Dear Families,
I am excited to celebrate a vital aspect of our Learner Profile this week- Innovative Thinker. We believe that fostering the spirit of innovation is key to preparing our students for the challenges and opportunities of the future. For us, this means our students are learners who solve problems by critically evaluating information, taking risks, and exploring novel ideas and solutions.
The skills we value include identifying real-world problems, being curious to pursue questions, using various information sources and utilizing feedback to grow and improve. Most importantly, it means seeing mistakes as opportunities to learn and adjust and refine work outcomes.
Some of the ways innovative thinking is nurtured or realized on campuses include:
Project-Based Learning: Our learning experiences include project-based learning opportunities, allowing students to explore and experiment with ideas, ultimately promoting creativity and innovation.
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS): Our science standards call for students to ask questions related to phenomena to spark curiosity and interest to launch learning.
Farm Lab Learning Experiences: Innovative Thinking is a core component of our Farm Lab learning experiences for every grade level. Each experience has an opportunity for students to think creatively about a real-world problem to solve.
Design Thinking Challenges: From egg drop activities to solar pizza ovens or cardboard arcade games, students have the opportunity to think, design and create solutions to problems. Each allows them to go through the design thinking and iterative process.
Thank you for your continued partnership in our mission to inspire and nurture innovative thinkers.
Warmly,
Andrée Grey, Ed.D.
Superintendent
