Beliefs
We believe that all students:
· have the ability to become lifelong learners with proper guidance and encouragement from our school and with support and reinforcement from their parents.
· are unique and may benefit from different teaching strategies and approaches to meet their individual needs.
· can benefit from acquiring literacy and fluency in more than one language. Multicultural awareness and effective communication in more than one language offer our students a unique opportunity to expand cognitive capacities and apply their learning in a larger encompassing global context.
· must be encouraged to express creativity through many venues including music, art, writing, movement, and athletics.
· are more self-fulfilled and make the world a better place when they are respectful, responsible, trustworthy, and kind.
· can benefit by being technologically literate in order to strengthen their communication skills and effectively respond to the increasing technological challenges in the world.
We believe that in order to fulfill our mission, the school must:
· provide a safe, supportive environment in which students feel free to explore, question, learn, and grow.
· collaborate with our students' families and the community in order to provide rich opportunities for cognitive, social, emotional, and physical growth.
· encourage continuing learning opportunities and professional development for our staff.
· create an environment for our students, teachers and staff which embraces learning with attention to personal growth and responsibility, development, and collaboration.
· provide opportunities to bring students, families, and staff together to celebrate and learn from one another.
We believe that in order for our teachers to support our mission, they must:
· believe that bilingualism is a viable and integral part of each student's educational experience.
· believe that all children can learn when offered proper guidance and developmentally appropriate strategies.
· encourage each child to strive for academic excellence by becoming resourceful, creative, critical thinkers who are comfortable taking academic risks.
· contribute to and promote collaboration among their students and colleagues in order to meet effectively the diverse needs of our students and staff.
· engage in a cycle of assessment, reflection, and goal setting in order to support student achievement and to further their own intellectual development.
· Posses strong skills for problem-solving on the students' behalf.
· interact with families to enrich cultural exchange and to promote a mutual understanding of our students' strengths and needs.
