Welcome back and Happy New Year!
I am grateful for the time I had visiting with family and friends in California over the winter break and excited to be back at Palouse Prairie ready for the second part of the school year. With the new year we set new intentions. I will be increasing my Director’s Notes in our Quail Calls and sharing more about our EL way of teaching and learning. Each note will give you a glimpse into what is happening at PPCS and a further understanding of our EL practices. In this note, I will focus on one of the three dimensions of student achievement: Character.
The EL model attends to the needs of the whole child which includes social emotional learning as a path towards Character. Our goal is to teach students to take responsibility for their own learning, build confidence and agency, and treat others with respect and compassion. We do this through CREW, character, and habits of scholarship. The Excellence in Character Education (ExCEL) study, launched in 2019, showed that EL Education students reported a greater sense of purpose and a more positive learning experience than their peers. Moreover, EL Education teachers report a more positive learning environment and a greater sense of shared leadership than teachers in comparison schools. Students at Palouse Prairie Charter School work in their crew to become effective learners, ethical people, and contribute to a better world. Ask your students how they demonstrate character and habits of scholarship in their crew.
This month’s Design Principle is Solitude and Reflection. Students and teachers need time alone to explore their own thoughts, make their own connections, and create their own ideas. They also need to exchange their reflections with other students and with adults. The first grade crew will share how they demonstrate Solitude and Reflection at our January 6th Community Circle starting at 8:30. Feel free to join us!
With warmth,
Sara Beggs, PhD
Executive Director
For more information:
Email: office@palouseprairieschool.org
Website: https://palouseprairieschool.org/
Location: 406 Powers Avenue, Moscow, ID, USA
Phone: 208-882-3684
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PPCS.org/
