Breakwater School
Encyclopedia
Breakwater School is an independent
, non-denominational, co-educational
preschool
, elementary school, and middle school
in Portland, Maine
.
The school currently enrolls up to 180 students from preschool through eighth grade. Its 3-year old and 4-year old preschool curriculum is based on the Reggio Emilia Approach
. The K–5 curriculum is progressive in nature and focuses on being developmentally appropriate for each student. The sixth through eighth grade program is experiential
and integrative
in nature, consisting of a series of 6 to 7 week projects completed over the course of the school year. The Head of School is David Sullivan, previously a Teaching Principal at the Brooklin School in Brooklin, Maine
.
Breakwater was founded as a day care center, named Playtime Haven, by Frank and El Costa in 1956 after their son recovered from a serious illness. As it grew, it moved to a series of different locations in South Portland
and Cape Elizabeth
, until 1982 when it purchased its current location in Portland. Since then, the school has also been given a 21 acres (8.5 ha) nature preserve in nearby Cumberland
which it uses regularly for field trips as part of the school's Science curriculum.
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
, non-denominational, co-educational
Coeducation
Mixed-sex education, also known as coeducation or co-education, is the integrated education of male and female persons in the same institution. It is the opposite of single-sex education...
preschool
Nursery school
A nursery school is a school for children between the ages of one and five years, staffed by suitably qualified and other professionals who encourage and supervise educational play rather than simply providing childcare...
, elementary school, and middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
in Portland, Maine
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
.
The school currently enrolls up to 180 students from preschool through eighth grade. Its 3-year old and 4-year old preschool curriculum is based on the Reggio Emilia Approach
Reggio Emilia approach
The Reggio Emilia Approach is an educational philosophy focused on preschool and primary education. It was started by Loris Malaguzzi and the parents of the villages around Reggio Emilia in Italy after World War II. The destruction from the war, parents believed, necessitated a new, quick approach...
. The K–5 curriculum is progressive in nature and focuses on being developmentally appropriate for each student. The sixth through eighth grade program is experiential
Experiential education
Experiential education is a philosophy of education that describes the process that occurs between a teacher and student that infuses direct experience with the learning environment and content. The term is mistakenly used interchangeably with experiential learning...
and integrative
Integrative learning
Integrative Learning is a learning theory describing a movement toward integrated lessons helping students make connections across curricula. This higher education concept is distinct from the elementary and high school "integrated curriculum" movement....
in nature, consisting of a series of 6 to 7 week projects completed over the course of the school year. The Head of School is David Sullivan, previously a Teaching Principal at the Brooklin School in Brooklin, Maine
Brooklin, Maine
Brooklin is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The population was 841 at the 2000 census. It is home to WoodenBoat Magazine Brooklin Boat Yard, and numerous boatbuilders, artists, writers, musicians and potters.-History:...
.
Breakwater was founded as a day care center, named Playtime Haven, by Frank and El Costa in 1956 after their son recovered from a serious illness. As it grew, it moved to a series of different locations in South Portland
South Portland, Maine
South Portland is a city in Cumberland County, Maine, United States, and is the fourth-largest city in the state. Founded in 1895, as of the 2010 census, the city population was 25,002. Known for its working waterfront, South Portland is situated on Portland Harbor and overlooks the skyline of...
and Cape Elizabeth
Cape Elizabeth, Maine
Cape Elizabeth is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The town is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area...
, until 1982 when it purchased its current location in Portland. Since then, the school has also been given a 21 acres (8.5 ha) nature preserve in nearby Cumberland
Cumberland, Maine
Cumberland is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 7,211 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
which it uses regularly for field trips as part of the school's Science curriculum.