Monday message 02.08.2021

Dear Families,

Because we are a project-based learning (PBL) school, our facilitators are working extra hard to formulate driving questions that are engaging, rigorous and authentic, especially as we are in distance learning. The questions drive the projects and help to make the curriculum applicable to our learners’ world. We want to ensure that all our learners have the tools they need to be successful.

“PBL blends content mastery, meaningful work, and personal connection to create powerful learning experiences, in terms of both academic achievement and students’ personal growth. PBL leads to deeper understanding and greater retention of content knowledge. Students are better able to apply what they know to new situations. A great project can be transformative for students. Seeing a real-world impact gives them a sense of agency and purpose.” -PBL Works

Last week our facilitators held a Project Launch Night. During this very informative evening, they provided all the details regarding their new projects and allowed time for Q&A. If you were unable to attend, we highly recommend that you schedule a time to meet with your child’s facilitator. PBL is quite different from traditional methods, and understanding the why and how will greatly benefit you and your child.

Here are our current Driving Questions:

• TK/K/1st (Mrs. Morrison and Mrs. Ward): How can we as writers and artists tell a story?
• 1st (Miss Quan, Mrs. Gould and Miss Rivera): How can I use Fairy Tales to help me grow and glow in life?
• 2nd (Miss Quan, Mrs. Gould and Miss Rivera): How can I use Tall Tales to help me grow and glow in life?
• 3rd (Miss Rhonna): How can I use poetry to convey a powerful message?
• 4th (Mr. BE): How can we distinguish between what we think we are seeing and what we are really seeing?
• 5th (Mrs Wells and Mrs Ortiz): How can risk-taking help me design the best cooking show?
• 6th (Mr. De Los Reyes): How can we use our creativity and design thinking skills to develop (and pitch) a visually appealing ride that tells a story?
• 7th and 8th (Ms. Munn and Ms. Benedetti): How can we tell the story of a changemaker that will inspire others to make the world a better place?