The Clearwater School | |
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Location | |
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1510 196th St SE,
Bothell, Washington, United States | |
Information | |
Type | Sudbury school |
Established | 1996 |
Age range | 4 - 19 |
Enrollment | 90 |
Campus | Suburban |
Campus size | 3.4 acres (14,000 m2) |
Information | (425) 489-2050 |
Philosophy | Sudbury |
Governance | School Meeting ( democratic, vote by students and staff) |
Website | https://clearwaterschool.com/ |
The Clearwater School is an independent school in Bothell, Washington, a northern suburb of Seattle, Washington, United States. Clearwater is a Sudbury school that serves students from ages 4 to 19.
The school began in 1996 as a twice-weekly homeschool cooperative, and opened as a full-time school in 1999. In 2006 the school moved to its current campus in Bothell. [1]
Clearwater is a democratic school where students create the rules and policies that affect the entire school. The educational philosophy is similar to unschooling in that student-chosen activities are the primary means of learning. [2]
Clearwater students explore their own interests at their own pace. Students are not segregated by age and are free to determine how they spend their time. [2] The school has no assignments, no grades, and no classes unless students organize them. [3]
The school's campus consists of five buildings on 3.4 acres and includes a kitchen, an art room, a music room, a theater, a computer room, an office, a library, an active room, and quiet areas. The school also has a play yard, and North Creek flows through the campus. [4] [5]
The school has an ongoing partnership with Snohomish County for ecological restoration of North Creek for salmon and other wildlife. [6] [7]
The campus generates solar energy using a photovoltaic system as part of the school's commitment to sustainable practices. [8]
The democratic structure of the school gives students a direct say in how the school is managed. Students and staff members each have a vote in School Meeting, where rules and policies are created, and in Judicial Committee, where rules are enforced. [2]
The adults at Clearwater are called staff, to distinguish their role from the role of traditional teachers. Staff members do not tell students how they should spend their time; instead they play, encourage, and learn alongside students. [9]