We were warmly welcomed by the Principal, Karen Bakon and staff. We were taken on a campus tour and discussed the key features of their school.
The school was established in 2009 with 75 students. It now has over 300 students from P -7. All classes are open classroom with a discovery learning focus. At the heart of discovery learning is a design thinking process, which is student-driven so that their learning is purposeful and has an impact outside the classroom (global connections).
The prominent mantra displayed throughout the school is: "Here at Star of the Sea, we are building an expert team - NOT a team of experts!". Evidence of this can be seen throughout the school. Teaching partners are chosen to compliment one another and generally stay together for a minimum of two years.
At Star of the Sea there is an emphasis on school improvement (see people improvement poster above), requiring all staff to be collaborative, flexible and creative.
We are looking forward to immersing ourselves in the Discovery Learning Day tomorrow.
Thank you Northern Team. All the best as you commence Teacher Placement. We will watch your progress through the week with interest. Make the most of this opportunity by talking through the day's events each night and reflecting together on the significance of the experiences for your school situation. Please refer to the Essential Questions each night before posting as they provide the guide for what we are looking for. Every success to you all.
ReplyDeletePaul