Imagine That- inspiring public schools

Williamsburg-James City County schools are those that lie in the historic triangle- Yorktown, Jamestown, Williamsburg- and are some of the best in the state. Here's why: The district motto is "Responsible Citizens, Independent Thinkers, and Lifelong Learners", to begin with. Their logic seems to run along the same lines as mine, and so of course i think they're great:) Supporting local agriculture is a big deal- Williamsburg has a farmer's market that runs 9 months out of the year, and local produce is brought in to the school and used for homemade vegetable soup, or mashed potatoes, and served in the cafeteria! No candy, soda, potato chips, etc allowed!? hmmmn. The school my children attend is set up like a college campus, each grade has its own round building, with classrooms around the perimeter, no more than 20 children in one class. Each class has a teacher and assistant, and often a student teacher from William and Mary. In the center of each building is the core where students who are advanced or need extra help come to work at the same time- no stigma. Then, there are the roofed open walkways which lead to the main building and to art, music, and gym classes. The path is accented by wildflower gardens, picnic tables and trees. The children are outside in the fresh air, moving here or there all day as a matter of course, and on top of that, children in 2nd grade and up do a "walk and talk" each day, which means they walk outside for 20 minutes and can hisper with friends, in addition to a recess. Teachers often take small groups out to do their work in the sunshine, or have a snack at a picnic table. The school serves a healthy breakfast, offers free instruments and lessons- cello, guitar, violin, you name it, in the 4th grade- and has a relaxed, healthy approach to learning and life, an Almost montessori/waldorf appreciation for developing social relationships and communication skills.