A five-year dream to open a school that meets the holistic needs of children is about to become a reality for Amy Cojocar — and she could not be happier.
Cojocar is the founder and director of The Roots School, a new private educational alternative for students in pre-kindergarten to Grade 8. The new school follows the Saskatchewan curriculum but is based on immersive, hands-on projects and learning in nature.
The school will have up to 30 kids, three teachers and an educational assistant, which means the pupil-teacher ratio will be low.
The venue is holding a carnival fundraiser on Saturday, Sept. 17, from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Rotary Park near the former Burger Cabin. Entry wristbands are $30, while there will be 20 booths featuring magic, games, music and other activities.
Cojogar originally planned to open the school at 303 Coteau Street West, but unforeseen circumstances forced her to move the educational institution to 52 High Street West, adjacent to A&L Royal Academy.
While most Saskatchewan schools will start classes on Sept. 1, The Roots School will welcome students on Tuesday, Sept. 6.
“I’m really excited, now that it’s ready. In this new space now, we have room for more kids. We have a wait list. We had a goal of 25 kids and now I think we’re up to that number … ,” Cojocar said.
“And it’s been a dream of mine for so many years, and it’s now finally here. It feels really exciting and fulfilling to be bringing this to Moose Jaw.”
Many students have struggled with their mental health, particularly with feelings of inadequacy and not fitting in, she continued. She believes the new school can help them overcome those challenges, build their confidence and thrive as learners.
Cojocar taught school overseas for several years before returning to Moose Jaw in 2017. The dream of opening a land-based, holistic-focused school has been with her since then, especially since she had experienced other educational systems and later had a child. She also knew what type of education she wanted her child to have.
Opening this venue seemed overwhelming initially, while she didn’t think Moose Jaw was ready for it, she said. However, she thinks the time is right, based on all the parents who want to register their children.
Some parents want their kids to spend more time in nature, others appreciate the focus on mental health and the body-mind-soul aspect, while others want something different for their children who struggle in the regular system and have anxiety and depression.
Besides children, Cojocar has also noticed a “deep disconnect” in adults who need their own healing.
“There’s like a deep thirst and hunger for a spiritual connection and a deeper understanding of who we are as humans and how our emotions work,” she continued. “From 2017 till now, I spent all that time diving more into learning about mindfulness and gratitude and my own healing journey, and I helped other women with theirs.
“That was part of my purpose for a while, was helping adults. And then I realized … these are skills we should have learned or grown up with as kids.”
Cojocar believes The Roots School can offer that deep change kids need. She is writing a blog post in response to parents who continually ask if the school will teach math. It will, but she believes the focus should be more on developing children into empowered, confident and happy people while connecting them to something greater than themselves.
“If they have those skills and that deep understanding of themselves, they can learn anything they want … ,” she added.
While Cojocar is the director, she will teach once a week while bringing “soul skills” — such as mindfulness — into everything the school does. She will also spend plenty of time on programming because while the school follows the Saskatchewan curriculum, it isn’t relying on textbooks but on monthly themes — such as birds — to teach students.
Children will lead their learning, while the teachers will attempt to spark wonder and curiosity in them to discover more.
“We never say we have the answer. We say we help them come to that understanding,” she said. “It’s really important to us that we’re helping kids learn how to think, not what to think.”
Cojocar added that she is confident the school will inspire students and shift their perspective on learning.
Visit www.rootsschool.ca for more information.
