"I’ve gone to a school where my voice has been valued, where I've been given the opportunity to make my own choices and compassion has been paramount. A place with teachers who have actually care about me and how I'm doing. A place where I learned how to read. And when I say learned how to read, I don’t mean learned how to read, I mean I learned how to read.”
-pscs senior credo
Students at PSCS
At PSCS, staff and students are focused on fostering a brave and creative environment that prioritizes self-care and community-care, as well as lifelong love of learning and collaboration. We believe that ALL people want to make the world a better place and are intrinsically compelled by our innate curiosity and passions. We can see that most of us thrive when provided choice, responsibility, positive support, responsibility, and community expectations.
We also see that by centering the lived experience of our Indigenous, Black, Brown, South Asian, East Asian, and Latine staff and students, and sharing truths about history and current events, PSCS students begin to find meaning in deeper education and discover new ways to contribute positively to the world beyond middle and high school.
We know that the more value we place on understanding each other’s experience and humanity, the closer we get to ending violent oppression and realizing joy.
Programs & Info
Our philosophy nurtures in our 6th-8th graders a deeper understanding of themselves and their responsibilities to those around them.
In middle school, Advisors and older students act as coaches and guides in this process, assisting our youngest and newest to identify and pursue their interests while helping them to develop the skills they need to derive the greatest benefit from the community.
Middle school students are required to participate in some specific programs and activities, including Seminars and Projects, but are asked to invest most fully in discovering who they are as individuals and who they are in community.
Featured Profile
Amy Stern (she/her) spent 18+ years in the world of public education where she worked with a diverse range of learners. At PSCS, Amy is energized and motivated by the idea of helping to make education what it can be, and not what it has traditionally been. She sees the opportunity to provide learning experiences that center students’ needs, knowledge, and uniqueness, while simultaneously helping them grow to be agents of positive social change.
As a white, queer, Jewish (culturally, not religiously) woman, Amy has done work to recognize the many areas where she has privilege. These experiences have led her to prioritize lifting the voices of those who are marginalized and listening more than talking. Amy is also not afraid to speak up when she sees injustices around her. She feels fortunate to get to work in a space with people who share similar values.
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