Imago Dei Neighborhood School

"The world is a complicated place. People—their histories and identities, their institutions and work processes, their fears and desires—are simply too complex to be captured in a worksheet with a paragraph and some reading comprehension questions. Large-scale prose writing is the best medium we have for capturing that complexity." -Adam Kotsko Fantastic essay on the importance of reading for parents and children alike. Makes the case for many of our practices at Imago Dei Neighborhood School: 1) phonics, phonics, phonics 2) knowledge-based curriculum 3) no screens 4) daily classroom read alouds of excellent literature 5) parent book studies Sobering conclusion: "It’s easy to roll our eyes at college students who opine on the world without understanding it. But, then, we haven’t equipped them. And through our parenting and schooling we might actually be stymying their ability to develop the necessary skills to form reasoned judgments. Public debate is about to get even less fun and more irrational than it already is. Democracy’s not a contact sport, but we’re headed that direction."

For his final Eagle Scout project, this young man built picnic tables, garden boxes, and benches for our students at Imago Dei Neighborhood School. Today, he came to school to talk to students about the "why". Hearing about the importance of service from a 16 year old left our students contemplative and amazed. Grateful today for Scouting, and all those invest in the flourishing of children!

Retired folks who offer their skills and experience to bless others are THE BEST. We are delighted to announce that Mrs. Marsha Miller, a retired Registered Nurse with many years serving as a medical/surgery nurse in hospitals, a clinical nurse in free standing emergency rooms, and in public health departments, has offered to come out of retirement to care for our students' wellness next year! This is huge for Imago Dei Neighborhood School. Grateful for all those, like Marsha, determined to give their "golden years" to bless others. Absolute heroes.

What an honor to introduce Sarah Northrop Heisey, Imago Dei Neighborhood School's newest team member. Mrs. Heisey will be joining us in the fall to support the social and emotional growth and health of our precious students. Licensed as an Early Childhood Exceptional Education and Development Specialist, with a Masters degree from VCU, and an undergrad in Child Development, Mrs. Heisey comes to us with eight years of experience and a deep desire to love and support our families and teachers. What a joy to welcome this exceptional educator!

Not only is Miriam (MJ) McSpadden great at her craft, she's intentionally inviting other young ladies to imagine themselves in the very male dominated field of filmmaking. Grateful for MJ and all those out there casting vision and creating pathways! Imago Dei Neighborhood School

"Always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder." –E.B.White #bringinglearningtolife is more than a tagline. It is how Imago Dei Neighborhood School's PreK students are learning to interact with the big, beautiful, complex, natural world they will inherit.

Another great Richmond non-profit! At Imago Dei Neighborhood School, we've partnered with WomensRise this year to provide an excellent PreK education for a terrific little girl. Who do you know who could benefit from this win/win opportunity?! "Do you know a single mom who is juggling going back to school and the expense of childcare (or after school care)? United Way’s WomenRise program can help. We offer scholarships to cover the cost of childcare; single moms who are getting a degree or participating in another training program can apply. We will soon be accepting applications for the 2024-2025 school year. We will be accepting applications from May 1 through May 31, so please share this information ASAP with any single moms that might need some help paying for childcare." See the website below for more info!

Teachers, no matter how well-intentioned, trained, and resourced, cannot fundamentally alter the environment a child navigates when they are not at school. Storms have, do, and will come. The educator's job is to work with parents to make sure each precious child has the skills and knowledge needed to sail their ship - and these tools must encompass the fullness of the human experience - mind, body, and spirit. It is nothing less than human formation.

Imago Dei Neighborhood School is delighted to announce that veteran educator, deep thinker, gentle shepherd, and wise leader Nate George will be joining our growing school next year. We still have two more classroom openings to fill as our school expands: first and fourth grade. Check out our website for more information: www.imagodeirichmond.org!

We sometimes get asked how our incredibly diverse school works IRL (sounds good on paper, but ...). Intentionality on the part of the school is foundational, but far, far more important is a parent community who consistently choose curiosity, grace, and joy in their interactions with the school and one another. We learn and are blessed by our parents Every Single Day. Pictured: parents at our recent lifelong learning workshop on creativity