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| Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences in Gray was one of the first free public charter schools in Maine and provides art-infused, inquiry-based learning that encourages creativity for the younger ages and project-based learning that develops critical thinking and a deep connection to the natural world for students. COURTESY PHOTO |
“Our emphasis on innovative and active, hands-on creativity, outdoor-based learning exploration, and community-focused events truly sets us apart,” said Fiddlehead School’s Executive Director/CEO Jacinda Cotton-Castro. “We nurture the whole child, blending the arts and sciences to create a deeply meaningful education. Fiddlehead is more than a school, it’s a place where all children discover who they are and how they can contribute to the world in a way that is unique to them.”
Fiddlehead began in 2004 as an early childhood center, and in 2013, it expanded to become a public charter school. Today, the school has a dedicated team of roughly 40 educators and staff members, all committed to supporting student growth and success.
Highly innovative and free, Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences is a place of wonder and possibility, and students are engaged and happy, Cotton-Castro said.
“As a public charter school grades Pre-K to Eighth Grade, there is no tuition cost for Maine families, she said. “Our goal is to make our innovative approach to education accessible to all, regardless of financial means. Our after-school enrichment programs and private music lessons do have a fee associated with them. Those fees go directly back into the school. We believe every child has unique gifts to share, and our role is to help them discover those gifts in a supportive, engaging environment. We have the privilege of taking our grades, K to 8 off site, as well for nature-based learning opportunities and this happens every week depending on staffing and weather.”
Beyond academics, Fiddlehead School cultivates a strong sense of community and personal growth in every child and strives to always stay flexible, meeting the needs of the community and children.
“Families often share that their children flourish at Fiddlehead in ways they hadn’t imagined. Parents tell us how their kids come home excited about what they’ve learned and eager to return each day,” Cotton-Castro said. “Our graduates are active members of the community. They are nonprofit leaders, performers, scientists and much more. Some of our graduates even return to the school as teachers to give back to up-and-coming generations. We’re proud to create a nurturing environment that truly brings out the best in our students.”
Based in Gray, Fiddlehead School proudly serves students from 15 different school districts located across the Lakes Region and beyond.
“Families from surrounding towns and even further join us because of our unique approach to education,” Cotton-Castro said. “We’re best known for our free, Reggio Emilia-inspired curriculum, which emphasizes hands-on, place-based, project-based learning and a strong connection to the arts, sciences, and nature.”
According to Cotton-Castro, Fiddlehead School is highly grounded in the foundational blocks it knows best and that includes a strong connection to outdoor learning.
“Now, more than ever, children need to be connected,” she said. “Children need to move, they need to experience, they need to see how what they learn interacts with the world around them. I saw a need for a school that celebrated curiosity and fostered learning through exploration. From those roots, Fiddlehead has blossomed into a vibrant community of learners and dreamers. This all started from a deep sense of love which then grew into a passion for creating holistic and accessible hands-on, nature-based education.”
The contrast between Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences and a regular public school is that Fiddlehead creates its own curriculum.
“That makes it so much different and richer,” Cotton-Castro said. “It’s an enormous amount of work but it helps develop critical thinking skills and is focused on children.”
Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences will offer an Open House at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 29, Feb. 4 and Feb. 6 and the public is welcome and encouraged to visit and explore what the school has to offer students and families.
For further details about Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences, call 207-688-3727 or visit them online atwww.fiddleheadschool.org. Find them on Facebook at Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences. <
