About UsSnow Lion is a contemplative school for children ages 2 1/2 to 6 years old. Contemplative education is experiential and happens from the inside out rather than being imposed from the outside in. The value is placed on self-discovery; on who we are as opposed to what we do . At Snow Lion we cultivate an environment that acknowledges and supports the process of self-discovery and friendliness towards oneself and others. Snow Lion has a strong root in Buddhism. However, the environment we strive to create is one of sacredness that has nothing to do with teaching religion but more with a sense of compassion, wakefulness, self-reflection, generosity, and openness- qualities valued by all religious traditions. Other qualities we value in ourselves as teachers, parents, and children are:
• honesty and straightforwardness with ourselves and others • respect for all beings • concentration and self-discipline • a sense of resourcefulness and inspiration to work with our minds and emotions and the experiences and situations we encounter • awareness of impermanence and the flexibility to respond skillfully to change • awareness of interdependence and the opportunity to observe this interconnectedness between all beings • awareness of cause and effect and the opportunity to experience the link between the two • awareness of the joy and benefit in periods of stillness
In Tibetan Buddhism, the qualities of perkiness, cheerfulness and exuberance are represented by the Snow Lion. Young and powerful, vibrant and without a trace of dull mind, the Snow Lion leaps over snowy mountain peaks. With senses and perceptions clear and wakeful, each thing the Snow Lion meets leads to a deeper curiosity and joy for life. The Snow Lion represents unconditional cheerfulness, a mind free of doubt, and a natural sense of delight. Snow Lion began in the autumn of 1995 as a small play group of three children. Soon, word of our little home based school spread and several months later, we had a full class. For years we searched for a permanent location for the school, one that would be zoned properly and one that would suit our desire for plenty of space. At last, in the autumn of 2000 we found and purchased our current location. Initially the building and grounds were remarkably run-down but with amazing vision and effort by the Snow Lion community, the environment was transformed. Most children at our school come 2-3 days per week. Parents choose their children's schedules on an individual basis. We have a mixed-age group program, which offer each child a deeper sense of community and an opportunity to experience the passage from being the youngest in the school, looking up to the older children with awe, to the point of being a class elder, resonating with confidence and self-knowing. Mixed age groups resemble families and create a village quality to our classes with each child and developmental group filling a niche that benefits the group as a whole. Children's social skills, knowledge base, and abilities broaden as they interact with others whose knowledge and abilities are similar yet not identical. In a mixed age group, children are able to develop at their own pace and always have peers who are developing at their level, regardless of their age. Seasonal celebrations, home visits, and parent teacher conferences encourage the individual families at Snow Lion to come together as a delightful community. The genuine relationships that grow over time greatly enrich the children's experiences together. We encourage families to keep their children at Snow Lion for their entire preschool experience so they have the opportunity to experience the fruitional aspects of being a part of our school. Although we have a non-academic program, our curriculum does prepare children for elementary school. We do not formally "teach" but simply provide an environment where children can naturally grow and expand their minds and skills as they play. Naturally, math, linguistic, fine and gross motor skills, practical life knowledge, and many other bases for learning are established when information is not imposed onto children's minds but instead is drawn out of their experiences and basic intelligence. We are often asked by parents of older Snow Lion children about how what we are doing will prepare their children for Kindergarten. One of the most amazing strengths of these early years of life is that children have the ability to use their imaginations without limit. The greatest gift we can give children in these first five or six years of life is freedom to play and freedom to expand their minds through their own self-led exploration of the world. We know from experience that broad expansive play leads later to broad expansive cognitive skills and the ability to stretch one's mind. Letters and numbers and concepts will all be mastered swiftly when the time is right, but these few short years of magical play based learning can never be recaptured. We want children to leave their time at Snow Lion with a strong connection to their senses. We want them to leave our little nest with great confidence, relaxation with themselves and others, and an ability to communicate well. These are the qualities that will be a platform upon which they will build a meaningful education. |
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