To provide an academically challenging and supportive environment where students gain the knowledge and skills needed to become globally minded citizens with a passion for life and learning.
I talk about our mission a lot at the start of every school year, but there’s always more to say about such an important (and huge) topic. Challenge is a relative term. Each of us finds challenges in different places depending on our strengths, weaknesses, and preferences. Picture a bull’s-
There’s little growth in the Comfort Zone and there’s little growth in the Panic Zone. In order to teach students in their Challenge Zone, you have to know them well. If they are bored, or counter-intuitively overwhelmed, they don’t grow to their potential. This is true in academic subjects like math and reading, but it’s also true in their character growth, in their social-emotional growth, and in the broad range of skills we hope they will develop.
It can be tough to watch a student in the Challenge Zone. We provide support by watching closely (to make sure we don’t think they are in the Panic Zone) and encouraging them. We make sure they have the materials and supplies and preparation for their challenges. We partner with parents to discuss what we both see — at school and at home — and we create a support network for the student through this partnership. This is a process; it’s organic and there are a lot of variables. But it’s always our mission.