Our Progress

Jordan Lake Sudbury School is in the process of getting started. We plan to open in the Fall of 2008 at or near the future site of the school. The following information will let you know what is currently going on with the school and our progress toward establishing the first Sudbury School in the area.

Currently

We are currently focused on getting a place secured to occupy in September. We looked at placing a mobile home on the site, which would have been the fastest solution, but it does not meet code for a school building. We are getting quotes for a modular building, which would also be relatively fast to put up.

The soil scientist is finalizing his studies so that Dr. Halford House from IWS can start the design of the water recycling system.

January - February 2008

In January, Lena contacted Integrated Water Strategies (IWS), a company specializing in creating on-site water recycling systems, to see if they can design a recycling system for the school. The system will mimic filtration characteristics of natural eco systems using a site specific design of complimentary techniques. IWS has volunteered to add some clear piping to the design to provide an educational component to the system. The system is a surface application and will be minimally invasive to the land, will not need a huge area cleared, will blend in with the trees and will include a couple of rock gardens.

November - December 2007

After three months of drought, the soil scientist was finally able to come out to the property and do some soil studies to find a place for a conventional septic system. After doing studies on the entire property, he was not able to find any locations for a conventional system. He made several recommendations on alternative systems, which cost from 8 to 10 times more than a conventional system.

September - December 2007

We spend the later part of 2007 incorporating the school, applying for non-profit status, redesigning the web site to provide more and better information, creating a logo, and wading through dozens of other administrative tasks involved in establishing a school. We continued to have informational meetings with several interested parents volunteering to host meetings at their houses.

May - August 2007

After spending several months hashing out all the steps involved in starting a school, we got a brief case of cold feet. What if we were the only ones in this area that found the Sudbury philosophy perfect for our kids? What if other parents were not quite ready to trust their children to be in charge of their own education? What if we invested the money and energy to bring this unique resource to the area and no one would show up? We had to find out if others felt as we did. We started posting flyers and held informational meetings to spread the word. We were overwhelmed by the positive results. Yes. There were dozens of families in the area interested in a Sudbury School. Parents, as well as children, were contacting us through word of mouth to find out more information.

We put together a website to provide more information and purchased some movies to show Sudbury in action.

Lena hired a soil scientist to find a spot for a conventional septic system on the 40 acre property. However, due to the record breaking drought of the summer, the soil scientist was not able to commence his study until November.

April 2007

Sherri and Lena visited the Katuah Sudbury school in Asheville, NC. The school was just starting but already they could see the comminity in action. Before visiting the school, they had to ask the kids if it was OK. The kids voted at the School Meeting to allow the visit.

January - April 2007

We ordered the Sudbury school starter kit in late January and received it at the end of February. In the mean time we had a series of founders meetings to work out the details of the school. We decided to establish the school on Lena's 40 acre property. The property is centrally located with convenient access from Apex, Cary, Chapel Hill, Durham, Pittsboro, and the surrounding areas. From the beginning we wanted the school to be a central resource for the whole community. For parents and staff, as well as the children.

Late 2006

Lena, Sherri and other homeschooling parents have heard about and identified with the Sudbury model of education for several years. We felt a strong need to create a Sudbury community in this area where our children can thrive. Finally, toward the end of 2006, having evaluated our goals, our priorities, and our passions we decided to commit to establishing the school.