My very shy daughter started at Red Bridge right before her 5th birthday, and today--2.5 years later--you wouldn't even know she'd ever been shy. She cried and clung to me at drop off EVERY SINGLE DAY of her preschool life, but on day 2 at Red Bridge that all stopped. I came from an academic family in an academically-driven community. What I always felt I lacked was that social and emotional growth. The appeal of Red Bridge to me was that all three spheres are equally important, and this is something my daughter needed.
But this is not the only reason we love Red Bridge. The teachers are top notch, the curriculum is interesting even for the adults. I am always so impressed to hear what the kids are working on, and I delight in hearing about the day in my daughter's voice and through her eyes.
There is no standard classroom. The students do not sit at desks all day. Instead, the students design their own schedules and groups are put together based on ability, not specific ages. Mixing up ages is a beautiful thing. It helps teach our kids to listen, to communicate, to empathize and to lead. It helps foster independence and confidence, which really is a necessary foundation for success. Red Bridge students are taught strategies to help them manage their time, their schedules and their emotions, tools which I see my own adult co-workers struggle with.
Red Bridge operates differently than other schools, and this is why it might feel unfamiliar to us, the adults. However, kids intuitively take to it. This is how all schools should be.