The Yadkin Valley Community School is an independent school located in historic downtown Elkin, North Carolina. We provide an outstanding learning environment within small, multi-age classrooms for children in grades kindergarten through eighth. The key to creating this holistic learning environment is to have well-trained and passionate teachers who meet each child at their learning level and fully utilize the many natural and community based resources that are inherent to downtown Elkin. The Yadkin Valley Community School serves the towns of Elkin and Jonesville, as well as the surrounding communities in Surry, Yadkin, Wilkes, Alleghany, and Forsyth counties.

OUR MISSION: To develop a unique educational environment that fosters the whole child by encouraging academic excellence, joy of learning, creativity, curiosity, mindfulness, self-empowerment and community awareness.

WHAT WE BELIEVE:

1. Every child learns in a unique way and at a different pace. Meeting the children where they are academically and developmentally allows them to advance through the curriculum as they are ready, guided by the teacher and an individualized learning plan.

2. Multi-age classrooms are beneficial. Younger children learn from older children; older children reinforce their learning by teaching concepts they have already mastered. In this way, the group of children become like a family.

3. Kids should be inspired to learn, not forced or bribed. For great education to occur, students must choose to study long, hard and effectively because they genuinely love it! Through an engaging curriculum and prepared learning environment as well as passionate teachers, we will inspire our students to become deeply in love with learning. They will learn in “the flow” and absorb large amounts of information, knowledge, understanding, connections and wisdom in a short time.

4. It is important to educate the whole child. By leaning heavily on the Montessori teaching philosophies and incorporating additional concepts and activities, we will not only cover the “Common Core” but will also go more deeply into the arts, humanities, history and science. We will engage the children in the community, encouraging the development of responsible, productive citizenship. Mindfulness will be part of the everyday educational plan.

5. It is beneficial to be a part of the community (specifically downtown) and have parent and community involvement. These benefits extend to the school itself, the families and the economy of downtown.

6. Kids learn best through hands-on experiences. Hands-on activities and experiential learning is interesting and engaging. For certain subjects, having procedural knowledge of that subject makes it easier to truly learn and remember (not just briefly memorize).

7. There is greater engagement when a child is studying that which he or she finds interesting. It’s the tasks that intrigue us, that tap our curiosity and connect to the things we care about, that we tend to keep doing — and get better at doing.

8. Teachers should be mentors who are facilitating the learning process, not dictating it. The mentor finds out the student’s goals, interests, talents, weaknesses, strengths and purpose, and then helps him or her develop and carry out a plan to prepare for his or her unique mission.

9. Traditional homework in the early grades has little effect on academic success. Recommended after school activities include: discussing with your child what he or she has been working on in school, the child reading a book of his or her choosing, playing outside, etc.

10. Questions are good! Students will be supported in becoming active seekers of knowledge. Teachers provide environments where students have the freedom and the tools to pursue answers to their own questions.