Ananda Marga River School

The Ananda Marga River School is a community of learning including students from Pre-Kindy to Year 6, teachers, administrators and parents.  It is located four kilometers from Maleny on 26 acres of land, 15 of which is rain-forest and creek. The River School is part of a global Neohumanist Education movement which teaches love and respect for all humanity as well as all living and non-living beings. Through meditation and yoga children learn to experience peace and contentedness; through play-based and excellent academic education they learn how to use their gifts to make a difference; and through the arts they learn how to express their creativity with joy.

The school models sustainability by reducing, reusing and recycling in all areas of school life: from the vegetarian tuck shop, organic gardening, composting and mulching, rainwater collection and solar panels, to personal and social sustainability through enhancing inner peace, teaching moral values and training in relationship-building, leadership and service-oriented programmers. The River School strives to build a strong cooperative community within and around the school and is part of a network of hundreds of  Neohumanist schools run by Ananda Marga throughout the world. In Australia we have schools in Maleny, Lismore and Melbourne.

Our mission is to facilitate each child’s development to their highest spiritual, mental, emotional and physical potential. Through meditation and yoga, children develop intuition, empathy and sensitivity to perceive the Oneness of all beings. Through the modelling of their teachers and community and through virtues study, they learn strong interpersonal skills and create a firm moral base. By developing rationality, they choose for themselves the right path in life. Wholesome vegetarian food, sport and outdoor play teach them how to develop healthy lifestyles. Imaginative play, art and music  give them the creativity and aesthetic sense to help forge a new and beautiful world. Excellent and progressive academic study help them develop the skills to bring their idealism and unique gifts into the world. The school also serves the larger parent and local community through educational and other events with an inclusive, cooperative approach. We model a new approach to education and create leaders who value universal spirituality and the joy of service.

The Ananda Marga River School follows the Australian National Curriculum, providing child-centered education in a supportive learning environment based on a healthy mutual respect between students and teachers.

The national curriculum is integrated into the Neohumanist Education framework of play-based and thematic learning including meditation and yoga, art, music, literature, drama and film, sports, environmental studies (eco-studies), indigenous studies and child-to-child programmers (kids teaching kids). We also offer a learning support teacher as well as specialist teachers for children with special needs and have had excellent results integrating these students into classroom life.

The Ananda Marga River School’s academic curriculum is designed to achieve excellence through its integrated and inquiry-based programs. The Australian National Curriculum for English, Mathematics, History and Science, along with the school’s Neohumanist philosophy, forms the foundation from which all innovative and child-centered learning stems. Classes are purposely kept small to enable maximum student/teacher interaction and the building of genuine learning relationships. Teaching programs are tailored to meet individual learning styles, small group and whole class needs. Learning experiences are continually built upon to allow students to strive for their best, take risks and challenge themselves to expand their learning to higher levels of achievement.

We have a strong commitment to ensuring our students are kept up to date with the latest technological advancements. The school has sets of Ipads that are used throughout the school.   We have a hub of  iMac computers in our Library for use as part of our Media extension program as well as for class studies.  Students learn to edit video and produce clay animation works as part of their unit work.  Every class has use of laptops for utilizing during class rotations. All classrooms (Prep to Year 6) have Activboards (interactive smart whiteboards) to enhance learning experiences.

Children learn all necessary skills including Internet research, typing, web design, report-writing, layout and more, through practical projects, e.g. movie-making, Keynote and PowerPoint presentations. Use of computers is strictly limited to school-related pursuits (non-educational games are not permitted).

In order to integrate the various learning areas, and make learning current and relevant, teachers and students choose regular themes and projects. For example, a theme of “ponds” in Year 1 included water testing, poetry writing, painting, nature studies and many other activities. A Year 3 class decision to raise money to help injured wildlife inspired a play about “The Council of Animals” for the public, with many related activities such as costume and stage design, advertising, food preparation, fundraising and budgeting, learning about animals and their habitats, and more. Other themes have included study of the world’s religions, ecology and recycling.

Our curriculum offers students a rich variety of skills. Complimenting the academics is the school’s meditation and yoga, music, art, and indigenous studies programs. Experts in these fields are employed to ensure students have access to quality learning. Teachers at the River School have a demonstrated passion for the teaching profession and a true love of children. Their aim is to empower students with a desire to learn, and in turn develop deep understandings so that students are in a position to make choices based on critical thinking and self-knowledge. Our teaching team is committed to ensuring your child is safe, happy and free to learn.