By Kate Meadowcroft, Junior School Principal
What do we envision for our children when they reach adulthood? What hopes and dreams do we have for them? How can we ensure that they are prepared to thrive as adults in the ever-changing and uncertain world of tomorrow?
These are questions that all parents grapple with. In her article “How to Design Schools to Grow Thriving Adults: A Provocation”, author, founder and CEO of Incubate Learning Sujata Bhatt discusses the pivotal role that schools can play in shaping our children into successful and happy adults. She highlights the importance of prioritizing learning skills and processes, such as the scientific method, the engineering design process, the entrepreneurship method and design thinking. She argues that these four key processes can help young people create real value in the world.
At Elmwood, the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme centres these processes through inquiry learning opportunities that are transdisciplinary, have real-word connections and lead students to take action. These rich learning experiences are opportunities for risk-taking and mistake-making in a supportive environment - almost like a dress rehearsal for the real world. The IB PYP also empowers students to build critical and transferable skills through the Approaches to Learning that are explicitly taught and practiced every day, such as collaboration skills, metacognition and critical thinking. To capture this holistic growth, our new report card format in the Junior School provides targeted feedback for each and every student on these essential skills and processes. By focusing on individual progress in areas like collaboration and critical thinking, we ensure that assessment serves as a meaningful roadmap for every child's unique journey toward becoming a thriving adult.
As Elmwood parents, you can rest assured that your children are engaged in the types of learning experiences and practicing the skills required to become the lifted and unstoppable adults that our future world will rely upon.