Abstract
This chapter takes a broader view of the school community and tracks the paths of previous students who are now ‘out in the world’, as well as connecting with parents, school staff, and other community members who have been closely integrated into the school’s wider community. Key vignettes illustrate the importance of connecting to community and the development of a rich school culture, which is an essential component of socially-just schooling.
We are different coloured feathers but we are all on the same bird.
Student comment in a focus group
This one goes out to those fixated with green and spend their time counting their beans
And it seems that all of us are just fiends who have different goals and share different dreams
But you won’t find joy in a packet of pay
there’s a void in your life ‘cause you’re created that way
I guess it depends on how you measure success
The Winnie Coopers, Charlie’s hip-hop band
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Riddle, S., Cleaver, D. (2017). Community, Culture and Connections in Alternative Schooling. In: Alternative Schooling, Social Justice and Marginalised Students. Palgrave Studies in Alternative Education. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-58990-9_5
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