Our emphasis at the start of the school year is FUN. We believe learning is one of the most fun things in life and we want our environment to reflect this.

A close second to the fun is creating our boundary system. Boundaries ensure safety and security – intellectually, emotionally and physically. Without limits, freedom and fun become stressful chaos or worse, meaningless and wasteful.

At Acton Academy, our boundaries are not fuzzy. They outline how we treat each other, our environment and ourselves as travelers on Hero’s Journeys.

I am often asked, “How do you discipline students at Acton Academy?” I like to rephrase the question: “What happens when a student chooses not to respect the boundaries drawn by their fellow Eagles?”

Our answer is simple: We respect their choice.

The Eagles spend a great deal of time exploring why their time at Acton is important. The “Why belong?” question is critical.  Next, the group debates and adopts community standards and consequences for not respecting them. These are our “rules of engagement.”  All of this takes days and a great deal of patience, but once the Eagles have spoken, the boundaries mean a great deal to everyone.

We use the words “choice” and “decision” daily at Acton. The Eagles know they choose their words and actions each moment of each day; and that these decisions determine their overall experience in school and, ultimately, in life.

In the elementary school, the consequence of choosing to cross over a boundary at Acton Academy is removal from the community in varying degrees. The choice to disrupt the group’s or an individual’s learning or safety begins with a brief separation within the studio; if the boundary is intentionally crossed again, the separation takes place in the conference room with a guide to discuss why the choice is being made; and finally, after three clear and intentional breaches of intentional disruption or harm, the parents are called to bring their Eagle home until he or she chooses to rejoin the community and commit to its covenants.

The middle school system of consequences includes losing privileges within the community and/or losing Eagle Bucks. When there is a clear intention to break with the contract, discussions begin between the student, guide and parents about the choice to stay within the community or to leave Acton Academy.

When a boundary is crossed, our words are simple: “We love you. You made the choice and you knew the consequence of your choice.  We are excited for you to choose to join the community again. And even if you choose to leave, we will continue to believe you will choose a Hero’s Journey.”

This week the students are negotiating these rules of engagement. We will post them in the elementary school weekly update and on the middle school blog when they are adopted.

We believe this is one of the most powerful processes within our community because it is based in respect, freedom of choice and the understanding that what each human chooses to do and say matters to the world.