History
Londonderry has been an innovator in education since a group of parents initiated the school in 1971 as an alternative to traditional education. Londonderry's elementary program is licensed by the Pennsylvania Board of Private Academic Schools. The preschool and kindergarten program is the longest accredited early childhood program in central Pennsylvania by the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs (NAEYC). The After School program has received the highest rating from the Pennsylvania Department of Welfare’s Keystone STARS program.
Growing Bigger, Stronger and "Greener"
Beyond brick and mortar! Londonderry’s green school was completed during the Spring of 2004 after ten years of fundraising, planning and construction. The site was selected because it afforded a beautiful nature observatory within minutes of downtown Harrisburg. In 2006, Londonderry’s building received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification – a nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.
In addition to reflecting Londonderry School’s dedication to the natural world, the school building also serves a model for environmentally-conscious construction on a budget. Typical school construction in central Pennsylvania costs $130/square foot. Londonderry’s building was built for approximately $100/square foot, demonstrating that green design can be cost effective.
Londonderry’s school building was also designed to serve as a teaching tool. As people walk around our building, they can learn about its environmentally-friendly systems and processes, and why they were chosen. In addition to self-guided tours, visitors may take advantage of a student-guided tour, which was recently experienced by the Governor’s Green Council, and Danish government and business officials, seeking more knowledge about Londonderry’s low cost, environmentally-friendly approach to building a new school!
Not your average schoolyard! Learning about the natural world and our impact on it has always been part of the Londonderry curriculum. Londonderry’s 14-acre campus makes that easy. On a daily basis, staff and students engage in activities that preserve natural habitat, protect the watershed, reduce waste and energy usage, and teach others about caring for the environment.
Throughout the year, students, staff and parents participate in work days to help improve the school environment in a natural way. Volunteers have planted more than 100 native trees and shrubs to restore and enhance wildlife habitat on Londonderry’s 14 acres. Older students maintain native flower, shrub and tree plantings, and operate a paper recycling program. They also care for a rain garden, built by the Boy Scouts, and helped to construct the bird blind and feeding station. In the preschool and kindergarten, students grow organic vegetable gardens, care for a native and drought-resistant flower garden, and a sunflower house. They also observe bird feeding stations and houses from their classrooms. One preschool class even constructed a bat house to “naturally” combat mosquitoes!
Londonderry’s campus has also been recognized as a National Wildlife Federation Schoolyard Habitat.
Most recently, Londonderry School enhanced its learning environment with the establishment of Monet’s Artists Garden. Located behind the art and computer rooms, Monet’s Artists Garden was inspired by the paintings and gardens of Claude Monet and other artists who look to nature as a muse. Our young artists will use the garden for quiet work and inspiration.
Take an online tour of Londonderry's "green" journey!
Learning Beyond the Classroom
Even with a new, “green” building and bucolic setting, Londonderry students and teachers still seek educational experiences outside of the classroom. Throughout the year, preschool students can be found at local pumpkin patches, museums and other educational venues. One class visited a local Asian restaurant while learning about Chinese culture. Another visited a local nature refuge while studying birds. Students have visited the Mount Hope Estate during a unit on Edgar Allan Poe. Twice each year, older students take off on primitive camping trips as part of the school’s science and nature curriculum.
In the spirit of environmental stewardship and dedication to the local community, Londonderry staff, students and their families also maintain a portion of the Capital Area Greenbelt. The site, named “Phoenix Garden,” can be found south of the PennDOT building, overlooking the Susquehanna River. Over the years, the school has incorporated this volunteer effort into every classroom. Together, all of these “green thumbs” have planted trees, plants and flowers that are native to the region and grown to attract butterflies, birds and other wildlife. They’ve also designed sitting niches, sculptures and a mosaic mural, and painted a garden scene on abandoned concrete walls. Phoenix Garden is ongoing and has been made possible with funding from the school's Kid’s Committee , and grants from the Dauphin County Department of Community and Economic Development. It is accessible to hikers of all shapes and sizes, and is wheelchair accessible.
Looking Forward
The Londonderry School has accomplished a lot during 36 years. However, it is always necessary to look forward as we continue to shape our school as the world and families change. During the summer of 2007, The Londonderry School completed a year-long visioning process that engaged staff, parents, alumni and community members in charting the school’s path for the future. The exercise produced five categories of concentration:
1. Share the school’s message and identity with the greater community.
2. Maintain excellence in education.
3. Consider leadership succession, and the mentoring and nurturing of teachers.
4. Succeed in fundraising and development.
5. Improve operations and management processes to support the goals of the school.
