featured Archives - Puget Sound Community School

life prep

For many years, PSCS called the collaborative scheduling we do as a whole community three times a year, “Scheduling Circus.” The name of which was meant to impart the many different factors being juggled in order to build a schedule of classes and activities students wanted and needed each term, as well as all the…

community is collaborative

Recently, I asked PSCS alumnae a few questions, including what they thought PSCS had best helped prepare them for post-high school and, if applicable, post-college. One alum sent in a video with his answers. Top of list included his ability to be self-reflective, particularly in writing and evaluative processes. He noted many other students in…

community as resistance

Early this week, Puget Sound Community School staff prepared a shifted schedule for Wednesday—in response to the realities and anxieties of the election. We knew that, regardless of the outcome, there was a possibility the race would be contested, that there may be an uptick in local violence (of which the C-ID would likely bear a brunt), and that everyone would need time to process and react, plan for safety, learn from each other, and share our worries and hopes.

Interview with PSCS co-founder Andy Smallman

Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of Community-centered Education

Puget Sound Community School (PSCS) was founded in fall of 1994, by Andy Smallman and Melinda Shaw, along with a group of 11 families interested in their educational vision. As PSCS celebrates 30 years, our intern, Lucy Ingram, started a retrospective process into how it this all began. On Friday last week, Lucy had the opportunity to chat with Andy about his perspective on this little school’s creation and early foundations.

Connecting through Quilting

In honor of Black History Month, everyone at PSCS—students, administrators, interns, and teachers—completed an individual project, researching a person, event, or movement in celebration of Black culture, contribution, creativity, and activism.

The result was many individual art pieces in the form of a cardstock square, a smaller block of what’s to become a large paper quilt in the entrance of the school.

Adam’s Blessings—Community Engagement at PSCS

On Tuesday, Feb 6, Student Leadership at Puget Sound Community School (PSCS) led us in an all-school compassion project, based on an idea offered by a PSCS alumni parent seeking to transform still very raw tragedy into meaning. Adam Reeder was an artist and designer, brother, son, and friend, who passed away in March of…

A Little Light

Last Tuesday, PSCS participated in Giving Tuesday, a curious movement created by the nonprofit sector, for nonprofits, meant as a tonic to the consumerism of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Thanks to so many generous supporters we raised almost $14K in one day for tuition access—which is a massive benefit to us all. As the…

Saturday Math Academy at PSCS

Saturday Math Academy is a program Akin and his wife Marilyn started 14 years ago as a resource for elementary school students (K-5), in the hopes young people without a lot of access might find joy in math and build lasting affinity outside the traditional classroom setting. P

pscs parent night with cory silverberg

For Spring Parent Night, PSCS hosted guest speaker, Cory Silverberg, award-winning author of You Know, Sex and Sex Is a Funny Word. Both of these inclusive graphic resource books for kids are used in PSCS Sex & Health courses. Cory has developed and facilitated workshops for hundreds of agencies and organizations serving both youth and adults…

Accepting Applications for middle & high school

Puget Sound Community School (PSCS) is accepting applications for our 2023-24 middle and high school cohorts.
PSCS offers rolling admissions throughout the school year.