Eldorado Emerson
* is a non-profit private school
located in the heart of Orange County. For 50 years the school has been dedicated
to excellence in education, offering
preschool through twelfth grade with an average class size of ten to eighteen students.
Eldorado Emerson creates a synthesis of LIFE; all ages, generations and nationalities
learning and
working together as a microcosm of
an idealized world.
All grow in harmony with the plants and
animals of the fertile soil of the central garden and ponds. The path across the
bridge over the ponds provides an avenue between the preschool and high school,
where a teacher of the very young may lead her students to visit the science lab
to see exciting things, like our polliwogs getting legs. On the way back through
the garden they may observe a mother turtle digging a hole and laying her eggs.
A few months later, Kindergarten children will find baby turtles in the garden.
* MagiLex Preschool,
Eldorado Elementary, Emerson High and Emerson International School are subsumed
under Eldorado Emerson.
"Take care of everything and everybody",
is the first rule of the school. Its devoted, experienced staff, parents and students
are always ready to help each other solve problems and provide a cooperative and
supportive environment to facilitate learning in
all
areas. At Eldorado Emerson everyone
enjoys
learning!
"Don't hurt another person's feelings". This
is a corollary to the first rule (above). Eldorado Emerson students learn to enjoy
living and learning, yet respect the feelings and rights of others.
Timing and Balance
If we use
all the child's time to develop
the student's
strengths, we may neglect
or by-pass other areas and miss opportunities for learning important skills at the
age when the brain is most ready. Students are less inclined to spend time developing
their already less developed skills and will not work on them if the atmosphere
is judgmental or critical. Only if the student can trust the teacher’s support of
sincere effort, will sincere effort be put forth.
Good discipline results from the RELATIONSHIP between the teacher and the student.
Forget rewards and punishment!
Day by Day
Moments of excitement, delight and work add up to years of growth. An environment
of joy and discovery leads to the realization of full learning potential.
With Great Teachers
Eldorado Emerson teachers care, listen, comfort, inspire and facilitate learning
as a model to students. Believing in their students and their work, our teachers
are friendly, well educated, intelligent, creative, orderly, dedicated and hard
working.
Creativity and Order
Organization and order create the space and time for spontaneous and creative projects
and thinking.
Responsibility
Responsibility for learning belongs to the student. The school facilitates whenever
and however possible. Good study habits are not automatic, but must be taught as
part of the mastery of the skills needed for further learning and maturation.
Healthy Habits and Attitudes
Eldorado Emerson students are healthy, punctual and rarely absent. All staff and
students live smoke-free and drug-free.
Individualized Instruction
Individualized instruction is rarely necessary. Group learning is important. Grouping
by subject, maturity, achievement and ability gives the efficiency of group learning
to many who would otherwise need individualized programs. Most students enjoy the
stimulation of the group and learn better when opportunities to listen, speak and
feel are provided in addition to reading and writing.
