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JOURNEY SCHOOL

Journey School is charter school in Aliso Viejo, California. It was first chartered on February 14, 2000 and is the first parent initiated charter school in Orange County’s Capistrano Unified School District (CUSD). When first opened, Journey School served 90 students in grades K-3. During the subsequent years, the school began adding a grade each year, until it was serving grades K-6. Then in June 2005, the charter was renewed, and the school had fully implemented kindergarten through 8th grades in 2007-2008 school year. Since its opening, the school has continued to grow. In 2009, the charter was renewed again, and now serves approximately 550 students, offering two classes per grade to 7th grade. Wait lists are also present across most grades.

WALDORF EDUCATION

Waldorf education has its roots in post-World War 1, Europe, a time when socioeconomic, political and technical circumstances were shifting rapidly. An Austrian philosopher, Rudolf Steiner, was asked to make a curriculum for a cigarette company’s employees children. So he began working with social leaders to develop an education that would cultivate in young people, problem solving, free, moral, and integrated individuals, who could meet the challenges of the 20th century. Steiner put forth the theory of human beings having a threefold nature: social economical, physical, and intellectual. Therefore, in his educational model, the heart must be reached, as well as the mind and body. Journey School adheres to Steiner’s idea of education, and is classified as a Waldorf-inspired school. Journey School is a member of the Alliance for Public Waldorf Education, and is guided by the Core Principles of Public Waldorf as a progressive, public charter school in Orange County.

The land Journey School stands on is owned by the school district, although it originally belonged to Phillip Morris, and was donated.

FACILITIES

Journey School has many different work areas and places to play, including: Portable Classrooms, Woodworking area, Gaga-pit/mud pit, Green Heart Garden, Two lunch areas, Kindergarten area, Front Field (with play structure), Back Field. Students also enjoy nature walks outside of campus.

CURRICULUM

The Journey School motto is "Education is a journey, not a race" because the pedagogy honors the slow development of a child. At Journey School, students study English, Games (PE), Music, Math, Nature, History, Digital Media Literacy and Art. Although these subjects make Journey seem ordinary, the school is a bit out of the ordinary because the school day consists of one main lesson and four other subjects. In main lesson students have a main class teacher, each grade has its own. Main lesson consists of about 10 blocks each year where students learn everything from history to science. They learn English through work sheets and lectures. Math is taught in separate classes according to your math level. They learn about nature through Earth Roots, a group that takes students out on nature walks and classroom adventures. From kindergarten to 8th grade students study art and its history. In first grade students learn the flute, in third grade they start recorder, in fourth grade they start violin, and in seventh grade students choose to be in either recorder, violin, or singing.

FACULTY

Independent Study / Hybrid Kindergarten: Laura Bujjoni, Amanda Simmons, Alyson Smithimi, Kindergarten: Jayme Barger, Hellene Brodsky-Blake, Shannon Johnson, Jill Murphy, 1st Grade: Robin Davis, Kelly Larson, 2nd Grade: Jennifer Hopps, Alanna Murphy, 3rd Grade Yara Wilde, Jeannie Lee, 4th Grade: Julia Cameron, Jennifer Morrison, 5th Grade: Arias Collins, Erin Bratcher, 6th Grade: Taraneh Daghighian, Kara Fos, 7th Grade: Elliot Calloway, Carrie Ferguson, 8th Grade: Kerry Townley-Smith

Specialty Teachers:

Billy Alexander, Guitar Gaylen Corbett, Visual Arts Diana Corbo, Music – Grades 1-3 Joshua Crawford, Woodworking/Compassionate Campus Elle Esparza, Spanish Janet Gates, Mathematics Diana Graber, Digital Media Literacy/Cyber Civics Joy Halverson, Games Amanda Hammond, Handwork Linling Hsu, Music – Strings Program Iris Ortiz, Spanish Kathryn Pitts, Music Coordinator (Music Grades 4-8) Tammra Tanner, Cooking Arts and Little Acorns Kim Torrey, Middle School Science Nicola Wellner, Handwork

SCHOOL POLICIES

Media Policy: The school discourages the use of media during the week. Tuition: Tuition is free because Journey is a public, Waldorf school. Dress code: Students are not allowed to wear corporate logos.