What do students say about Makarios? At Makarios Community School, students have an equal vote and an equal voice in the school. While we talk about this often in our blogs, we rarely share the students’ voices in them. Mentor and parent insights are great, but hearing from the students themselves is invaluable. They are the ones spending their time here, self-directing their learning. They are the ones living it everyday. Here are some of their insights on life with Makarios, their choices, and what’s important to them about our school.
What do you think is the most important part of our school? Kids teaching themselves.
Interview of a 10 year old student What’s your favorite thing about our school? The way that we solve problems with JC. What do you think is the most important part of our school? Kids teaching themselves.
What does a normal day look like for you here? Sign in, put my stuff up, pick my chore, read a book, go outside, eat my lunch, make something- I make a lot of things. Do you go to any classes here? Yeah, sometimes I go to history, thought shop, and twilight zone. How long were you a student here before you started going to classes? A little bit more than a year. Compared to traditional school, what do you think is the most different part about our school? That you can usually do whatever you want. You also have to do a chore. What’s one of the most interesting projects you’ve gotten to do here? Making miniatures of stuff, because I usually did not get to do that at my old school. If there was one thing you could tell them, what would you want a student considering our school to know? It’s fun! You just have to be responsible while you’re here.
What’s your favorite thing about our school? If you don’t like a class at all, you are actually free to leave.
Interview of a 15 year old student What are you doing right now? Sanding wood. What for? I’m building a stage. What’s your favorite thing about our school? If you don’t like a class at all, you are actually free to leave. What do you think is the most important part of our school? The students. What does a normal day look like for you here? I work on my computer stuff, I go to classes, that’s pretty much it. What’s your computer stuff? Mostly 3D modeling, some Minecraft, occasionally Battlefield 1 What classes do you go to? High school English, any class that’s interesting pretty much. Compared to traditional schools, what do you think is the most different part about our school? A lot of things actually. For one, public school doesn’t allow little kids to do stuff like high school grade classes if they want to. You don’t get a lot of free time in public school. And this school also teaches a lot more about responsibility. If there was one thing you could tell them, what would you want a student considering our school to know? We have a justice system, so that injustice doesn’t flourish
What do you think of JC (Judicial Committee)? I kind of like it, because people talk and sometimes important stuff happens, and it’s always good.
Interview of a 7 year old student What’s your favorite thing about our school? That I can play on the computers. What do you think is the most important part of our school? That the students always listen to each other. What do you think of JC? I kind of like it, because people talk and sometimes important stuff happens, and it’s always good. Have you ever been written up? What was it like? It was kind of boring, but I was brave enough to still be there, and the problem was solved. Compared to your old school, how is this school different? At this school, sometimes the kids make up the rules. And at my old school, we have to listen to the teacher ALL the time. And at this school no smile/straight/frown face chart- that meant you did a bad, bad job. If there was one thing you could tell them, what would you want a student considering our school to know?
That they can do whatever they like, but not hurt people.
What do you think is the most important part of our school? Learning. Making good choices and having good fun.
Interview of a 6 year old student What’s your favorite thing to do at our school? Play around! Do you go to any classes here? I do go- my little pony class, chess club, adventure class… that’s all I can remember. And I’m staring a class where we tell stories and learn how to drive trains. It starts on Monday next week. What do you think is the most important part of our school? Learning. Making good choices and having good fun. What does a normal day here look like for you? A fun day of having good times and learning. What do you think of JC? It gives a chance for people to have fun and have people understand things that are not good that they did. What are the rules like here?
Children get to decide the rules, and they’re always good. Except for someone tried to make the rule of “no dabbing.” That was when I did my trial week. If there was one thing you could tell them, what would you want a student considering our school to know? Definitely that it’s the funnest place and they should go!
Want to see this learning in action? Give us a call at 682-422-6886 to schedule a tour or learn about an upcoming Open House event. Makarios Community School is a private K-12 school in Grapevine, Texas. We are open Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm.