Elementary News
Recently I faced disappointment when a player from a football team I support kicked a late free kick way over the bar at the moment when a goal was desperately needed. I grumbled to Mrs. Newbury, “Do these players not practice this kind of kick over and over?”
I recalled the stories of how David Beckham used to practice free kicks as a Manchester United youth player for hours after training had finished. It might feel an out dated notion, especially for children who seek immediate gratification from their efforts, but the idea of working ridiculously hard to achieve a goal is still one of the best means to achieve personal/professional success.
Next Friday the staff will enjoy an in-service day. Amongst our top priorities for professional development in the elementary this year is cultivating a culture of rigor with the students. A difficult concept to explain briefly, and perhaps even more difficult to instil in young children, the idea is that rigor is a result more than a method of instruction. The term “rigor” in education has been a buzzword for a long time. It describes the result of work that challenges students’ thinking in new and interesting ways. (There’s a great transfer of learning from one lesson to the next.) Promoting rigor in the classroom requires expectations and experiences that are academically, intellectually, and personally challenging. Considering rigor as a result is a critical shift in our approach. We want students to experience a high quality of thinking and a deep immersion in their lessons. We want differentiation to be managed for all students and we want to maintain high expectations for student growth. The goal, however, is not merely the creation or delivery of amazing lessons. The result we strive for is students who have a mind-set to demonstrate rigor in their approach to their lessons.
The self-discipline required for some tasks doesn’t often come naturally. The acclaimed author Roald Dahl once said, “The writer has to force himself to work. He has to make his own hours and if he doesn't go to his desk at all there is nobody to scold him.”
In addition to the actively teaching the critical skills required for school success we will continue to encourage our students learn to appreciate the discipline and desire required to achieve success in whatever challenges they pursue.
Special Achievements
This year we have implemented a new approach to teaching language classes. The fifth and sixth graders have been mixed together allowing for the establishment of a core and an extended class in both French and Spanish. This approach has facilitated more ambitious language development at each level. The feedback we have received from students and parents has been overwhelmingly positive. The students, several of whom are learning a third language, are more immersed in their use of a new language and the proficiency levels are accelerating accordingly. Hopefully, the students are displaying a rigorous approach to their language skills by practicing at home. By setting the bar high in languages we hope ISA’s reputation is further enhanced as the place to come to become proficient in French or Spanish.
Children in Need
A big thank you to everyone who contributed to the £425 raised for Children in Need last week. Congratulations to the first and second grade for the wonderful leadership they have shown to raise awareness and funds for this charity. Next Monday the fifth grade will launch another service project as they invite ISA students to join in the annual Shoebox Appeal.
Don Newbury
Elementary Principal
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