics, the school has a special emphasis on building character and social confidence. The focus is not on just knowing the answers, but instead it is on imagining the possibilities and encouraging children to become insightful problem solvers and confident decision makers. The curriculum is enriched with nutrition, cooking, gardening, sewing, knitting, ceramics, glass work, community service and PE, Art, Music and field trips.
Mulberry teaches the way children learn. Different children have different styles of learning – some learn through seeing, some through listening, some through touching, moving or doing. Lessons are crafted to accommodate different learning styles and different skill levels, so students can learn in their own way and at their own pace. Interdisciplinary and integrated units of study provide students opportunities to make connections and discover real-life applications. Students actively work on hands-on projects in which they construct their own knowledge, collaborate with peers, and use their creativity and problem solving skills. Students use reading comprehension skills and writing skills to synthesize what they learn in science and social studies. Art is connected to all subject areas so students can demonstrate their creative interpretations of what they have read, written, and studied in all subjects. Inter-grade activities like reading buddies give children the opportunity to teach younger children, make new friends in other grades and see themselves within a range of skills and abilities.
Nonsectarian
Nonsectarian, in its most literal sense, refers to a lack of sectarianism. The term is also more narrowly used to describe secular private educational institutions or other organizations either not affiliated with or not restricted to a particular religious denomination though the organization...
, coeducational, private
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
day school
Day school
A day school—as opposed to a boarding school—is an institution where children are given educational instruction during the day and after which children/teens return to their homes...
founded in 1963 by members of the American Association of University Women and created to include parents as active participants in their child’s education. Initially a one-room parent cooperative nursery school, Mulberry remained a preschool until 1980, at which time kindergarten was made available. In subsequent years, the growing number of parents wanting a Mulberry education for their children resulted in the addition of junior kindergarten, followed by first through fifth grades. After more than 40 years of leasing space from a church in the Willow Glen neighborhood of San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
, Mulberry School found a new home and moved to Los Gatos, California
Los Gatos, California
The Town of Los Gatos is an incorporated town in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The population was 29,413 at the 2010 census. It is located in the San Francisco Bay Area at the southwest corner of San Jose in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains...
in 2006.
Accreditation
Mulberry is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young ChildrenNational Association for the Education of Young Children
The National Association for the Education of Young Children is the largest nonprofit association in the United States representing early childhood education teachers, paraeducators, center directors, trainers, college educators, families of young children, policy makers, and advocates...
and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges
Western Association of Schools and Colleges
The Western Association of Schools and Colleges is one of six official academic bodies responsible for the accreditation of public and private universities, colleges, secondary and elementary schools in the United States and foreign institutions of American origin. The Western Association of...
.
Curriculum
Mulberry class sizes average under 20 students and the school’s parent participation model results in adult:child ratios of 1:3 in preschool and 1:8 in elementary schoolElementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
. The Mulberry curriculum includes concepts listed in California’s academic content standards and is based on a developmental guidelines. In addition to a strong and balanced approach to academics, the school has a special emphasis on building character and social confidence. The focus is not on just knowing the answers, but instead it is on imagining the possibilities and encouraging children to become insightful problem solvers and confident decision makers. The curriculum is enriched with nutrition, cooking, gardening, sewing, knitting, ceramics, glass work, community service and PE, Art, Music and field trips.
Mulberry teaches the way children learn. Different children have different styles of learning – some learn through seeing, some through listening, some through touching, moving or doing. Lessons are crafted to accommodate different learning styles and different skill levels, so students can learn in their own way and at their own pace. Interdisciplinary and integrated units of study provide students opportunities to make connections and discover real-life applications. Students actively work on hands-on projects in which they construct their own knowledge, collaborate with peers, and use their creativity and problem solving skills. Students use reading comprehension skills and writing skills to synthesize what they learn in science and social studies. Art is connected to all subject areas so students can demonstrate their creative interpretations of what they have read, written, and studied in all subjects. Inter-grade activities like reading buddies give children the opportunity to teach younger children, make new friends in other grades and see themselves within a range of skills and abilities.