Blue School Program Guide by Blue School

Guide to Programs & Practices

www.blueschool.org

Dear Families, When my partners and I created Blue Man Group in 1988, we had no idea that our journey would lead us to start a formal educational program. Today, in partnership with our spouses and motivated by our own children and the children in our expanding community, Blue School is our passion. Blue Man Group started as an outrageous idea: We wanted to inspire creativity in both our audiences and ourselves. We wanted to speak “up” to the intelligence of our audience members while reaching “in” to their childlike innocence. We wanted to create a special kind of organization, a place where people continually learn and grow and treat each other with just a little more consideration than is usually evident in the real world. We wanted to recombine influences to create something new. And we wanted to have a good time doing it. The basic mission and values of Blue Man Group have transferred well to an educational setting. We have created a program where creativity is cherished and encouraged and where children fall in love with the joy of learning. The environment is healthy, warm, safe, and nurturing. Community is paramount; children’s interactions between classes are just as important as what happens during classes. We have created the kind of educational program we wish we’d had for ourselves and dreamed we’d have for our children — a place where people feel like there is genuinely no better place to learn and to grow.

“ In the 21st century, humanity faces

some of its most daunting challenges. Our best resource is to cultivate our singular abilities of imagination, creativity and innovation. Doing so has to become one of the principal priorities of education. ... [It] is the key to the future, and the stakes could hardly be higher.” —Sir Ken Robinson OUT OF OUR MINDS

In building the program, we removed the kinds of educational practices that we believe don’t work well and amped up the “best practices” and innovations that we believe have great promise. Today, we continue to draw from powerful influences, old and new, and fuse these influences with cutting-edge research and a few of our own flourishes to create something the world has never seen. And like Blue Man Group, we want to have a good time doing it. Since first establishing our parent-run playgroup in 2006, we have been awed and humbled by the enormity of this project. We are blown away by how far it has come so quickly. In undertaking a project of the magnitude of Blue School, we realized that we needed to balance our outsider’s perspective with that of experts from inside the field. To that end, we assembled a team of inspired educators to help us realize our vision. We attract families who believe in a new approach to education, devised to prepare our children for the changing world we live in today. Our path is not easy. It requires an enormous amount of resourcefulness, will and commitment from all involved – teachers, parents, children and administrators. We believe we have created school like no other. Thank you for your interest in joining our growing family. Matt Goldman, Co-Founder, Blue School & Blue Man Group

Welcome to Blue School! Blue School is a living response to a call to reimagine education. Here, we give children the opportunity to be protagonists of their learning, we cultivate their natural skills and talents, and allow their imaginations, creativity and innovative tendencies to flourish. The promise of Blue School is to face the changing global landscape with a vision for education, and in so doing, to launch our next generation’s change-makers, innovators, artists, thinkers and inventors. Educating young people for a meaningful, joyful, and courageous life of thinking and creating is what we do. As a lab school, discovery and learning at Blue School is never complete, and no guide to programs will illustrate what we are truly about in the way that our students can. The following pages describe our programs, approach and curriculum, but the vibrancy and creative leadership our children bring to school everyday cannot be captured in words. We hope you will come for a visit. Sincerely, Allison Gaines Pell HEAD OF SCHOOL

OUR PURPOSE: Reimagine education for a changing world. OUR VISION: Communities of creative, joyful, compassionate learners who use courageous and innovative thinking to build a harmonious and sustainable world.

OUR MISSION: To develop and share an inquiry-based approach to education that fosters creativity, promotes academic excellence, nurtures human relationships and inspires a growing passion for learning.

WHAT WE VALUE: Creativity and Expression: We believe that creative expression is a basic human need. We are dedicated to connecting children with their ability to create and to express themselves. By helping them access their innate creativity and expression, we believe children will become intrinsically motivated to learn and more fully engaged in life. Family and Community Connection: At the core of Blue School is a belief in the partnership between family and school in the endeavor to raise children. We help children flourish by providing opportunities for deep human connections to permeate all aspects of their lives. Our educational approach supports children in practicing mutual respect, cooperation, leadership, mentoring, listening, personal integrity, valuing differences, and conflict resolution. We help foster the social skills children need to thrive in the relationships they form throughout their lives. Global and Environmental Action: We believe that global citizens in the 21st century have an unprecedented responsibility to create and implement necessary change. From their connection to the environment to their relationships to different cultures, our students have opportunities to discover who they are and recognize other perspectives, building a strong connection to self and others. They connect with and learn from nature and explore our planet’s ecosystems and how humans influence them. Multiple Perspectives and Differentiated Learning Styles: Humans learn, develop and perceive the world in different ways. We believe students should be supported accordingly. To this end, we carefully observe and assess each child’s individual interests and needs, then use this information to guide our teaching. Because we know that learning comes most naturally when driven by children’s interests, we adapt instruction to the learning styles of each child, while mindful of our shared goals. Learning subject matter from different perspectives supports the cognitive development of each child’s brain, and helps them become more flexible and critical thinkers. Playfulness, Exuberance, and Fun: Children construct some of their most important learning through play. We believe that joy, engagement and relatedness

increase the possibility for learning and creativity, and are required for rigorous and powerful educational experiences. The value of play, as it moves from the dramatic play areas of the 3s program to play with language and project work in the 5thgrade, is an integral part of our program. At Blue School, play is one of the ways children express themselves, process new topics and ideas, and form relationships. Self-Awareness and Well-Being It is critical for children to develop a profound sense of self, which we believe involves considering and understanding their own learning processes, social skills, and strategies for well-being. We support children in our program in becoming aware of how their bodies and thought processes connect to a personal sense of health, efficacy, and resilience. We help them to be open-minded, reflective, curious, and balanced. Our aim is to instill a passion for personal growth and wellness that lasts a lifetime.

WHO ARE BLUE SCHOOL GRADUATES?

At Blue School, children ask, wonder, create, innovate, and challenge ideas. They play, learn to form relationships, work through challenges, test out new ideas, and bring their whole selves to each day. They see themselves as the protagonists of their learning. While they are here, they learn to make decisions about, change and improve their world within and outside our school. In school, our students are artists, authors, scientists, mathematicians, and researchers. They have experiences that help them understand more about who they are, what they love, and how to pursue further learning and understanding of their world. When they graduate, they are young people who create, take appropriate risks, ask questions, persevere through challenges, think critically, and innovate. They have learned through experiences how to build strong relationships and collaborate with others, to think creatively and flexibly about real life problems, to remain open to new ideas, and to be principled in their actions.

Teaching & Learning at Blue School Blue Schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s approach to teaching and learning builds on the great progressive educators and thinkers of the past such as Montessori, Vygotsky, and Dewey. It is also inspired by co-constructivist theory, the Reggio Emilia approach, and

current research from the fields of human development, neuroscience, and the study of creativity and innovation. Specifically, our program is defined by five components: an inquiry-based approach, self and social learning, creativity, Blue School lenses and 21st century learning, and the lab school model.

CREATIVITY

We know that creativity is a vital force surging through every living being. Schools often dilute the creative energy of children by insisting on a common response to learning, a common voice within the classroom and a set of common standards. At Blue School, we nurture creativity by allowing for in-depth studies and discoveries that carry the children into museums, help them locate a field of experts and authentically respond to learning through visual, musical, and performing arts. Our co-curricular, integrated, expressive arts program includes art studio, dramatic play, music, and movement. Beyond that, our classroom teachers are versed in a multiple intelligences approach and use a variety of artistic media to differentiate instruction within academic content areas. Our classrooms are often filled with diverse materials, luminescent colors, kinesthetic and tactile elements, resonant sounds, interesting projections, theatrical set pieces, thoughtprovoking books, or engaging technology.

INQUIRY-BASED APPROACH: AUTHENTIC STUDIES OF OUR WORLD Inquiry-based learning is founded on the belief that human beings learn about the world through questioning and experience, starting at birth and continuing throughout adulthood. When asked about their most powerful learn-

THREAD ORIGIN: students began noticing and keeping track of the birds landing on our sill and in the tree outside the window.

research insulating properties of various woods central park zoo field trip

zoos

habitats

story: and Tango Makes Three

nests research and plot bird habitats on map

“Are birds happy in cages?”

Sample Thread of Inquiry Web

school wide birdhouse show birdhouse design & build

bird houses

nest building activity using materials gathered by the children families: food gathering, nest building, egg nurturing

seasons

how many miles per day? plotting exercise

“How do birds decide where to go?”

Colored yarn strung from wall to wall in classroom with “origin” and “destination” cards at beginning and end.. mileage info and bird type drawings hung from yarn poetry provocation

“Do birds with longer wing span fly faster?”

wings anatomy

Compose ‘bird in flight’ music with Michael, What sounds evoke the different aspects of flight

“Why can’t penguins fly?”

special guest flocking story

glider building project

art project: collage using straw and feathers

investigation: what are feathers for?

glider trials at the park

experiments with gravity and flight

flight

flocking movment exercise to music

story

story: diary of a worm

“Do worms have feelings?”

discussion of the neural differences between various living creatures

bird diet life span

charting activity

“Do big birds live longer than small ones?”

bird geography: focus on puffins, flamingos and crows

“Why are birds different colors?”

beek shapes & functionality

bird marionette project

migration

discussion of climates around the world

birds around the world

BIRDS

The birds of New York City

bird watching out class window and in park with observation and habit tracking journals mapping activity

9 8

bird counting using tally marks

Kindergarten students build a birdhouse

bird identification and drawing projects

The web on the facing page shows the beginnings of a bird study. Using this initial web, teachers will identify and embed specific understandings, skills, strategies.

NOTABLE ELEMENTS AND PROVOCATIONS - Name that Bird gameshow - chirping bird soundscape - feather pillow “fight”

A school where children ask and answer their own questions naturally requires the expert facilitation of masterful teachers. Blue School teachers begin each year with a different, school-wide provocation or question that all classrooms respond to in different ways (e.g. how do people make change?). They then create maps that connect overarching themes and questions with specific skills and strategies, as well as authentic, meaningful culminating projects that demonstrate their learning in social and academic content areas. For a group of 3 year olds, this question could provoke a study of water in all of its forms. First graders may study food, ranging from how to measure ingredients to how communities are defined by what they eat. For 4th graders, it could extend into a study of elections, the democratic decision-making process, and this nation’s revolutionary beginnings.

“How long do birds live?”

CYCLE OF INQUIRY

TRAVEL CURRICULUM: student asked to keep a daily journal and observe the birds of Paris. Journal includes drawings and photographs with handwritten observations

ing experience, most adults will refer to an authentic question or problem that they solved using their own time, resources, and energies. Inquiry forms the basis of Blue School education. Our curricular studies are driven by students’ own questions and allow full engagement with the world through the activation of heart and brain (or specifically, the right and left side of the brain). That ultimately leads to deeper understanding and connections. In our pre-primary program, these inquiries often begin with materials and the questions they present. Our primary program shifts to pursuits concerning our historic, cultural, artistic, scientific and global communities.

BLUE SCHOOL LENSES AND PERSPECTIVE-TAKING The lenses are adapted from the “modalities” used for the Blue Man character. Like children, the Blue Man continually explores and researches the world around him. At Blue School, the lenses represent these various approaches. Through classroom studies, children are asked to look at the toolboxes of various disciplines and domains, and to “try on” another perspective. Rather than looking only at what the child brings to the table, at his or her learning style, teachers ask that they step out of their comfort zones to experience another view. We know from studies of the brain that this flexibility is not only good for engaging with material, but also is a critical component of developing a well-rounded, resilient and flexible person. Just as important, our lenses reflect our commitment to nurturing a 21st century learner, one who will be a responsible steward of a changing world. Skills such as collaboration, connection, cross-cultural competencies, creativity, and criti-

cal thinking are the groundwork for life and work, and also for a happy, resilient human being. We want our graduates to be conversant and reflective within each of these lenses, ensuring that they are powerful communicators, reflective risk-takers, and smart and flexible thinkers in their lives and as they pursue their passions.

OUR SIX LENSES GROUP MEMBER SCIENTIST HERO TRICKSTER ARTIST INNOCENT

collaboration, connection and global citizenship curiosity, critical thinking, experimentation and analysis perseverance, commitment and leadership provocation, innovation and play imagination, instinct and creative expression emotional awareness and mindfulness

SELF AND SOCIAL LEARNING At Blue School, all children and families

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HERO: the lens of perseverance, commitment and leadership

h & Play Healt ess, ren wa lA ica ys Ph

La ng ua ge

Inquiry ntific Scie

are known well. It is important to us that each child is consistently seen and heard. We know from brain research – and from common sense – that these emotional connections form the root of all learning. A school should be a home for children, a platform from which children can take flight and be their best, most powerful selves.

TRICKSTER: the lens of provocation, innovation and play

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GROUP MEMBER: the lens of collaboration and connection

ARTIST: the lens of imagination, instinct and expression

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INNOCENT: the lens of emotional awareness and mindfulness lf & Se

Expressive Arts

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SCIENTIST: the lens of curiosity, experimentation and analysis

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CONTENT AREAS :

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Making this real requires great attention to self and social learning, through which children develop the fundamental skills and core competencies for life effectiveness. These skills include understanding how the brain works, recognizing and managing emotions, developing empathy, establishing positive relationships, persevering through difficult tasks, making responsible decisions, and handling challenging situations constructively and ethically. Students at Blue School learn that their abilities grow with new challenges, effort and persistence. We use these ideas to continually encourage a willingness to take challenges and risks, and to support cognitive development. With instruction, guidance, awareness and practice, all members of our community support children to self-regulate, solve problems independently and work well with others, thus preparing them to be better learners and collaborators in school and in life.

THE LAB SCHOOL MODEL The concept of a Lab School is embedded in the progressive education work of philosophers John Dewey and Francis Parker. The original Lab School strove to bring together experiential and research-based learning, integrating academics with creative problem solving. Today, Blue School serves as New York City’s only stated “lab school.” Educators from around the corner and around the country think with us about how to support and nurture tomorrow’s change-agents, artists, executives, writers and inventors. They help us integrate leading-edge ideas with the best ideas from the past. Families who have chosen Blue School have chosen to engage with us on a journey and an ongoing conversation that enlivens the work and sustains the all-important connection between family, school and child.

Our Programs A Note About Supported Autonomy We believe that both parents and educators are experts in supporting each child’s growing autonomy in life. While it is important for children to become autonomous and self-reliant, we also believe it requires a thoughtful and careful process that is unique to each child. This happens differently for each child and family. Our programs are flexible to support each situation. To begin, our 2s program is a parent/caregiver participation class. Children attend with a parent or caregiver and, over the course of the year, share experiences that support their growing desire for independence. In the spring, parents and caregivers have more opportunities to move outside of the classroom for discussion groups. Drop off classes begin for the 3s after the child has acclimated to the three-hour long program. The length of each transition varies by the child. By the 4s, our children are ready to participate fully in a drop-off program, after a natural phase in. We maintain two types of 4s programs — one ends at the half-day, departing after lunch, and the other that ends later in the day, with the children in the upper grades. Our Child Development Specialists and teachers are on hand to support each of these transitions as they happen. As always, families continue to be an integral part of the classroom and school through involvement in various learning initiatives and celebrations through the year. Because we are unique in that we have a pre-primary and a primary program, we have relationships with children and families beginning in toddlerhood. We take care to observe and respect the transition that children make as they grow older. In our pre-primary program, we support the triad of child-parent-teacher. In our primary program, children develop independence and increased self-reliance with the support of family, and so the triad shifts to child-teacher-world.

2s-4s The pre-primary program at Blue School buzzes with activity. Our days open with a morning meeting, where children greet one another, sing, and review plans for the day. Then they are off: pursuing their group’s growing study of construction or plants, moving through light and space in the Glow Hall, learning letters and the

ways they make words, and creating sculptures with wood, exploring color with paint. During the course of the day, children may discover how letters can be made with their bodies, how water changes and moves, or how stories can be developed dramatically through make-believe. They might practice a quiet moment in movement, listen wide-eyed to a read aloud, or build an animal rescue center with our soft blue building blocks, which were invented by advisory board member David Rockwell, who also thoughtfully designed Blue School’s building renovation. They discuss, investigate, discover, play, get to know one another, learn to resolve conflicts, and grow. During these years, we seek to teach children that school is home base for their explorations. At Blue School, teachers pose positive challenges and respond to children’s ideas – using their perspectives to create meaningful studies of the world. A question about a colorful window becomes a study of stained glass; a look out at the skyscrapers blossoms into a study of buildings. In our classrooms each day, children learn from “hands to heads,” turning real-life experiences with materials, relationships and stories into ideas and concepts. EACH CLASSROOM AND EACH CHILD’S WORK ARE COMPRISED OF THREE CORE COMPONENTS: Creative expression: A great deal of children’s work at this age is self-expressive and creative and, as a result, the arts and materials curriculum is at the very center of each child’s experience. The classroom studio environment is enriched further by visits from our music, movement and dramatic arts teacher, depending on their age level. Self and social learning: In our 2s, children attend with a parent or caregiver, and are introduced to social and learning experiences alongside a trusted grown-up. In our 3s program, children explore their independence and autonomy, begin to build their own relationships with others, negotiate conflicts, and establish bonds. Teachers support the negotiation, conflict resolution, and relation-

ship building skills that children develop as they grow through this developmental phase. As children move into the 4s, the concept of community takes hold, and they become increasingly responsible for shaping their classroom culture with their friends. In each year, teachers support children in how to think about their interactions with others, and how to help children move through new social triumphs and challenges that are all a part of a natural progression of growing up. Building skills and understanding: Our pre-primary program has an academic goal specific to each year. This corresponds to the types of learning experiences children will have. Our 2s program is built as a materials exploration laboratory, supporting self and social development alongside a close grown-up who can support and engage each child in their creative endeavors. In our 3s program, teachers support children to further become the protagonists of their own learning. A great deal of the work in the 3s classroom is based on play, developing big questions, and exploring the world with their bodies, both independently and with others. When children reach the 4s, their curiosities begin to extend to the conventions of the world around them, and teachers follow these interests with emergent work with letters, words and numbers. They also surface and explore questions with children, and naturally pose more complex challenges such as: an artistic response to a story; a frog in the form of the letter F; or graphing friends’ ideas and interests.

Lower And Upper Primary Programs:

KINDERGARTEN- 5TH GRADE During this phase, children enter a stage of developmental integration in which they are organizing and combining various skills to accomplish increasingly complex tasks and understand concepts. Children develop more fully into unique individuals who comprehend and formulate questions and ideas about their immediate world. They learn to think logically, anticipate outcomes, classify objects and solve problems. They enjoy being challenged and encouraged and love to take on big projects and show the world what they have discovered. Completing tasks, projects and other demonstrations of their learning help children at Blue School build self-confidence as well as a sense of responsibility in the community. Within a supportive environment they explore, play, and take small and big risks. With the tools and skills they need, children are given access to a grand exploration of the world, and a way to think through complex problems resulting in creative solutions. Through project work, children actively investigate their interests, discover new ideas and develop their own theories. In keeping with Blue School’s mission and values, teachers in our Primary Program bring an intrinsic belief in the power and beauty of children’s unique process of learning.

Children respond to learning and understanding in a variety of ways, but each child understands that both are acts of concentrated effort, filled with imaginative flights, flexible thought, and reflective summation. The product is no more valuable than the process, but is lasting and unique, a finely tuned combination of rigor and whimsy worthy of reflection and pride. Creative, activist, and innovative response is cultivated through the rich integration of the arts at Blue School. In response to learning, children create artifacts and produce musical and dramatic representations. Children also curate displays and spaces, enhancing their aesthetic sensibilities, while developing independence and collaborative habits. The result may be a 3-D representation of old New York City, a thoughtfully framed painting of a historical figure, a new systemic solution for recycling, or a reinterpretation of a Midsummer Night’s Dream. The outcome is always a unique response to the understanding gathered during an inquiry or project. This is what distinguishes Blue School’s integrated curriculum from any other. Language Arts: A love of reading and writing begins to take shape during these years. Children are introduced to a wide range of literature and begin to connect to favorite authors and particular genres. When children become a part of that magical circle of readers and writers, it is a very exciting time for teachers and parents. Explicit, developmentally appropriate instruction is taught in the skill and strategy areas of reading, spelling and writing. Frequent assessments keep teachers informed of the children’s progress and make instructional planning effective. Children begin to develop the critical skills to interpret both fiction and informational texts. With writing, children explore personal narrative, procedural writing, imaginative stories, poetry, fairy tales, fables and other forms that arise during classroom inquiries and projects. As they develop, the children’s use of language is integrated. Class study of food and local restaurants calls for the creation of a cookbook. A neighborhood

concern may encourage a group of 5th grade activists to write persuasive letters to a councilperson. The magnificent light coming through a classroom window inspires a burgeoning poet to create a series of poems, which are proudly offered to all at a community meeting. Older children may decide that the novel they just read is so powerful that they absolutely must invite their parents to read it and follow-up with a classroom parent/child book chat. Second grade learners proudly share their reading prowess with kindergarten buddies. Blue School sees literacy development as a social and community-building activity that fosters powerful and thirsty readers and writers. Advances in technology allow children to annotate one anotherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work, collectively write an article, author an iBook, or review precious primary sources. World Languages: The world language program at Blue School celebrates language as well as the diverse cultures attached to the language. It is our goal to integrate the world language into visual art, music, movement and play, so that there is a purpose and motivation attached to the learning. This approach embraces the notion of a working knowledge of a language. Because all faculty members aspire to the Blue School desire to make children aware of their marvelous multicultural city, there is an ongoing link between language development and classroom learning. Mathematics: Our kindergarten through 5th grade sequence represents an essential balance of problem-solving investigations and computational skills. Many of the skills spiral up, to be taught yearly at incrementally higher levels, while some units are specific to particular grade levels. TERC Investigations and Math in the City, programs that embrace individual approaches to problem solving while meeting national mathematical standards, form the foundation of our math program. All primary math work has real-life application. When children design playgrounds, they calculate dimensions and begin to understand scale. In order to make enough banana bread to feed parents and guests, children multiply, add and estimate. As 3rd grade children contemplate that historical westward trek from New York to the Pacific coast, they calculate how far the wagon trains will travel in one day, and know how to weigh and pack wisely so their party will survive! Children see math as practical, challenging and easily transferred to many areas of their lives.

Scientific Inquiry: Science in the Primary Program is investigative and exciting for children. Much of the work that takes place in science arises from childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inquiries. A catapult made in the block area launches a study of simple machines. An earnest curiosity about explosions leads to an inquiry about motion and propulsion and how they apply to natural phenomena and man-made actions. A study of community food banks prompts the growth of a garden. As children study the neighborhood and beyond, they look at geological structures, environmental issues, and the waterways comprising and surrounding Manhattan. Our studies encourage children to become responsible stewards of their world. Frequent trips to our BioLab, a space set up to accommodate young scientists with tools and explorations, assures that children see the importance of scholarly endeavors beyond the classroom. Human Studies and Global Citizenship: Children are curious about their world. As they grow, so do their extensive wonderings. Younger Primary Program children often ask questions about their immediate environment. Many of the studies coming from the lower Primary Program have to do with those people and places just outside the door. The Brooklyn Bridge, the Farmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Market, and the East River are sources for questions and thoughtful, researched responses. As children reach the upper Primary Program, they have increased interest in historical time periods. The Blue School is housed in an area of New York City that played a vital and controversial role during early settlement by European explorers and merchants. Stepping forward in time, the ghosts of the Revolutionary War are still creeping about in downtown Manhattan. Children at this age love to role-play and take sides in lively debates that resonate with many of the political, cultural and social issues occurring today. Field trips, invited guests, symposiums and reenactments keep the inquiry alive during all the Primary Program studies. Social studies and history are often the guiding force for many projects and in-depth investigations.

EXPRESSIVE ARTS To complement the creative work in our classroom instruction, Blue School situates the arts at the very heart of the school. The expressive arts at Blue School are a fully integrated, co-curricular course of study. While students do visit separate spaces and see different teachers for arts instruction, the study and integration of the arts is as important at Blue School

as the development of curiosity itself. Experiences and artistic expression help our students find their voices and cultivate creative responses to the problems, questions, and answers they uncover through their studies. In the 2s through 4s, studio and dramatic play dominate much of the regular classroom curriculum. Students are also provided with music and movement instruction once each week. In the Primary Program, all students have music, studio, and dramatic arts/movement classes incorporated into their schedules. Visual arts and studio: Blue School has a remarkable art studio -- any artist would covet the light that streams in daily. Children in the Primary Program have time and exposure to balance a combination of focused art technique, individual exploration and integrated projects connected to classroom studies. Children are encouraged to dig deeply into the fanciful recesses of their spirits and honor their imaginations through their artistic work. Work with materials in studio allows children to master specific artistic skills and work out broader ideas and concepts in many ways. Color, texture, a variety of materials and dimensions are all demonstrated in the children’s work. Gallery walks are a community ritual that involve critical responses to the artwork done by classmates. Children learn from an early age to be respectful participants, and the artist learns that art is one of many languages -- a way of responding to and understanding the self, others, and the world at large. Music: Music is a lively part of Blue School life, not only because it is fun and instructive, but also because it supports the development of a flexible brain and builds general happiness. Singing is used for classroom transitions. Song unites everyone in Community Meetings, and children compose and perform original music created for special purposes. The ritual of communal music-making creates a tone of cooperation and peaceful purpose throughout the school. As with visual art, children learn musical technique, but also develop listening, mathematical and expressive skills. Percussive

instruments are introduced to children to encourage a sense of rhythm and inspire them to challenge themselves with the study of a string or woodwind instrument. As with all the expressive arts, music is integrated into the classroom projects and often serves as a major tool for making learning visible. Dance/Movement/Physical Health: During a time when many schools are abandoning their movement and physical education programs, Blue School is proud to ascribe to the belief that children need many moments during the day to exercise, integrate the mind and body, enjoy the feeling of motion and develop an aesthetic appreciation of movement design. The spaces throughout the Blue School invite physical inquiry and outside areas and local parks are available daily. In addition, children in our pre-primary program regularly visit our wonder room, a soft room specially designed for free gross-motor play. Our 4s enjoy daily use of the soft blue blocks. They also use the activity space for large kinesthetic activities such as dance, sports and games led by the classroom teachers. Children in our primary program have a physical arts class every week that includes instruction in sports, teams, and skill-building activities. In addition to two indoor play spaces, Blue School also has an outdoor patio for use during lunchtime and recess.

ENVIRONMENT Inspired by the educators from Reggio Emilia, the environment at Blue School is the “third teacher.” Our walls speak to the processes, products, and daily thinking lives of children. Common spaces such as BioLab, Construction Lab, Library and Media Lab, Wonder Room, Glow Hall, Activity Room, art studio, and our multi purpose room are all used for learning. Each space is curated and maintained by a classroom or several classrooms, and children share rules and schedules for their use. These spaces change as our children’s needs change. In addition, they are carefully designed to promote thoughtfulness, reflection and appreciation of our surroundings. Our environment also extends outside our walls to our neighborhood and city. We encourage teachers to explore these spaces with the students frequently.

THE BLUE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT IN PICTURES

Art Studio

Main Lobby & Shoe Changing Area

Library

Multi-purpose Room with Imagination Playground Blocks

DOCUMENTATION OF LEARNING Documentation of student work is the primary way that we look at children’s work, progress, and learning. Photography, video, and transcriptions of student discussions are used to capture powerful classroom moments so they can be investigated further by children, teachers and their families. Student work is reviewed, thoughtfully displayed and shared as children move through projects. Documentation is an opportunity to give and receive feedback, and to demonstrate their learning. Photographs of the learning experience and student work are posted throughout the school and provide a lens into the learning happening in our classrooms as well as a sense of community. Children are excited and curious to look at their lives and thinking made visible and displayed prominently and carefully.

ASSESSMENT In our nation’s dialogue concerning standardized testing, assessment has taken on a life of its own. At its best, assessment is simply the answer to two questions: How is this child doing? What should we do next? These questions are answered through authentic observations during class time, in mid- and end-of-year reports, at portfolio nights where students talk about their work, through ongoing reading and math assessments, and through daily work. Sometimes assessments require an on-command, cumulative presentation; sometimes they simply help move a child or teacher to a next logical step; and sometimes they require deeper probing. Forms of assessment at Blue School include the following: Running records and monitoring tools: Teachers use specific tools for monitoring children’s progress along the learning continuum, and to guide their instructional decisions. One such tool is the Qualitative Reading Inventory, a reading assessment that offers information about children’s decoding skills and comprehension. This assessment is given individually to children in 1st-5th grades two to three times a year. Blue School sees early literacy skills as crucial milestones necessary to support the intellectually sophisticated projects and research of the primary program classrooms. Similar assessments are given during and at the end of each unit in mathematics. Daily observation, documentation and anecdotal records: The documentation of classroom activities is co-constructivist; children and teachers both contribute. Teachers record their observations of children through notes, recordings, and photography. Children also chronicle their learning through logs, conversations, and classroom charts and displays. Teachers use these findings and observations to create their next teaching moments for individual children or the entire class. Formative and summative assessment tools: Teachers use formative assessment tools at the beginning of each unit of study and in daily lessons and projects

in the classroom to understand more clearly where students are in relation to classroom goals. These assessments take many forms, and can be verbal or written, individual or group. We also use summative assessments, which tell us what children have already gained. These include ERBs in upper grades, as well as assessments at the end of specific units of study. Documentation panels and holding boards: Blue School brings classroom learning to the larger community through ongoing documentation that celebrates the studies occurring in the classrooms. This allows all teachers, parents and visitors to take a peek at the thinking of our young investigators as they move through an inquiry project. The documentation is always represented through children’s work, often accompanied by photography and other images and, in addition, provides written explanations. By making Blue School learning public, we continue to build a culture of common language among all who participate, while we honor the integrity of the classroom work. Portfolios: The most informative way to assess and represent a child’s learning is through work products and processes that demonstrate mastery of new understandings and skills. As such, classroom artifacts are collected into an ongoing portfolio, which tracks the child’s whole experience in school, over time. Portfolios include documented samplings of developmental milestones, projects, studies, friendships, daily life experiences, accomplishments, skills, changes in drawing or writing, and academic learning. Blue School sees this as respectful portrayal of children and an appreciation for the work coming from our classrooms. Mid-and end-of-year reports: Teachers begin each year with a conference with each family, and then write and conference with parents about narrative reports twice more each year. These reports address benchmarks and curricular standards, and detail each child’s progress.

STATEMENT ABOUT ADMISSIONS Blue School seeks students and families who are interested in being part of a dynamic, growing and creative community. A successful Blue School candidate of any age is a child who demonstrates a developmentally appropriate amount of independence, openness, and curiosity. At the kindergarten entry point, we are also looking for the capacity to thrive in an environment in which children take on a great deal of responsibility for their learning. Our admissions process is a conversation, and includes multiple points of contact, including a tour, a playgroup, parent interview, and assessments. There is no perfect school, but there are great fits! Finding that fit can be a defining moment in a family’s life. Join us for a tour and to learn more. No guidebook, letter, or conversation can say as much as the feeling of peering into a classroom that feels like home. We look forward to seeing you soon.