Letter of Endorsement from Elephant Thoughts Educational Outreach Director

Headwaters Academy shares 110 acres of escarpment lands bounded by the Bruce Trail and overlooking Georgian Bay.  This partnership started as the philosophies of the highly respected charity Elephant Thoughts and Headwaters Academy were in alignment.  Since that initial agreement we have worked alongside Elephant Thoughts’ Director, Jeremy Rhodes.  He wrote to us recently:

Dear Mark, Barb, Simon and the Headwaters Crew,

I wanted to write this letter if it helps you in anyway in the start of your new school. I had mixed feelings about allowing another educational organization to run a school out of an Elephant Thoughts location.  It was a decision I did not make lightly.  We have very high standards in education and are very protective of our brand.  We need to fully believe in the quality of education being offered before we would endorse another program.  Over the course of the last few months, as I have gotten to know your team, studied your methods and curriculum, I have become more than impressed.

What you are offering to the community is something that does not exist elsewhere.  It is very, very special.  I believe in the small school approach and love the connection to nature that your school offers.  I strongly believe in the experiential learning methodology you are using and the cross-curricular method of approaching topics.  I also whole heartedly support your assessment, tracking, and reporting techniques as far superior to any system I have seen to date.  It brings a smile to my face to think that your approach is never to leave a child behind and teach children not that they failed or don’t understand but rather they just don’t understand yet and they soon will.

I am so impressed with everything that I see that I have decided this is where I would like my own daughter to go to school and have counselled my family members that it would be a good idea for them to consider the same with their kids.  That is a big recommendation considering I work with hundreds of schools worldwide and my profession is teaching schools how to reach a level of excellence.  So it is with considerable experience and confidence that I can say that I believe your school is already there.

It brings a huge smile to my face to think that an ideal school is in my own backyard and that my daughter will spend days exploring nature and exploring the latest in technologies.  Each day she goes to school her curiosity and love of learning will be ignited not dampened.  What a difference this is going to make for her life.

Thank you for the work you do. Highest regards,

Jeremy Rhodes, Executive Director, Elephant Thoughts