Delphian School - Review #25

I found The Delphian School a very powerful experience. I remember when I first started at 13 years old. I was not particularly aware of what was going on around me. If I saw someone who needed help or something which needed to be done, I ignored it. I didn't think it had anything to do with me. Gradually as I began to participate in the mandatory volunteer work and the very active Student Council, my attitude completely changed. By the time I graduated, I really felt it was MY school. If a new student looked lost, I felt it was my duty to help them. I would never walk by a piece of paper on the floor! This was my school, and I wanted to take responsibility for it and take care of it. That responsibility level has stayed with me to this day and keeps growing. I am very glad to have had the opportunity to learn it at such a young age.

Probably the best thing that happened to me was that I developed a real love of learning. Before I attended the school, I had to drag myself through courses or books. At The Delphian School, I fell in love with learning and I felt a hunger to always gain more knowledge. To this day, I really enjoy reading and learning new things. I find its very easy for me to become interested in a new subject and learn quickly. It makes it easy to have a successful career with this ability to learn

I probably would have tried to attend their Summer program several times before starting full-time school. This allows one to make friends and meet people in a fairly relaxed environment (limited academics, lots of outdoor activities) for just a few weeks in the summer. When you finally attend the fall term, you'll already know the staff and many students.I think it's important to also have parental involvement. It's essential for parents to see the school, to tour it and learn about the program. If possible, I think parents should visit the school once a year. This keeps them in touch with the faculty and their child's friends.

I would have to say the unique approach to learning -- the independent studying I've mentioned previously.

I would say have fun. Don't get too caught up in academics. They are definitely important, but there are so many great activities to participate in. One needs to balance these things!

I felt my school was incredibly unique in so many ways. One of those ways was learning at one's own pace. At other schools, when you're in a class environment, it's easy to either A) get completely left behind and not be able to keep up or B) feel bored because you already know what the teacher is speaking about.At The Delphian School, every student studies at his/her own pace. Although everyone is still seated in a big classroom, and there are several teachers around to help, each student studies (reads, writes essays) at his own pace. I found this a real lifesaving approach. It meant that if I were slow in math, I could take extra time. If I were a fast student in history, I wouldn't be slowed down by others.One thing I'd like to mention is that independent study didn't mean easy. It was quite the opposite. The teachers, knowing my rate of learning, always challenged me at every level to do better, reach further.Another point I want to mention is the practical application which was particularly encouraged. It's one thing to, for example, read a book and take an exam about biology. It's another thing to go outside the school and study rocks, insects, animals and plants for a biology course. It makes all the difference in making a subject easy to learn and retain. It gives you an environment in which you can get a true education (not simply memorize facts you'll forget in a few days).

The athletics program was one of my favorite parts of school. I liked competing against other schools at a high level and watching our school win awards in sports. The coaches had been training students for years, so the classes ran like well-oiled machines. The teams I was on really felt like teams. We all worked together to win games and have a great season. The school always came out to cheer for us. I think the best part was that there wasn't a separation of "jocks" and "nerds" for example. We all did well in academics and those that enjoyed sports would play it.

I took painting and drawing for many years. Our art teacher would bring in guest artists from the community to teach their technique. We were able to display our work year around in the central lobby of the school. We had the opportunity to enter work in the local community and be recognized.

I really enjoyed our community service days. We would do this a couple of times a year. Someone in the student council would research places which needed help. It was fun to get on buses and drive to different places in Oregon. I did gardening at a community rose garden once, which was a lot of fun. Other students helped tutor younger children. It was a great opportunity to help others in the community.

I always had plenty of space in my dorm room. I always had a big closet with at least one dresser. Most of the rooms had beautiful views, and it was easy to request which roommate I wanted. One of the dorms I lived in had a great common room with huge two-story ceilings, couches and a fire place. It had a kitchen with a refrigerator, and we'd have really fun game nights in there.

The Delphian School always had a variety of food available. They served a main meal and a vegetarian option. They always had a huge salad bar with lots of toppings and different dressings. The bakery is still famous with the alumni -- they made great fresh bread, rolls and cakes. There was a snack room which was open all the time and another recreation room which also served food in the evenings.

The surrounding area is just beautiful. The school overlooks a huge valley with lots of wildlife and nature. There are several great towns around the school. The Oregon coast is not far, and Portland and Eugene are great cities with lots of events going on.

I liked that there weren't the typical school clicks. Sure, there are groups of friends, but I never felt like an outsider. There are just too many activities (sports, academics, student council) to mix everyone up and get people participating with each other. I found it was easy to make friends, and the friendships I formed there are still incredibly strong today.