See the Breakwater Way at work! What do food systems, buoyancy, inventors, rivers, biomes and tape dispensers all have in common? Showcase Days! December 13-15 students, families and extended community visit classrooms for a glimpse of the magic behind the doors. Students share with the community both the process and product of their learning in interactive, curated “Showcases”.

Why do we make learning visible in this way? Read more...

"Gratitude is a sort of laughter of the heart that comes about after some surprising kindness." (David Brooks)

We are all used to the idea that learning can improve our minds. However, we may not think as much about an equally important idea - that understanding our own character, and the fact that we all have strengths of character and character traits with which we struggle, allows us to know who we are and how our attitudes impact our lives. One especially compelling trait is gratitude. 

Happy Thanks-Giving! Read about the 5th and 6th grade's study of character.

"The wider the range of possibilities we offer children, the more intense will be their motivations and the richer their experiences." (Loris Malaguzzi)

What is "Loose Parts" play? What are loose parts? How do we use them on our playground? And how is this type of play, open ended and rich with possibility, representative of our approach to early childhood education? These questions are explored in this blog post by Stephanie Davis, a member of our preschool teaching team. 

Hooray! A new school year has begun! The quality of work we do in the first few weeks of school will lay the groundwork for a productive year of learning. Classrooms are full of play as teachers observe and interact with students to build strong bonds of trust and friendship. 

Read about how our teachers inspire children in these critical first days to embrace their school experience and become agents in their own learning.

The Breakwater Youth Corps is an opportunity for alumni, eligible current students and high school-aged students from the surrounding community to work together at Breakwater during the summer to provide service to the campus, develop and foster important skills, and, if applicable, earn a minimum wage income.

Additional information, scheduling details, contacts, and brief history of the program are available by clicking here!

Several of our students have produced content for the internet related to their area of study. Their products appear here, preceded by a synopsis of all Capstone theses from the Breakwater class of 2017. 

The Capstone Project is a year long process in which Breakwater's 8th grade students pursue independent research on a topic of their choice, produce a substantial paper that reflects a deep understanding of the subject, conduct a visual and oral presentation before an audience, and, with the guidance of faculty and community mentors, complete a product inspired by their topic and a gift to the school from which they will soon graduate. 

Read more about Breakwater's Capstones, project topics, thesis statements, and upcoming events through which you can support our 8th grade researchers….

What makes a hero? In a months long integrated unit, first and second graders collaboratively defined heroes as “people who change their world and community”. The children chose individuals to study that ranged from human rights activists, to politicians, environmentalists, entertainers, a sports legend, a theoretical physicist, a high-wire artist and more.

Read about our student's investigative process and research, and see images their Hero Trading Cards here...

What kind of evidence does one need to gather in order to be scientifically ‘certain’ that something is true? Can one always be certain? 

As part of an investigation into scientific method, uncertainty, and thinking, Breakwater 5/6 students received a visit from Dr. Brian Beal, Professor of Marine Ecology at the University of Maine Machias and nationally recognized scientist.

Denny Church, Breakwater Grade 5/6 Associate, writes about it…