Over the next few months, there will be a number of experiences like this one that reflect the many talents of our students, staff, and families. Band and chorus concerts are around the corner while some students will spend time preparing for the Spring Solofest to showcase what they have learned in instrumental music. Our Drama Club has begun working to prepare performances for our school community. Later on in the year, students will participate in track and field days, Spirit Day, and more as they celebrate all of their hard work and accomplishments. The Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge is also around the corner, believe it or not!
In thinking about all of these things and more, it reminds me of the emphasis we place on ensuring that we educate the whole child here at Village Elementary. To be sure, reading, writing, math, and more are critical to what we do, yet we have a responsibility to ensure that we have developed all aspects of students to prepare them for the next step in their educational journey. We teach kids about the IB Learner Profile and Approaches to Learning for this and other reasons. As students get older, they have increased opportunities to apply these skills in settings beyond the classroom including things that have already been mentioned in this post as well as through clubs and other after school activities.
Another opportunity for students to apply the Approaches to Learning and IB Learner Profile occurs as they work with their peers and teachers through our Power of One experience. They will be exploring a topic that matters to them. The purpose of the Power of One is to call people to action, to create change and most importantly, create awareness.
These projects prepare students for social action projects they will complete in tenth grade while giving them the opportunity to apply a wide array of knowledge and skills in an authentic context. Presentations focusing on students' process and experiences with the Power of One will be differentiated and will take place the week of June 5th. As this date approaches, I'll update our school community on the students' progress using this blog and on my Twitter feed as well. In doing so, it's my hope you'll get a glimpse into the kinds of experiences we seek to provide for our students in order to prepare them for life beyond Village Elementary School while showcasing the accomplishments of our sixth graders. Stay tuned!
