A day at SVCS

The following is an outline of the daily activities of the students, staff, and volunteers at Shenandoah Valley Community School during one day in spring of 2007. While each day is different, this snapshot of life at school is a good representation of what SVCS members typically experience.

8:45AM Two students and the morning volunteer arrive and greet each other. The students go into the meeting room and visit a favorite website.At computer

9:15AM The students wash their hands and eat a snack together.

9:30AM The students go outside with a staff member and play basketball. Another student arrives and joins the game.

9:45AM Everyone comes inside and one student gets out some Danish comic books he brought with him. Everyone looks at those, and the student translates a few words of Danish. The fourth student arrives and joins the others.

10:00AM Daily meeting. The discussion item on the agenda, written in response to an earlier meeting discussion, is: "What do we want to do to celebrate the last day of school?" Looking in microscopeStudents propose visiting their houses. Each wants everyone to come to their house. A staff member suggests that we go to all the houses in turn. Consensus is reached on this proposal. The staff member and one student agree to contact parents to schedule this.

10:10AM Weekly science class. The volunteer sets up a microscope and everyone takes a turn trying it out. Afterward three students go out with the volunteer to catch insects to look at; one student decides to stay in. He looks up baseball statistics on the computer.

Catching insects10:50AM The bug hunters return. They pin the insects and look at them under the microscope, excitedly discussing what they see. One student eats lunch, observing them from across the room.

11:30AM A student asks the staff member to read him a book. Other students come to listen.

11:40AM One student plays games on the computer, one student races toy cars, and the other two prepare to eat lunch.

12:00PM Staff and two students eat lunch. One student plays on the computer while another watches.Reading together

12:15PM Students clean up and put away their lunches. One volunteer leaves, another arrives with her child. Students alternately watch computer games and wrestle on the couch. They sing a song together, inventing variations, and cheer on the student playing the game.

12:30PM Two students and the child of the volunteer move to another room to play. They get out dress up and dramatic play items. One student continues to play on the computer while another watches and writes down his win/loss records.

12:40PM The student leaves the computer and goes to eat lunch. Two other students clean up, then play computer while another watches.

12:55PM One student phones his father to ask a question about the computer game. Other students sword-fight with play swords.

T-ball1:05PM One student and the volunteer child go outside to play T-ball. Other students remain inside playing/watching the computer game and looking at books.

1:15PM All students join in the T-ball game outside.

1:30PM Two students play with the volunteer's child in the sandbox. One child goes to the computer and another asks the staff member to read to him.

1:45PM One child leaves early with his parent.

1:50PM Other students come inside and take turns playing/watching computer games. Several take turns play sword-fighting.

2:15PM Students set up and perform a puppet show, taking turns watching and doing shows.

Playing with puppets2:45PM Students alternate between playing with puppets and playing computer games.

3:00PM Parents begin to arrive and students finish activities.

3:15PM Students and volunteers leave for the day.