FAB Lab Incubates Curiosity
in the Lower School considering questions like “What makes a game fun?” and “How do you include mystery or imaginative play into a physical game?” The end products included a new outdoor game that enhanced their “Today we have FAB Lab!” is a stateoutdoor recess experience, a new board ment of excitement that fills our upstairs game for small groups to connect and hallway as you walk past third and fourth deepen friendships and a video game grade classrooms on Fridays. Students connecting to the different school love this time. If you ask them why, you subjects. There is no way teachers could will hear responses such as, “I get to have imagined that this is how it would decide what I want to learn, even though turn out my teachers help me,” “I am working on The same excitement was evident in a project with some of my friends, and Grade 4. The students began the year by we are really close to getting it done,” “You have to come and see what we have learning about natural disasters. Tsunabeen working on!” “I never knew learning mis is one that one class explored. Their curiosity led them to explore questions could be this fun!” St. Anne’s-Belfield such as, “How are tsunamis formed?,” understands that children are natural“What are the effects of tsunamis?” and ly curious and therefore have a lot of “How can we help victims of tsunamis?” questions and ideas that they want to This curiosity transformed into creativity explore. To nurture this curiosity beyond the core subjects, students engage as they created a newscast, a rap, and a graphic novel to educate others about in self-initiated projects. They get to tsunamis. explore questions they may have about a given topic, test models to prove their Why does all this matter? The emphahypothesis, and create end products sis on curiosity-driven learning aligns that educate others and showcase their with our educational philosophy learning. This is what FAB Lab is at St. at St. Anne’s-Belfield, where Anne’s-Belfield School! Now, let’s delve we strive to ignite the spark into the exciting projects that started of curiosity rather than the year. merely filling vessels. For learning to be lifelong, At the beginning of the school year, the team cherishes Grade 3 students wanted to explore an area cherished by many children: games. students’ curiosity and seize multiple Each third grade class created a game,
By Francis Atemo, Assistant Head of the Lower School
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St. Anne’s-Belfield School
opportunities to enable students to go deeper in various subjects and topics. Teachers instill values and explicitly teach skills that will enable students to succeed not just now but in the future all while cultivating the joy of learning. As life undergoes rapid changes accelerated by the rise of AI, and the world becoming more complex, schools and teachers now have the exciting role in educating students who will tackle challenges we can’t yet even imagine. Our teachers seek to be challenged and collaborate for deeper understanding to support students in developing the academic skills and social competencies to become skilled advocates for a better tomorrow. At St. Anne’s-Belfield School, we value partnership with families and look forward to continuing to cultivate and nurture the spirit of curiosity in our students. As they grow strong in body, broad of mind, tender of heart and responsive in soul, we celebrate the thrill of learning together.