This week, Mrs. Mary Reepmeyer, principal, shares some exciting learning going on in Lower School classrooms, thanks to creative, innovative learning lessons that inspire a lifelong love of learning.
What happens when your child is engaged and excited about learning throughout each day?
Keeping students engaged is crucial for several reasons, as it directly impacts their learning, motivation, and overall success. They are more likely to understand and retain information as well as apply it.
Engagement fuels motivation. When students feel connected to the content and see its relevance, they are more likely to stay motivated to complete tasks, meet challenges, and push through difficulties. It encourages students to ask questions, explore ideas, and think critically.
Students see learning as an enjoyable and rewarding experience rather than a duty, which can foster a lifelong love of learning. When students are actively involved in their education, they tend to perform better on tests, complete assignments more successfully, and achieve higher grades. It promotes collaboration and communication among students, helping them build important social and emotional skills like teamwork, empathy, and self-regulation.
I am so excited to share that through our work with Dr. Peter Dry, Curriculum and Learning Coach, our talented faculty are guiding your children through creative and innovative learning experiences that foster the skills and outcomes I mentioned above and at the same time are living out our Sacred Heart Goals and Criteria. I am so proud of all the hard work they have been pouring into developing units that are authentic and relevant to our students which prepare them for the future and inspire them to feel empowered to make a positive change in the world.
Below is a sneak peek of what is occurring in a couple of Lower School classrooms:
In First Class, Mrs. Kaemmerlen’s students noticed the amount of trash on our campus and asked: “Why is there so much trash on our school grounds?” “How does litter affect the school, community, and Earth?” (Goal 3: a social awareness which impels to action/Criteria 4: All members of the school community accept accountability for the care of God’s creation, practice effective stewardship of the Earth’s resources and work to alleviate the climate crisis). In this unit students will be utilizing the following skills:
- Art skills to make sculptures out of recyclables
- Writing skills such as developing and writing questions to ask in interviews
- Math skills: measurement, addition and subtraction, cost comparison
- Social Studies: Map skills
- Science: animal studies of different habitats and the environmental impacts of waste
These students recognize that they are capable of being an agent of change. They are exploring different theories on why the trash is all over campus. They will explore what trashcans/lids may be better for the school to purchase for outside trash. Finally, the students will have the opportunity to present their findings to the Leadership Team. While watching the First Class in action, they were able to collaborate, solve problems, and think creatively about designing new trash cans. I look forward to hearing about all their innovative ideas and solutions!
In Second Class, Miss Soukenik’s students are striving to answer the following question: How does seeing things from different points of view help us make friends and understand each other? (Goal 4: building community as a Christian value/Criteria 1: The school, affirming that all are created in the image and likeness of God, promotes the inherent dignity of the human person and strives for relationships characterized by inclusion and mutual respect.) In this unit students will be using the following skills:
- Research skills
- Money management skills
- Fundraising skills
- Presentation skills
- Persuasive writing skills
- Responsibility of caring for an animal
I have observed the groups collaborating to create care guides and empathy journals that they will eventually present to the class. The class will then vote on an animal, write a persuasive letter to the administration, and hopefully get permission for a classroom pet! Wow, what great motivation to work hard and complete works of excellence throughout the unit!
Stay tuned for a sneak peek of Middle School units in a future Thursday Mail.
Parents, be sure to join us Wednesday, October 23 at 7 p.m. for a presentation with Dr. Peter Dry about ARTIful Based Learning (ABL)!
