THE STELLE LEARNING CENTER A NEW BRAND OF “SCHOOL” Last March, the parents, teachers, and administrators of the Stelle School met to discuss the school’s educational system. The majority of people at the meeting felt satisfied with the academic achievements of our students. The students had surpassed what was normally expected of children at their various age levels. We were also pleased that our students knew the philosophy of Stelle as presented in The Ultimate Frontier. However, we felt that we wanted to expand our system to insure that our students not only achieved high academics and knew our philosophy, but that each student develop his personal confidence in the philosophy and in the academic subjects through his own life experiences. We wanted each student’s social development to reflect an ever increasing sense of his unique value as an individual in the universe. We desired a total educational system that would allow each student to continue learning at his best individual rate. The Stelle Early Learning (pre-school age) educational program had decided to adopt the Montessori Method for our youngest children and it was felt that perhaps we could find and adopt a system for our elementary and secondary students. We formed a Task Force to investigate a variety of educational systems and theories. The object was to find one system to satisfy our high goals of education at Stelle. The Task Force was comprised of eight people who had varying backgrounds of interest and experience in education. We met two or three times each week to compile and discuss every type of theory and school system which we could find. In addition to these meetings. We traveled to Chicago, Detroit, Bloomington, Indiana, Champaign, and Kankakee to visit and observe a variety of educational systems. They included Montessori, Waldorf, Competency Based Education, Accelerated Christian Education, and Humanistic Education. We observed classrooms and interviewed key people in each system. Then we reviewed the possibility of adopting each of the systems directly into our school. We found all the systems working admirably where they had been instituted. Each system had techniques and ideas from which our school could benefit. However, we did not feel that the transplanting of any of these as a whole would be appropriate to our situation in Stelle. A major concern arose early about the need for a balanced education and the enrichment of the student in a wide variety of fields. Attendant to this concern was the question of how to make the sciences appeal to the artistically inclined child, or art and music of interest to the student of mathematics. The challenge was one of instituting a program where fields of study would be distinct yet still be treated with an interdisciplinary approach that would demonstrate how the different subjects are related in real life experience. The new teachers met several times with the Task Force in order to exchange ideas and get the full thrust of the Task Force’s research and intentions. It was obvious that a totally interdisciplinary approach was beyond our present capabilities. However, we wanted to communicate the interrelationship of all knowledge in order to make each subject more meaningful. We adopted a schedule which would lend itself to achieving this approach. The yearly schedule was divided into six terms of seven weeks, the vacations falling at the spiritual holidays and at the change of seasons. During each term, five major subjects would be scheduled. The arts were included as a major subject and not relegated to a subordinate position as so often is done. During each term, one of the subjects would be chosen as the emphasized subject. The other subjects would be taught in relation to the subject being emphasized. In addition to being a school, the rote of our facility expanded to become a resource center where we could utilize the skills of the community at large to enrich the educational process. The first term is nearly over and we now have the opportunity to evaluate the success of our plans and dreams. One teacher has been working with the elementary level students, ages 6-11. His emphasis subject for the term has been geography. As a vehicle for teaching many different subjects, Steve has been using the technique of a hypothetical journey from Stelle to the Polynesian Islands. In taking such a journey, the children considered the practical aspects of transportation and methods of navigation. The geological formations through the areas traveled and the culture and history of the people in the area were studied. Steve utilized two resource teachers during the term: a sailor who has taught navigational techniques on the seas, and a skilled cook who has helped the children in preparation of Hawaiian and Polynesian foods. Attention is given to the spiritual development of our children. They begin each school day with a period of meditation and discuss how the Virtues and other points of Stelle philosophy apply to them and each other. Drawing, dance, and playing musical instruments are ways we use to enrich the children’s background in the arts. The children are working with the recorder and Steve occasionally plays the guitar for them in music listening sessions. Drawing, craft projects, and dance lessons are part of the curriculum. Each day includes exercises in memory and awareness. Tim teaches the secondary level, ages 12-18. His emphasis is on the sciences. At the secondary level the sciences and mathematics are readily joined. Students learn the basic facts of algebra and chemical reactions. Then they work on the practical application of facts, the subjects become both interrelated and of practical use for our students. Classes in English deal with vocabulary and grammar but find a practical outlet in the creation of a school newspaper to report activities in Stelle. This has the added benefit of keeping the students more aware of what is happening in the community. Logic and memory techniques are taught through the game of chess. As in the elementary classes, the arts are treated as a major subject and the practical arts are also stressed. The girls are becoming involved with dancing and cooking. The boys study drafting and have practical experience in the industries of Stelle. Throughout the educational program our philosophy, which teaches the unity and interrelatedness of knowledge and balance between spiritual, mental, and emotional character, remains as a central focus. We encourage our students to become as loving and caring as possible. Our hope is to guide them in developing a strong sense of personal worth and motivating them to the desirability of personal growth. Logic, memory, and awareness are not taught simply as experiments to gratify the curiosity of the teachers. They are pursued out of a recognition that these are essential qualities of the Ego’s Mind which facilitate moving through life. An interdisciplinary approach has been adopted in order to give the students the feeling that the universe is ordered by a conscious, loving intellect. All things yield to understanding if sufficient mental and emotional energy is expended toward that end. The research and plans completed this spring and summer are taking shape as realities within our learning center. The enthusiasm and ability of the people involved has made it an exciting and rewarding program. Our uncertainties at taking on something new and different are being replaced by a different attitude. Now there is a confidence that we are involved in something that is good and can be made better as we improve ourselves.
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