Board Member

Description

Free Union Country School (Free Union), is a small, independent, progressive school in Free Union, Virginia, about 15 minute drive northwest of Charlottesville. 

The School is actively seeking an individual with fundraising and outreach experience to support the school’s mission and vision as a member of the Board and the Advancement committee. 

Free Union Country School was founded in 1984 by a group of parents who wanted “to create a community-based elementary school that provided the highest quality of education through small classes, outstanding teachers, and sound and tested programs.” Though the school was initially parent run, the school established a professional administration and faculty over the following quarter-century.  The school currently has a faculty of 15 professional teachers and three full-time administrators. From a log cabin schoolhouse, the school’s grounds have  grown to include a small cabin library, a modern two-classroom building (which includes administrative offices and a Big Room used for “specials” such as drama, music classes (during non COVID times) school wide gatherings and and an administrative center and an outdoor classroom. The school installed BOB, a modular classroom building that houses our 3rd Grade. In addition to buildings, the school had a garden, parent-build sandbox, GaGa pit, basketball court, soccer fields, beloved nature trail, tree houses and climbing structures on approximately 6 acres of land. 

Job Duties

The commitment to the Board includes: an agreement to join for a term of three years, attend and participate actively in monthly board meetings, join at least one committee, and contribution to committee work and meetings. At this time, the Board includes a Committee of the Board, Advancement Committee, Strategic Planning Committee, and Finance Committee. 

Skills Required

Free Union is seeking someone with experience in donor recruitment, solicitation, stewardship, grant writing, support of progressive education in another capacity, or other related skills. Applicants with skills that fit our other committee needs will also be reviewed (experience with finance, strategic planning, etc).

Work Schedule

Board meetings are held on the evening of the second Monday of each month. Committee meetings are arranged to fit your schedule.

Additional Info

Mission Statement

Free Union Country School’s purpose is to nurture in each child a love of learning within a community that respects childhood, models kindness, and encourages curiosity. 

Core School Beliefs: 

Kindness, curiosity, and respect are fundamental 

Children learn best through active exploration and play 

Children thrive when they are celebrated and known in their community 

True learning in all areas – academic, social, physical, artistic – takes place when children are joyful and confident 

Each child learns in a unique way and it is our challenge to find it and encourage it Knowledgeable, creative, and caring teachers are indispensable 

We accomplish the school purpose by: 

Honoring childhood and the unique ways children learn 

Knowing each student’s individual strengths and interests 

Modeling respect among adults and children alike 

Fostering awareness, embracing difference, and nurturing unity 

Encouraging students and teachers to share ideas and opinions 

Enhancing learning with teachers who are free to teach in creative and connecting ways Expanding classroom boundaries to utilize the rich, natural outdoor setting 

So that our students are: 

Excited about learning and eager to come to school each day 

Prepared to think critically and meet academic challenges 

Able to make their learning personally meaningful 

Curious about the world around them 

Confident, self-aware, and comfortable expressing themselves in public 

Kind, caring, socially mindful, and actively engaged in the world beyond themselves 

Free Union Country School admits children between the ages of three and eleven who can benefit from a child-centered, multi-disciplinary academic school curriculum, offered without discrimination by race, religion, ethnic background, gender, or sexual orientation. 

Philosophy 

Free Union Country School, an independent preschool and elementary school, seeks to create a learning environment that stimulates children’s inherent desire to learn about themselves and their world. The school views a strong working relationship among parents, teachers, and students as basic to the social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development of students. Teachers use a richly textured curriculum to create a variety of opportunities for active learning with the primary goals of stimulating critical thinking and increasing academic competence.