Life At Hunter

Hunter is located in central New Hampshire on 137 acres of woodlands in the foothills of the White Mountains.  Our campus is beautiful and casual.  You won't find stuffy formal buildings and ivy-covered walls at Hunter, but you will find the beauty of nature everywhere and many kid-friendly features.

Buildings on campus include a modern schoolhouse and three family-style residences,  Mountain House, Meadow House and Lake House.  A fourth residence, Little House, is located several miles off campus in the center of Rumney Village.
 
House parents are trained, experienced child development counselors.  Their expertise contributes directly to the success achieved by our students.  Residential staff members also appreciate and respect the uniqueness of our student population. They like the energy and the creativity of our students.  Hunter house parents are right there with the kids enjoying whatever they're doing.  It's refreshing for children who have often felt like they don't fit in to be fully appreciated for being themselves.
  
The informal, yet structured, living environment of the Hunter residences offers your child many opportunities to practice appropriate ways to interact with adults and peers in day-to-day situations.  He or she will learn how different behaviors and language can be perceived and interpreted by others. House parents give immediate feedback and supportive guidance, teaching important social skills.
   
Each 'Hunter family' plans recreational activities together, dines together and develops important interpersonal and social skills such as cooperation, mutual respect, teamwork, and self-confidence.  Children follow a predictable schedule that allows plenty of time for play and exercise, as well as homework and personal downtime essential for learning independent play skills.

This intimate, family-style living arrangement, rather than dormitory living, provides each child with the individual, loving attention needed during his or her formative years.

Activities

We take full advantage of all that our campus has to offer.  Our acreage along Stinson Lake includes a sandy beach and dock, and throughout the campus we hike, explore and find ways to enjoy our natural surroundings. In the winter we snowshoe, sled and watch the wildlife that shares our land.  Spring brings a chance to collect maple sap and boil our own syrup.  In the summer the children help in our organic garden and orchard.  Right through early fall we are able to use the lake for swimming, canoeing and other water sports. 
 
Special large-scale projects are also undertaken, providing unique, memorable learning opportunities for students.  Recently we held an old-fashioned barn raising and students participated extensively in the process.  

Our campus is lovely.  It was originally selected as the site for Hunter because of its beauty and our belief that a natural environment promotes a healthy lifestyle, encourages gentleness and kindness towards all living creatures.

Vegetarian Diet

We find that our students are more focused and consistent when eating a healthy, balanced, meat-free diet.  Vegetarian doesn't mean yucky and boring, the food at Hunter is delicious and enjoyed by our students. 

All students learn about nutrition and learn how to care for themselves by preparing and eating good foods that build strong bodies and support their mental focus.  Students at Hunter enjoy hearty meals that include rice, beans, pasta, eggs, fresh vegetables, nuts and many other delicious foods.  Special dietary needs can be accommodated.

Technology

Our philosophy concerning technology is motivated by our belief that behavioral modification techniques are more likely to succeed when a child is not over-stimulated.  This doesn't mean our students are isolated from modern technology.  Instead, we strive to manage a child's exposure to multi-media inputs and teach our students how to use good judgment about technology, its value as well as its potential to over-stimulate. 
   
Computers are used extensively in the classroom for educational purposes, and we maintain a 1:1 child to computer ratio.  Keyboarding skills are developed and students learn how to use technology resources including common software applications and the Internet.  Children sometimes enjoy recreational computer use when it's appropriate and supported by their individual behavior modification plans. 

Pre-screened movies are occasionally shown as a special 'Hunter family' treats.  Our goal is to develop well-socialized children by today's standards, which includes familiarizing children with contemporary entertainment that's age and content appropriate.  We don't want Hunter students to feel isolated or different from their peers of the same age who attend traditional schools.
 
When Hunter students are away from the campus, they need to know how to make good choices for themselves regarding technology and entertainment.  We do our part to help build solid decision-making skills for children.

Attention to Safety

Hunter takes every precaution to insure the well being of our students and staff. All students are under constant supervision at all times by qualified teachers and child development professionals, and our adult-to-child ratios exceed regulatory guidelines. 

Rooms are equipped with monitoring systems and door safety alarms.  Our residences are inspected and approved by the NH Board for Child Care Licensing and the NH Department of Education.

Thorough background checks are conducted on all full-time, part-time and contract employees before they are permitted to be on campus or in any of our facilities.  

Teaching staff all hold current NH Department of Education Teaching Certifications, and many have achieved Highly Qualified Status (HQS).

Staff members receive the required training to become certified in adult and child Coronary Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI), First Aid and Water Safety. All certifications in these areas are kept up-to-date for all staff members, including maintenance.

Skilled, Wonderful Staff

We love working with the special students that attend The Hunter School.  Because we are a small school, we can be selective in our hiring.  People who come to Hunter are well prepared to meet the needs of our students.  Hunter-specific training is provided to all new employees and continuous training is provided through in-service sessions.  All staff members receive ongoing feedback about their performance through regular evaluations.