Our History
The Ark was founded by myself, Adina Priel, in 1999.
The idea began when, as a new parent, I found myself researching different school options for my son, Noah. I felt frustrated and dismayed when I realized that I would have to accept a hard-to-find space at a center which did not represent what I knew had to be possible - somewhere - a place for joyful, individualized, responsive learning and growing. A place where students move forwards without being rushed and when they have mastered content - not when they’re reached a certain birthday or sat in a classroom for a certain amount of time.
It seemed that parents was required to make a choice between traditional play-based, “Toys R Us” environments, or subdued and inflexible, traditional or Montessori environments. About 30 years ago, the Reggio Emilia, emergent curriculum approach to learning was only beginning to be taught to new teachers in the field of education and there were less than a handful of centers dedicated to exploring this approach. Each pedagogical approach to learning environments were mutually exclusive; with each ‘camp’ unwilling to consider the merits of the other, remaining rather entrenched, disconnected and misinformed. I did not feel comfortable with any of these choices. I asked myself as to ‘why’ parents needed to be in such a position, obliged to make disappointing and sometimes unsettling choices – was there no other way?
Realizing that there was nothing to stop me from taking what is recognized as the best in Early Childhood Pedagagogical and Education Theory and implementing it all into a cohesive program, led us to what is The Ark Elementary School as we now know it.
While what I have expressed myself here about educational/philosophical approaches to current educational practices, I must also emphasize that I, as a parent, was looking for a special ‘feeling’ of connectedness and enthusiasm for a collaborative and natural learning process. I felt that my son needed a place with warm, caring staff who would recognize my son’s individual needs (he had lots!) while offering firm guidance, boundary-setting and positive reinforcement while maintaining high expectations, not just strict discipline, which I have always tended to see as more punitive.
The creation of a school that could truly embrace a holistic, social and emotional, blended pedagogical approach meant finding committed, intelligent educators, who knew instinctively, and from experience, that “there had to be another way” to meet children where hey are at and were willing to take the road less taken and run with it. Well, we are still running and parents and other educators, like ourselves, are realizing the inability of traditional programs to rise to meet the needs and rights of the children of today. We must be brave to take committed action to do things differently, and then unsurprisingly, space can be made for something better - magically, happy children who cry on the weekends because it is not a school day!
“I started a a seed, a pale seed, but then you picked me up and turned me into a bud. After, I turned into a flower.“
— Charlotte, age 7
“Thank you for teaching me and telling me not to give up”.
— Alex, age 9
“Thank you for believing in me. If I wasn’t here, you would still believe in me even on the other side of a river.”
— Ezekiel, age 7
“ You are the nice, even when we lie to you.”
— Allison, age 7
“ I know you will never give upon me. Thanks for the compliments and feedback.”