Green Mountain Community School

Imparting virtues such as curiosity, purpose, and diligence is essential to the development of a child’s character. At Green Mountain Community School (GMCS) students engage in practical problem-solving that serves the community and promotes lifelong learning.

Our mission is to cultivate citizens of character who can discern their gifts, hone them through self-discipline, and possess the courage and confidence to apply them. We believe that education should inspire students to understand a most essential truth: that all are capable of achieving greatness and happiness, regardless of the obstacles that come their way.

Our objective is to create a dynamic learning environment filled with rich experiences for both educators and students. Dedicated teachers are encouraged to express their personalities, creativity, and genuine love for their students and for learning. Students use their imagination to ask questions, explore subjects that engage them, and create projects that positively impact the community. Such practices at the very least enhance a child’s academic achievement; more importantly, they motivate students who strive to make their mark on the world.

GMCS is founded by Danhee Kim Bhakta, an entrepreneur and mother of four children. Amid the global pandemic, Danhee and her husband acquired scenic Green Mountain College in rural Vermont with the purpose of revitalizing the campus as a hub of lifelong learning.

We are seeking experienced educators full of character and drive. Team members will contribute to an educational model with the goal of producing responsible and driven individuals.

For opportunities, click HERE

Daily Schedule

Morning Work

Children will choose from a variety of morning activities, including caring for the animals, tending the garden, a walk along the river, morning yoga, etc.

Community and Character Education at 8:30am-9:00am

Students will meet for a read-aloud of a virtuous story/fable/folktale or biography of a role model. Readings will follow with reflection and group discussion, with a focus on learning our school’s core values and developing students’ character…

Morning Meeting at 9:00am-9:15am

Morning message, calendar, weather, pledge, and share day presentations

Literacy at 9:00am-9:45am

Guided reading, including fiction, non-fiction, and poetry; writing including handwriting or cursive, vocabulary, spelling, and grammar; speaking and listening, including communication, research, presenting of knowledge, etc.

Snack, Story and Manners at 9:45am-10:00a

K-2^nd grade

Math at 9:45am/10am-10:30am

Small group instruction according to ability, not age/grade

Social Studies at 10:30am-11:00am

Topics include principles of democracy, civic participation, history, community, family, biographies, ancient civilizations, geography, etc.

Integrated Arts at 11:00am-12:00pm

Art, Spanish, PE, music

Lunch and Recess at 12:00pm-1:00pm

Afternoon Work

Project Based/Service Learninga1:00pm-3:00pm

Practical application of classroom learning that adheres to the school’s mission of cultivating student’s curiosity, purpose, and diligence. This program will be designed and implemented by our own Director of Project Based and Service Learning Curriculum who will collaborate with teachers, guest speakers, and other organizations to inspire students during the PBL process and deepen students’ understanding of the content material.

Every day at GMCS, students will:

• engage in projects that promote critical thinking, hypothesizing, reasoning, creativity, reflective learning, cross-disciplinary thinking, and exploration of real-world problems and challenges

• collaborate to question, observe, brainstorm, strategize, and implement projects that contribute to the local community

Some examples include designing and building a nature-inspired playground that is open to the community; building and hanging birdhouses for senior centers; “Greening Up” the environment and creating art out of recycled materials; planning a garden to grow and distribute food to those in need; etc.

End of Day 3:00pm-3:30pm

Community and individual chores, journaling and reflection, dismissal.

Enrichment Fridays

Enrichment day is a full day of experiential learning! Students will participate in a variety of activities in wilderness workshops, forest school, nature study, and field trips and excursions. Our Enrichment Day is also a great opportunity to have fun with your kids and other GMCS students and parents.