Independent Stories
THE STONE INDEPENDENT SCHOOL BLOG
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The Stone Independent School is a progressive, interdisciplinary 7-12 school which believes that all students learn best by doing.
To See, Hear, and Connect with the Belizean Culture: A Reflection.
Our students understood that seven days or even seven years isn’t enough to fully understand these pre-Hispanic and modern societies.
I have to say, they used every bit of their energy to truly see, hear, and connect with Belizean culture.
I’ve worked with this group of students for a couple of years in the classroom, and I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work with them outside of it. I saw them face new challenges every single day. As an immigrant myself, my students' perseverance, gratitude, empathy, sense of humor, and open-mindedness give me even more reason to keep believing in the next generation.
A Strategic Collaboration.
A Letter from the Head of School:
This evening, I’m writing to our entire community to share significant and exciting news — as of July 1, 2026, Solvit Academy, an innovative K–9 school located in downtown Lancaster, will officially become part of The Stone Independent School so that we may together form the only K-12 problem-based school in Pennsylvania.
This strategic collaboration is the product of long and thoughtful dialogue, one which has been grounded throughout by our belief that the earlier we can work with our students, the greater the impact they will have on the communities around them.
The Stone Independent School and Solvit Academy Announce Merger, Creating a First-Of-Its-Kind K–12 Education Experience in Lancaster
The Stone Independent School and Solvit Academy are excited to announce a strategic merger that will bring together Lancaster’s most innovative educational communities, creating a unified K–12 institution unlike anything else in Pennsylvania. Beginning July 1, 2026, the combined school will operate under The Stone Independent School name, offering families a complete, progressive educational pathway from kindergarten through 12th grade.
In an era of standardized curriculum and standardized testing, the new K-12 Stone Independent School will provide students with an education that fosters intellectual agility, empowering them to thrive across disciplines, industries, and global contexts.
Imagining Lower School at Stone: A Vision Becoming Reality
Imagine a school in Lancaster composed of truly independent thinkers, creative problem solvers, impactful contributors, and design thinkers. Imagine they are researching and then exhibiting their work to parents and peers and becoming masterful at receiving and offering feedback.
Now imagine this group of students is in kindergarten.
With the development of Stone’s Lower School program, that vision is becoming a reality and we are nothing short of ecstatic about the path ahead. For the first time, a seamless K-12 Stone education is possible, and there is no other school experience in Pennsylvania quite like it.
Why Research and Design?
Our pedagogy is built around skills practice and acquisition, around asking Big Questions, and around coaching students through varied problem-solving methods. Didactic teaching—the simple delivery of information—has its place. But at Stone, it is only a starting point. We move quickly from the “knowledge about” stage to the “know-how” stage, where performance, practice, and refinement drive deeper understanding.
Just as an athletic coach trains athletes by guiding them through repetitions until skill becomes second nature, our faculty coach students toward intellectual proficiency. This process—practice, correction, mastery—cultivates the ability to evaluate, analyze, synthesize, and create. Without coaching, growth stalls; with it, students gain the capacity to think critically and engage authentically with the world.