School+History

**Initial Vision:**
__Our FOUNDERS/BENEFACTORS:__ Mr. and Mrs. Steinbeck-Eastwood, a retirement age couple who made their fortune in the health care industry with a focus on retirement communities, have decided to retire in one of their most beautiful and prestigious retirement communities, the Royal Oaks Retirement Community (RORC) in Carmel Valley, central California. Set on one end of a 7 acre plot of land fronting a forest and at the outskirts of the cultural district of downtown Carmel, the Steinbeck-Eastwoods have recently been thinking of ways to develop the adjacent land in a project that would compliment the values of the RORC, while serving the needs of their new Carmel Valley community. (Discussions at recent city council meetings had mentioned the possibility of purchasing or condemning the land to build a racetrack, the revenue of which would finance a new mass transit system into Monterey. This was not acceptable to residents nor the Steinbeck-Eastwoods. Mrs. Steinbeck-Eastwood (Sylvia) had recently become passionate about recent progressive educational techniques, having been invited as a guest lecturer (on the "graying of the Valley population") in a local progressive independent high school, where she recognized an opportunity for a compelling legacy that she and her husband could leave to the future generations. Having no children of their own and having amassed considerable wealth, they had been looking for a project worthy of their time and talents. (To whom much is given, much is required) Mr. Steinbeck-Eastwood (David) was also frustrated at the prospects of being "put out to pasture" - and felt that he and other retirees like him, still have much energy, wisdom and TIME they could devote to a truly compelling initiative. With a small group of brilliant educators (Keith, Stacey, Katy and Lauren), as well as a recently retired master school head (Dr. Rob Fleeters), they hatch a plan for a brilliantly unique, innovative and progressive educational venture attuned to PLACE, PLAY and PACE.

PLACE - Convinced that children today are losing physical contact with the outdoors, and inspired by research proving the myriad benefits (health, sustainability) of being outside, the founding group determine to build attention to "place" into the very policies and curricula of Cypress School. Not only will this help to design the physical structure of classrooms, but also it will influence the curriculum, the daily schedule, and the way field trips will play a role in the ethos of the school.

PLAY - Again, inspired by the research supporting the integral place of PLAY in a child's accessibility to learning, the founding group determines to build PLAY into the policies and curricula of Cypress School, both in the scheduling of free time, but also integrated into classroom practices that affirm the joy of play as the work of childhood.

PACE - Acknowledging that the increased pace of 21st century life can be detrimental to learning and is a strain as well on a community from the youngest student - to teachers and staff - and parents as well, the founders are determined to intentionally attend to the PACE of life at Cypress. One of the built in gifts of proximity to the retirement community is the invitation to look at the meta-concept of PACE from a lifetime perspective! From cradle to grave and everything inbetween, prioritizing PACE can illuminate priorities that truly matter. Conversely, not attending to pace in the very structure and practice of our school might lead us to gloss over our core values in the frenzied attempt to squeeze too much into our days.

SUMMARY: Considering the needs and current demographics of this community, the founders determined that the time was right for a new, non-sectarian elementary educational enterprise! NAIS Demographic Stats Onlines (these are for real!): population will grow by 5% in the next 5 years.  Total school aged children projected to grow by a whopping 30% in the next 5 years. (Hispanics alone will contribute 10% of that figure) NAIS rates the Monterey Peninsula "A" rating for Education Tuition Potential.

 The "dominant profile" for this area remains "rich and old" (yes, that's a category) which lends itself to the brilliant and innovative niche created for a partnership between a Pre-K through 6th grade school and the existing retirement community, Royal Oaks Retirement Community. Using the findings and inventive thinking of educator researchers such as Sugata Mitra (TED talk), Cypress School responds to the compelling invitation of utilizing elders in the early educational enterprise.

1) PLAY as educational value: Hands on, experiential, project based learning 2) PLACE as educational value: Commitment to care for environment, creative use of the outdoors in all aspects of school day (garden to table) 3) PACE as educational value: an emphasis on social-emotional well being, growth as organic and gradual, not linear and mechanical! Our partnership with the Retirement Community will also expand our concept of "life-long" learning as well as the gifts of intergenerational sharing, relating and serving.

Other Special Characteristics of The Cypress School: 4) Integration, collaboration across grade levels and disciplines ("specialst teachers" assigned to a grade level, but spanning grade levels as well. Use of the gifts of elders in every area) 5) Technology days (as a way to "unplug" other days) 6) Kupuna Days - families, RORC residents activities with students as teachers meet to plan 7) Commitment to serving our community - 8) y

Specialists in music, art, gardening, dance, languages, drama/storytelling, social-emotional-spiritual learning, and of course, math/science/history/language arts - but totally in tune with creative techniques to make teaching and learning fun and relevant and age appropriate.