At Parker, mutual respect underlies all interactions in play and work. The school is a safe learning environment where students are encouraged to become academic risk-takers. Developmentally appropriate curricula, thoughtful challenges, and constructive support help each child succeed. Mixed-age classes offer opportunities for collaborative learning and peer support. Through partnerships between teachers, parents, and children, the school fosters an atmosphere of inquiry and learning at all ages. Curricular studies of differing cultures, heritages, beliefs, family structures, and identities reflect our commitment to involvement with the broader community .

Parker celebrates a learning process that is open-ended, challenging, supportive, and academically unpredictable. Using an inquiry-based, hands-on approach to learning, teachers know students as individuals and work from each child’s strengths and interests. Teachers and students collaborate to develop curricula, including schoolwide themes, that meet the needs and capture the interests of each class. In making active choices about learning, students and teachers participate in creating a democratic community that is responsive to the varying learning styles and strengths of each child.

At Parker we view learning as an active process that continues throughout a lifetime. Genuine knowledge is rooted in children’s experiences of work and play. Building on previous experiences, children learn by making connections. We encourage independence of thought, emphasizing critical thinking and problem solving while teaching basic skills and competencies. The school respects the capacity of each child and recognizes that each child develops at his or her own pace. Real learning grows from a sense of accomplishment and achievement that takes place at different times for different students.