Stone Soup School

The Stone Soup School is a Democratic Free School located at 4 King St. in Worcester MA. The school is modeled after The Albany Free School, which has served students in Albany, New York since 1969 and the Sudbury Valley School, which has served students in Framingham, Massachusetts since 1968. The Stone Soup School will work in cooperation with The Balance Rock Freeschool in Jefferson, MA.

The Stone Soup School serves students ages 5-14. There is a five : one student : teacher ratio. We primarily serve students living in the Main South, Piedmont / Pleasant, and Elm Park neighborhoods of Worcester, MA. Our current maximum student capacity is 20 students. School is in session for at least 1,260 contact hours a year, which equals the equivalent of one hundred and eighty days with a seven-hour school day.

One fundamental mission of the Stone Soup School is to nourish leadership and responsibility thorough group decision-making. Active participation in the school decision-making structure encourages students to become conscientious citizens and leaders. Students and staff use the school decision-making structure to decide inner workings of the school such as school trip destinations, project and curriculum themes, school norms, and to resolve conflicts.

We believe that children and adults learn best when they directly interact with the world around them. Students at the Stone Soup School will be exposed to many experiential learning opportunities. Students at the school have the opportunity to work closely with community groups and projects such as Earn-a-Bike, the Toxic Soil Busters, community gardens, Saori Weaving, and Casa Cutural Dominicana de Worcester and many others.

Students and staff work together to create theme-based curriculum that is tailored to the needs and interests of the school body. A theme is used to unite the study of math, science, language arts, reading, social studies and the fine arts through an entire semester. Themes are broad enough to allow room for interpretation based on individual interests. Learning activities and projects that take place during the school session will be linked to the theme through out the semester.

Students and staff teach each other through formal and informal instruction based on individual choice and cooperative learning. Students and staff work together to build an individualized curriculum that fits each student’s needs and desires. This holistic and cooperative approach to education teaches children not only academic subjects such as reading and math, but also teaches students how to learn and encourages a lifelong passion for learning.

Parental involvement is a crucial aspect of the Stone Soup School. Parents are encouraged to volunteer time at the school by teaching classes, going on field trips, helping with school maintenance, and becoming active members of the school decision making body.

At the Stone Soup School we believe in nurturing the whole child. The emotional and social lives of our students are as important to us as their academics. Students at the Stone Soup School are listened to and their needs are respected.

The Stone Soup School tuition operates on a sliding scale basis. No student will be turned away for financial reasons. The Stone Soup School does not discriminate on the basis of race, class, gender, national or ethnic origin, religion, or sexual orientation.

Please contact Anne Lewenberg with any questions. (508) 755-4974 stonesoupschool@gmail.com.