SARATOGA SPRINGS, Utah — As the sun rises at Mountain Sunrise Academy in Saratoga Springs, a new day of holistic learning begins for students.
That's the theme of the school, where they say they take education a step beyond traditional learning.
"We are paying attention to the child's head, heart and hands," explained Jo Greer, an Instructional Coach at the school.
What Greer means is that the school keeps the health of the child as a whole in mind during their educational experience at the school.
"We're preparing a whole child to become a moral, contributing, responsible citizen," she said.
Going into the school, Greer showed FOX 13 News the "Peace Cottage," which is not used as a punishment or reward, rather is a space where students can regulate and recognize their emotions.
Greer said the space is especially helpful because they find many of the students "are living a life of overwhelm."
"There are times when they need emotional regulation," she explained. "So they will come into this room and choose an area that will help them."
What types of activities are in the room?
There's the "Take a Break Tent," a trampoline, books, cuddly stuffed animals, and a sensory bin, which Greer says has a significant effect on a child.
In the center of the room, there's a child-sized table with a basket of tiny faces, all displaying different emotions. Students who visit the peace cottage take a moment at the table to identify and verbalize what they're feeling, which Greer says is key in the journey to be a "responsible citizen."
"We want to learn how to articulate our emotions and field them," she explained. "Sometimes we feel them, but we don't know how to express them appropriately."
Next, head over to the library, where you're transported to a forest wonderland. Greer said that while creating the space, they wanted it to feel like the "hub" of school.
"Every child feels welcome and it's all about literacy," she remarked.
Many other unique features of the school including a farm, garden area, kitchen, language classes and more contribute to the school's overall mission of helping Utah children develop into contributing, successful members of society later in life.
