Enjoying Poetry in the Younger Years
“I’m a great believer in poetry out of the classroom, in public places, on subways, trains, on cocktail napkins. I’d rather have my poems on the subway than around the seminar table at an MFA program.” —Billy Collins (U.S. Poet Laureate) By April Huard, Off-Campus Program Advisor As a poetry lover, I jumped at the […]
“Structure” Is Not a Bad Word
By Chandra Montgomery Nicol, Executive Director As many of you may know, my mother, Pat Montgomery, founded Clonlara School. She envisioned a place where kids could learn in an environment that allowed them to make their own choices and pursue their curiosity and creativity. Clonlara’s Campus Program still provides such a model, in which students […]
Blake Boles @ Clonlara School
By Clonlara School On September 20, 2018, Clonlara School hosted Blake Boles for his talk titled, “Yes, you can quit traditional high school and everything will be okay!” Blake shared his personal education journey and passion for self-directed learning with the school community, and inspired the audience with accounts of teens who, like many Clonlara students, […]
Top 5 Tips for Online Learners
By Donna Iadipaolo, Online Program Teacher Many students succeed and reach new heights through online learning in part because of its flexibility, personalization, and content focus. The online learner decides when he or she needs to study, work through math problems, or write papers, along with many other tasks. But with this freedom comes more […]
Your Child Is Already Learning
By Clonlara School Editor’s Note: This article was adapted from Clonlara School’s Off-Campus Program Education Guide, which our homeschooling families receive upon enrollment. Clonlara School was founded on the belief that “living is learning” and that most everything a child does involves learning of one sort or another. Students do not need to be reading […]
Excerpt from The School That’s Inside You
By Pat Montgomery, Founder Editor’s Note: Clonlara School Founder Pat Montgomery’s book, The School That’s Inside You, is available in both print and digital format. In this excerpt from Chapter 2, Pat shares a personal story of how graduate school influenced her thinking on education, but parenthood “propelled” her to start a school of her own. […]
Congratulations, Class of 2018!
By Kevin Fitzgerald, Editor Clonlara School’s Class of 2018 included more than 80 graduates from across the United States and around the world. They each had their own individual passions and took much of the responsibility for designing and following their own path toward meeting their educational goals. Because of this, we know that they will maintain their […]
We Flourish Together (Update)
By Kevin Fitzgerald, Editor In a previous post, we told you about a project to help spread the word about our school, and invited YOU—the members of Clonlara’s global community of students, families, and alumni—to join us. Now, the results are clear for all to see! Watch Us Grow Over three months (March–May), we tracked our collective efforts by […]
Actor, Singer, Dancer, AND Clonlara Student
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] By Jake Kitchin, Off-Campus Student My name is Jake Kitchin, and I’m currently a junior in the Off-Campus Program at Clonlara School. I chose Clonlara for my high school experience because I’m a professional actor, and Clonlara has given me the flexibility I need, while providing the guidance and structure for a fulfilling high […]
Celebrating 50 Years, Decade Four
A Podcast by the Students, Parents, and Staff of Clonlara School Episode 4 Description In this podcast covering decade four of Clonlara School’s history, parent Barbara Robertson talks with Executive Director Chandra Montgomery Nicol. As the daughter of Clonlara’s founder, Chandra was the school’s first student and is also a proud parent of two former students. […]