We believe that children deserve space to recognize their individual value as necessary beings within a cooperative, respectful, and caring environment.

We believe that each child is unique from genetic and environmental influences but that each child is also shaped and nurtured to grow in a positive caring place. Behavior becomes positive and purposeful when children belong.

We believe that children learn by experiencing life through sensory opportunities which enable them to encode new learning skills for application now and in the future. Furthermore, children deserve a safe place in which to plan these experiments and to experience error in a positive manner.

We believe that children discover information and through successful self discovery, they increase their sense of self-esteem and grow in valuing not only themselves but others.

The Tidewater School recognizes each child as a special and unique individual who is in the process of organizing his/her world through discovery and establishing a self identity among peers, family, and others. This program focuses on the abilities, the interests, and the needs of each individual child. It provides for guidance to help the child plan challenging tasks at his/her own level in order to grow optimally in social, emotional, cognitive, and physical domains. The early years of pre-academic and elementary education are characterized by intense enthusiasm; an uninhibited desire to experiment and discover; a drive to know "why"; a reaching forward to establish an independent identity; and a need to feel trust and security when searching for knowledge. There is a need for school and home to be a safe place for error.

Since 1986, our mission has continued to be that of providing an exceptional educational environment where children are esteemed and encouraged to grow into intelligent, compassionate and responsible human beings. 

The goal of The Tidewater School is to provide an organized program that enhances learning and movement to develop individual potential. This environment presents multi-sensorial tasks that stimulate the strengths of the child and challenge the weaknesses in other modalities. These concrete and real experiences enhance the building of the foundation to support the development of abstract thinking skills.

The goal of the teacher is to act as facilitator. As a facilitator, the teacher must be observant of all that the child expresses both verbally and nonverbally and then guide the child into discovery. This demands belief in the wisdom of the child as well as mutual respect, positive regard, and great trust.

The curriculum design for The Tidewater School is based upon the research and/or the programs of Maria Montessori, Jean Piaget, John Dewey, Alfred Adler, Stanley Greenspan and High/Scope.  More extensive information may be found in our handbook in the "For Parents" section of The Tidewater School's web site.