SWS Mission and Philosophy

SWS at Peabody is a teacher-directed DC Public School. It operates under the direct authority of DCPS. The six teachers are responsible for the management and supervision of all school functions including personnel, enrollment, budget, curriculum, and school climate.

Our mission is to support and develop children's potential through a child-centered, collaborative teaching and learning environment inspired by the philosophy and practice of the Reggio Schools in Reggio Emilia, Italy.

We believe that all children come to school with their own strengths and interests, a unique set of experiences and ideas, their own theories about how the world works, and an intense interest in learning.

We believe that children learn through active engagement in meaningful experiences. We believe that child-initiated and directed play is essential to children's development. And we believe that children learn best in a social context.

We want our students to value diversity and to learn to live comfortably with others. We want our students to master and safely express their feelings. We support them in becoming independent, creative thinkers who can solve problems and apply what they have learned to new situations.

The emphasis in the approach to education used at SWS is on developing children's ability to represent ideas, theories, thoughts and feelings through a variety of media. Projects are the vehicle through which children study a topic in depth. The goals for projects are formulated collaboratively by teachers, students and parents. Students, teachers and parents' interests, goals, and questions are combined with the broad educational goals of the DC Public Schools to develop the SWS curriculum.

The art studio and the art teacher are essential elements of a Reggio-inspired school. The visual arts provide a powerful and manageable tool for children to use in expressing their ideas. The art studio is a place for learning techniques in the use of a variety of tools and materials and creating products that reflect children's thinking and learning.

"The arts are not mere diversions from the important business of education; they are essential resources." 

— Elliot Eisner

The collaborative relationship between children, teachers, and parents of SWS is essential to the learning process. We believe that as a learning community working together to understand children, we can find new solutions to problems and create new possibilities for learning.

"The SWS Charter at Peabody demonstrates that when a community works hand-in-hand with educators, they can make a very positive difference in the education of our children." 

— Susan K. O'Neal, for the Hill Rag, August 16-September 4, 1996