When the late Jay and Toni Garland founded The Well School in Peterborough in 1967, they may not have imagined that the school would still be thriving in 2023.
“It all goes back to Jay and Toni and their vision, the foundations of the school and everything they built over time,” said TJ Mackey, the Well’s head of school. “First and foremost, it’s a community, and it’s all about this community coming together to raise fine young human beings.”
Holly Horgan, who has been the Well’s head of admissions and marketing since January, says the school’s greatest strength may be enabling teachers to have autonomy and independence in the classroom depending on the needs, interests and dynamics of their classes, as well as their own strengths and passions as educators.
“Our curriculum is very rigorous, but our teachers have the flexibility within the curriculum to explore more if the kids want to explore, to slow down if they need more time, to speed up if the group is ready. The small classes make that possible, and our teachers are able to build a relationship with every child, and to find a way to educate every child in a way that works for them,” Horgan said.
The Well’s preschool-through-eighth-grade classes are capped at 15 students. The school is known for its theater program, as well as the puppets in Peterborough’s annual Children in the Arts parade.
“The philosophy of the school has always been ‘everybody does everything.’ That means everyone has to play soccer on our intramural soccer teams, everyone takes part in theater, everyone goes to art class, everyone has to play the ukelele,” Mackey said. “Especially with the older kids, they can get cliquey around how they define themselves, as athletes or musicians or whatever, but at the Well, they’re forced to try the activities they may not have ever thought about, and then they find out that they love music, or they love being on stage. Suddenly the student who thought of himself as an artist realizes he can also be a soccer star, or the star athlete has to turn for help from the talented musician in music class. They all see one another’s different strengths in different contexts.”
Especially since COVID, the Well’s wooded 15-acre campus is a big attraction. The campus pond is used frequently in science class and nature studies, and upper school students are allowed to swim with supervision on hot days. Upper school students are encouraged to wear watches to get back from recess on time. Younger children are permitted to play in the woods around the playground, encouraging unstructured exploration and problem-solving,
“The Garlands believed in giving children real responsibilities. They were all about accountability and independence, and in teaching kids how to work though problems and advocate for themselves,” Mackey said. “That really carries through to the school to this very day.”
The school also has a tradition of teaching leadership and communication skills. Students are expected to “shake hands, to look people in the eye, and to be courteous.”
“People find that very welcoming and surprising when they come here. The kids shake hands and know how to interact with adults; they’re very comfortable. It’s part of our culture, and it’s very deliberate, to foster that confidence and leadership. When every child learns to stand up on a stage in front of the whole community and recite poetry, you can see how it builds confidence,” Mackey said. “We try to push them to expand their interests, get them to stretch to reach their full potential.”
The Well’s lunch program is also a big draw; chef Francee Watson and her staff create meals from scratch for the whole campus every day. Starting in preschool, students are offered a variety of healthy options, including fresh fruits and vegetables, and are gently encouraged to try different and new foods – as well as what to do if they prefer not to try it.
“Parents are always astonished the first time their 4-year-old comes home and says, ‘No thank you, I don’t care for that,’” Preschool Director Sarah Daume said with a laugh. “But that’s what we do. We don’t make food an issue, we just provide healthy options and set a good example.”
For information, go to wellschool.org.