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Sharing stories about inspired learning in independent schools

  • We Encourage Exploration
    Video

    Principia France Trip Takes Experiential Learning to the Next Level

    “What if . . . ?” That simple question planted a seed that quickly blossomed into an extraordinary collaboration and cross-curricular learning opportunity for 23 Principia Upper School students who participated in a weeklong educational trip to Paris and northwestern France in October. Inspired, in part, by a set of Upper School trips to the […]

    1 Recommendation
  • We Encourage Exploration
    Video

    Trout in the Classroom

    Inspired science teacher, Carole Wright, brought the Trout in the Classroom Program to Valley School of Ligonier in 2013. Each November, the trout eggs arrive with much celebration in order to engage the entire campus in the important responsibility of raising the native Brook Trout from eggs. Students take the lead in sorting and counting […]

    7 Recommendations 1 Comment
  • We Nurture Growth

    New Social Emotional Learning Curriculum Takes to the Streets…and Hallways, and Lunchrooms…

    The 2014-2015 school year has started out in a very mindful way at Katherine Delmar Burke School, with the statement “What are your hopes and intentions?” appearing in chalk and paint in various areas across campus. It’s part of a theme, “Hopes & Intentions,” that was introduced during the first Lower School assembly through music, […]

    2 Recommendations
  • We Spark Creativity
    Video

    Burke’s Young Earthquake Engineers

    Thanks to a grant from GirlsRISE.net and the California Academy of Sciences, eighth graders from Katherine Delmar Burke School participated in a day-long design/build engineering challenge at the Academy of Sciences. The activities for the girls focused on structural engineering and architectural design for earthquake safety.

      Recommend This
  • We Inspire Leadership

    Governor-Elect of Pennsylvania does The Hill School (Pottstown, Pa.) proud

    The Hill School is proud to say that the Governor-Elect of Pennsylvania is a Hill School graduate of the Class of 1967. Tom Wolf spoke to Hill students and faculty on campus last spring — not so much as a campaigner, but as an invited guest for the School’s series of activities related to the […]

    1 Recommendation
  • We Challenge Minds

    Building Coding into Elementary Curriculum

    Beginning in Kindergarten, Ranney School (Tinton Falls, NJ) students use iPads to practice reading and math skills and to do basic Internet searches, such as looking up a definition or concept. These skills, along with typing, are strengthened each year as Lower Schoolers progress into the elementary grades, describes Lower School Technology Teacher Maureen Wood. […]

    2 Recommendations
  • We Shape the Future

    Integrating Technology into the Art Classroom

    Technology has been a core component of the Lower School Art curriculum for many years at Ranney School (Tinton Falls, NJ). Beginning in the Early Childhood program, students have access to drawing apps on the school’s iPads. As they move into the elementary grades, art students are introduced to Photoshop to retouch images on the […]

    7 Recommendations
  • We Nurture Growth

    Caring in the Classroom Unites a School Community

    At Prospect Sierra Middle School, fifth graders, led by a trained facilitator, enjoy a year-long relationship with a baby and the family. Lessons about emotions, temperament, brain development, trust, and child safety and care are integral to the process. “I love Baby Bryn,” says one student. “Even when she cries, we feel sad for her […]

    1 Recommendation
  • We Cultivate Character

    Middle School Program Emphasizes Social, Emotional Learning

    In their weekly Advisory period, Middle Schoolers at Independent Day School tackle a framework of role-playing exercises that build from grades 6-8. They focus progressively on empathy and communication, bullying prevention, emotion management and coping, problem solving, goal setting and decision making, and substance abuse prevention. It’s part of the school’s social and emotional learning […]

    4 Recommendations
  • We Nurture Growth

    School Community Learns to Eat Right Now

    Since 2002, Calhoun School’s award-winning Eat Right Now program, led by Chef Bobo, has promoted healthier attitudes about food and nutrition that have affected the entire school community. The key: All dishes are prepared from scratch with fresh ingredients and great flavor—bought locally and in season—offered in portion-controlled servings. The excitement began with the realization […]

    9 Recommendations
  • We Shape the Future

    Program Asks Students for a Lifetime Commitment to Wellness

    Ashley Hall’s PAWS (Personal Awareness and Wellness Seminar) program launched in 2010, garnering national attention for its innovative merger of three existing programs—academic management, wellness, and college counseling. Pressure on adolescent girls is enormous, the school believes, and takes a toll on their mental health. The program is targeted by grade level: advisors begin talking […]

    1 Recommendation
  • We Challenge Minds

    Marbles on the Move During Fifth-Grade Physics Lessons

    Marbles rolled across the floor as students scrambled to secure connections and fine-tune turns. For the past few days, students in Ellen Neill’s fifth-grade science class have been studying physics concepts, and how the laws of motion propel a marble along a roller coaster track. “It’s really neat to see the marble gain speed and […]

    10 Recommendations

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