Welcome to Amity Creek Magnet School!

Celebrating the Journey

In 1995 four impassioned Bend La Pine educators gave birth to the idea of an alternative way to educate children. The foundation of their approach was based on an understanding that children construct their own knowledge and that learning is a natural, on-going social process that results from a child’s engagement with the natural and human world around them. From this belief Amity Creek was born and became the first school in the Bend La Pine school district to be designated a magnet school. The magnet status allows students and families from across the district to be a part of the Amity Creek experience.

The word amity means belonging, cooperation, togetherness, and goodwill. This description builds the cornerstone of our lives at school as we emphasize community, choice-making, acceptance, risk-taking, and celebration of our social, emotional, and academic journeys. At its core Amity Creek is a family that embraces and supports children, and that seeks to preserve the joy of childhood and learning.

Amity Creek School is rooted in the concept of authentic community in which children, parents, and staff are equally valued and respected members, and in which individual differences are honored and celebrated. Above all, this is a community where everyone teaches and everyone learns.

Our school is unique in many ways. The primary function of the staff is to guide the natural learning process by responding to the individual needs and interests of each child. Each day, the children experience activities in their homerooms as well as learning opportunities in mixed age groups throughout the school. At Amity Creek children have the freedom and encouragement they need for exploring, questioning, and developing the independent thinking so essential to a genuine education.

Amity Creek is founded on, and operates from, some core beliefs. At Amity Creek we believe:

In the power of time…

*to enjoy childhood

*to develop a genuine sense of self

*to express oneself creatively

*to think, respond, and explore

*to develop a sense of independence

*to strengthen one’s voice

*to learn to advocate for one’s self

*to connect with others in our community

*to achieve academic mastery

In the whole child…

*Social emotional learning and development

*Providing a safe space to take risks

*Supporting and celebrating unique talents, interests, and challenges

*Experiencing learning as an adventure

*Empowering students to make, and take responsibility for, their choices

In Community:

*Belonging and being valued

*Connection

*Relationships

*Generosity

*Sharing one’s gifts

*Partnerships with parents

*Sense of appreciation

*Service to others

*As an extension of home

Amity Creeks’ beliefs can be seen throughout the school, and in everything we do. Several key parts to the Amity Creek daily schedule make up the cornerstones of our program:

Community Time: Each morning the entire school gathers together in the multi-purpose room to connect, share announcements, celebrate, and enjoy each other’s company. The room is filled with joy and laughter each and every morning!

Choice Time: Rather than simply offering our students a basic recess time outside, students are given a choice as to how they wish to spend their time during this part of the day. Students are welcome to move from classroom to classroom visiting with each other and with the teachers, play games outside, or to find a quiet spot in the hallway to read a book or play a game with a friend. This is time that all children, Kindergarten through Grade 5, get to choose.

Invitations: Each day in the afternoon teachers offer activities and students get to choose what activity they’d like to engage in. The activities are multi-aged and range from things like art projects and board games, to outdoor games and walk-abouts in the neighborhood, or a trip to the library downtown (we are within walking distance). Once again, this is a time when each child gets to choose for themselves how they wish to spend the time.

Conversations: Twice each year teachers meet with families to discuss the growth and development of their child. These conversations focus on the social-emotional growth of the student, how the student is functioning within the community, how the student is engaging with and supporting other students in the class, and the areas of academic growth and opportunity. Conversations are like Parent-Teacher conferences, but they are comprehensive in terms of looking at the development of the whole child.

Amity Creek is a special place, different than most other schools you will encounter.We are deeply committed to whole child education, and to supporting our students in developing the crucial skills that will lead to a healthy and joy-filled future.

It takes a whole child to raise a village! At Amity Creek we help to raise the whole child.

School Location

437 NW Wall Street
Bend, OR 97703