“Coming from a competitive school in the city, I wasn’t sure what to expect at a Buddhist school in Upstate New York, was it going to be rigorous enough? Would my child remain on par? I could not be more thrilled to see how fully my child is learning and how confident he has become. He now enjoys reading and his handwriting has improved, he’s doing mental math above his grade level. And on top of that, his genuine kindness is shining through brighter than ever. Thank  you!” 

SB

Middle Way School Parent

ABOUT

Founded in 2017, The Middle Way School of the Hudson Valley is one of the first Buddhist preparatory schools for children in the West. Our mission is to empower students to take their places in the modern world. Our pedagogy and school culture draw upon foundational Buddhist teachings and traditions as well as the latest research in child development, neuroscience, and technology. MWS offers an exceptional education, creating conditions for wisdom and compassion to flourish.

 

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ACADEMICS

We view education as a natural learning process that engages children’s innate potential and provides a way to understand the phenomenal world with grace and humor. Our students play, contemplate, engage with text and numbers, and are encouraged to use inquiry as the foundation for academic achievement. Our developmental approach to teaching and learning is highly personalized so that each student is experiences a balance of challenge and accomplishment. The aim is to tap into students’ intrinsic joy of learning while supporting their social, emotional and spiritual growth.

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ADMISSIONS

The Middle Way School thrives on the principle of inclusion. We actively seek to build a community that is rich with diverse cultures, races, talents, interests, learning profiles, and economic and ethnic backgrounds. MWS is a pilot school with the support of a global community of friends and foundations who wish to see us succeed. Because of their support, we are able to offer ample financial aid to meet families needs. More than $100,000 in aid was given in 2019.

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I feel today’s education does not really teach freedom. If they try to teach freedom, it is just about individual rights but not about the inner freedom which comes from a deep inner sense of order. When you have this inner orderliness you can then sprawl out and breeze around in the chaotic world. Instead it sometimes seems modern education does the opposite, it makes us chaotic inside and tries to create some kind of external order.
Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche

Advisor

DAILY AND WEEKLY HAPPENINGS AT MIDDLE WAY SCHOOL

Empathy and understanding are skills that benefit from practice. Last week, Middle Way advisor Amy Brown-White led an evening conversation for families around diversity and inclusion. We gathered to discuss the questions: Why are diversity and inclusion important? In what ways do dharma and inclusion intersect? How can we shift our perspective around the topic of anti-racism? @amybrownwhite has been working with MWS for three years, shaping the teaching curriculum and sharing supportive resources for families. Thank you, Amy! ...

At the Middle Way School, our goal is for each student to forge a friendship with reading.

How? Is there a single best way to help children learn to read? Many schools subscribe to a streamlined methodology, such as Whole Language, Balanced Literacy, or Phonics Based Instruction. While it’s a noble aim to serve everyone equally, it’s not always realistic.

Each child’s brain is wonderfully unique and pathways to reading are forged individually. Of course, there are fundamental components of reading instruction that need to be part of a strong literacy program. These components include: phonemic awareness (the recognition that words are made of separate sounds combined together), phonics (the integration of phonemic awareness with the printed word), vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. The Middle Way approach encompasses all of these components, tailored to the individual.

Being a small school by design allows us to know our students well and to communicate with families readily, as often as needed. We’re committed to timely and effective intervention and we also feel it’s essential to provide high-quality professional development for teachers. By working together, we provide our students with all the help they need in developing important skills and confidence—and, by all means, a sense of wonder about the world.

#literacy #reading #hudsonvalleyschools #independentschool #progressiveeducation #ulstercounty #upstateny #upstateschools
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Join us for a rare, one-time screening of the remarkable film this body is so impermanent… (open to the public!)

An artistic collage of music, dance, and calligraphy, the film unites a range of meditations on the Vimalakirti Sutra, a Buddhist text from the first century CE.

Please support this special event by purchasing $10 tickets through the EVENTS link in our bio.

Children are invited to attend a simultaneous screening of Kiki’s Delivery Service, the 1989 Japanese animated classic by Hayao Miyazaki.

See you there!
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Thank you @chronogram readers for nominating the Middle Way School as “Best Elementary School” and “Best Independent School” in the #hudsonvalley. Last year, we held the FIRST-PLACE honor for both.

Only the top 5 nominees advance to the voting round. Will you support us? NOMINATE US DAILY THROUGH FEB. 15 by visiting the link in our bio.

#chronogrammies #chronogrammies2023 #upstateschools #hudsonvalleyschools
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Our admissions window for 2023-2024 is open! All applications received by February 5 will be reviewed for early admissions.

To schedule a tour or to get the application process going, visit our admissions page for details: www.middlewayschool.org/admissions (link in bio).

“I came for the dharma and stayed for the high quality education. I could not be happier.” -- MWS parent

Come and join the Best Elementary School in the Hudson Valley (2022 Chronogrammies).
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The Ravens class made their own compasses to determine the four directions in their classroom! They magnetized a needle, stuck it in a piece of cork, and set it in a bowl of water. The needle wiggled and moved back and forth but eventually, the magnetic North Pole pulled the needle around! Oohs and Ahhhs filled the room. Delight! ...

Giving Tuesday is November 29. This global day of giving serves as an opportunity for people around the world to use their individual power of generosity to remain connected and support their communities. As a Buddhist school, we love #GivingTuesday for its focus on interconnection during the Holiday season.

Giving Tuesday and the end of the calendar year are an important time for our school to raise funds including much-needed donations to help cover our operational costs. As you plan your year-end giving please consider supporting Middle Way School. We are a young start-up and your help is especially valued. THANK YOU!

Video by @chase.c.bauer
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There’s a lot happening in this photo… This day in the Snow Lions classroom was being documented by our sister organization, Middle Way Education, as part of their action research. Students are delving into the concept of lineage in an experiential way, with parents and grandparents visiting the classroom to share family traditions. Here the Snow Lions (kindergarten) are learning about the English Christmas tradition of crackers while @chase.c.bauer captures the moment. As MWE leads the research and development of a full k-12 curriculum, MWS teachers are the true artists, finding ways to bring Buddhist ideas to children in age appropriate ways. Lesson plans developed at the school are made available on the @middlewayeducation website. #buddhisteducationforchildren #curriculum #lineage #christmascrackers ...

Our friends at Sunflower Market in Woodstock recently selected Middle Way School as one of their businesses of the month, which resulted in a generous donation. We are so grateful for this support - it will be put to good use! Some of our Garuda and Owl students wanted to express their appreciation in technicolor. @sunflower___market ...

“The Middle Way School is truly a blueprint for the future of education. The school's ethos centers each child's unique experience, while simultaneously holding the health of the whole community at its core. The educators wonderfully combine and support a sense of curiosity, gratitude, and creative embodiment in our children, that continuously humbles and excites us as parents. The education provided at Middle Way is awe inspiring; cultivating a creative and playful lens into the learning of math and science, while also holding an equal appreciation for the natural world through art, music, play, and nature based education. As a family, we continually feel a deep sense of gratitude and peace in knowing we are a part of such an intentional and thriving school.” —Words from a MWS parent

Join Us for our Open House Saturday, October 22, 2022
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"Middle Way is everything I could hope for as a parent. They combine education with social and somatic development through a Buddhist lens seamlessly and in a way that is fun and nurturing for our daughter. I have watched her take leaps in her confidence, independence, and sense of self just from going to school here for one year. My only complaint is that there isn't an adult version." MWS parent Luis Mojica. Learn more at our open house Saturday October 22 10-noon at the MWS campus. #buddhisteducation ...

JOIN US | OPEN HOUSE
THE MIDDLE WAY SCHOOL
of the Hudson Valley

* Voted Best Elementary School in the Hudson Valley 2022 *

October 22, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
268 West Saugerties Road

Explore our beautiful campus, meet our teachers and curriculum team, visit classrooms, and learn more about the Middle Way history, approach, and admissions process.

Middle Way School’s innovative model is a blend of modern education and timeless Buddhist wisdom, developing the excellent qualities of intelligence, contemplation, and discipline.

Preschool to 6th Grade
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SCENES FROM TODAY ...

Interested?

Interested in enrolling? Want to learn more? Fill out this simple contact form (link below) and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Middle Way School holds regular open houses. We also can arrange individual tours. This form will automatically sign you up for important notifications regarded enrollment.

Thanks for your interest in Middle the Way School!

ORIGINS

All major religions of the world have systems of educating children in their traditions, beliefs, rituals, and values. There are maktab and madrasas for Muslims, Catholic schools, Jewish day schools, Sunday schools, Catechism classes, all kinds of afterschool programs, camps, and specialized schools meant to teach children to become the stewards of their respective religious traditions. Buddhist education for children has, for the most part, been offered to monastic communities with grassroots initiatives few and far between. Because Buddhism is not culture bound, there are few broadly accepted holidays, festivals and customs to introduce to children. Often, the transference of the Buddhist view happens in the home. Some Buddhist parents have independently created programs for children, but there is no generally accepted content or method for teaching the dharma to children.

To bridge this gap, a team of educators and active Buddhists, inspired by the vision of Bhutanese Buddhist master Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche,  began exploring the possibility of creating such a model of education. It became clear that the model had to be developed in situ, in an actual school. Middle Way Education was established to spearhead this effort.

In 2017 after exploring options in Bali, Indonesia, India, and Taiwan, it was decided that the Middle Way pilot school should be located in Upstate New York. The Middle Way School opened in 2018 with 17 students in West Saugerties. In 2020 we enrolled 55 students in 6 classes.

The Hudson Valley is an ideal location for our pilot school. The welcoming and independent mindset in this area, along with supportive communities like Zen Mountain Monastery, Karma Triyana Dharmachakra, Omega Institute,  and other centers of study and practice, makes this a fertile ground for a new model of education to come into being.

We hire and enroll without discriminating against any identifying factor which may include race, age, national or ethnic origin,  religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or socioeconomic background. We will make accessibility accommodations for individuals with disabilities to the fullest extent possible. As an institution and as individuals we recognize that we have the responsibility to actively change the power differences that perpetuate biases against historically underrepresented groups. Our inclusion efforts are a dynamic process. We welcome your experience and invite your input on how our school community can continue to evolve.

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