Statement of Philosophy
John Burroughs School seeks to instill the joy of living through active
learning, integrity, and service to others. Our mission is to foster in
our students academic, physical and creative fulfillment, together with
strength of character, while helping them become productive members of
our school community.
John Burroughs promotes an atmosphere of understanding, trust, respect, and
accomplishment among our faculty, staff, students, and parents. We embrace
democratic ideals, the liberal arts and concern for the environment. We believe that excellence in education goes hand in hand with diversity,
which we value and celebrate.
John Burroughs encourages students to communicate, to be open to others,
and to embrace meaningful challenge. Through a personal, active approach to
learning, each student pursues his or her potential in all school
endeavors -- academics, the arts, athletics, and activities.
We teach our students to question, to think for themselves, to imagine, to
see, to solve problems, to understand subtleties, and to appreciate ambiguity. We discourage the use of rewards, such as prizes
and honor rolls, to motivate students; rather, we foster love of learning as an end
in itself.
We teach our students the value of service to others, which requires knowledge as well as a deepened sensitivity to the world around them. Our
purpose is to enable students to act in effective and positive ways, for
the good of all.
The pursuit of excellence at Burroughs takes place within the context of
the informal atmosphere of our school. We strive for balance in our students'
pursuits -- in the various ways they study, play, create, and show concern for the world and others. We
prepare our students for a lifetime of learning. Our approach to education, reinforced by the ethical and
interpersonal ideals we foster, enables our graduates to discover lifetime
fulfillment in meaningful work and commitment.
