The Pine Cobble Difference

Sometimes, families ask, “what makes Pine Cobble School different?” To be honest, it’s hard to know where to begin. The Pine Cobble difference is qualitative and wholly immersive. It affects every moment of every day on our campus. Ultimately, it’s a difference that affects students’ very sense of self, and the way they experience the world.

Here are a few differences you’ll find, just for starters:

Pine Cobble students are known and loved. Our student-faculty ratios are among the smallest you’ll find anywhere in the region. This means your child will have meaningful one-on-one interactions with teachers all through the day. We go beyond deliberately small class sizes, too. Faculty get to know students on the playgrounds, and at lunch tables. They participate with students in all-campus challenges, in work afternoons, and in clubs and after school programs. We promise you that your child’s unique strengths and gifts will be seen and celebrated by caring adults.

Our program is not driven by testing. Fostering a lifelong love of learning is written into our very mission, and it’s been our purpose since we first opened our doors in 1937. Do our students learn to work hard? Absolutely. Sometimes they even have to memorize things, too — like times tables, dates, and rules of grammar. But our goal isn’t getting them ready for some test; it’s always, invariably, to inspire deep learning, and to prepare them for their fullest, most joyful lives.

We are a community. At Pine Cobble, your child will get to know everyone — children of different ages, learning styles, interests, and strengths. They will be asked to take responsibility for their school, including serving as role models and guides for students younger than themselves. They’ll eat at lunch tables with students from grades 1-9, and at least one faculty member. Two of the most important factors to a positive school climate are a sense of belonging, and a sense of community. We actively and consciously nurture both.

We support the whole child. Your child will experience robust intellectual growth here. They’ll engage deeply with learning, and they’ll become critical thinkers able to ask questions, seek answers, and express themselves clearly. But that’s just where the Pine Cobble experience begins. We also promote ethical decision-making, social-emotional learning, conflict resolution, empathy, and active listening. We will partner with your family in helping your child become both a good student and a person of integrity.

We embrace our one-of-a-kind setting. Our 20+ acre campus is filled with enchantment. We’ve got old growth trees, wide fields, a tiny hidden frog pond, and imagination-boosting features like stone walls and gazebos. Students move between buildings throughout the day, allowing them to breathe fresh air and get their hearts pumping. In addition, every student here, including our oldest, enjoys at least 30 minutes of recess every single day. After all, healthy minds and healthy bodies go hand-in-hand!

There is no typical Pine Cobble student. Are Pine Cobble students athletic? Artistic? Intellectual? Musical? Social? Yes! They are all of these things, and much, much more. Here, children are encouraged to be the fullest possible version of themselves. All students step out of their comfort zones; all are asked to speak publicly, play on teams, sing and dance on stage. This way, all students have the chance to discover new sides of themselves, and to learn how it feels to take healthy risks in a supportive community.

We simply aren’t like any other school you’ll find. But don’t take our word for it: come visit, and see for yourself.