The conviction that learning is the surest path to individual freedom. The belief that every child should be given exciting educational opportunities and that every child has a tremendous capacity for learning. The principle that each person's character and individuality not only are to be respected, but also celebrated. The idea that a school can and should be a center for people of all ages who seek kindred spirits, enlightenment, and recreation. The notion that respecting, affirming, and learning from our differences is central to what ties us together. The truth that a great school is a place that nurtures the creative spirit, prizes the beautiful as much as the useful, and inculcates a love of learning.