The Fall Outing
9/20/2019
PNA has a mission statement that everyone works towards; "We educate students to be exceptional learners and independent thinkers of vision, courage and integrity". With this in mind and taking students forward developing 21st century skills there are 4 learning skills that are a cornerstone to the PNA curriculum: Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, and Critical Thinking. It is through the continual exercise of these four skills that students explore and learn subject matter. Whether it's art or algebra that's the focus, PNA students are required to communicate with each other, collaborate effectively, stretch themselves creatively, and think critically. PNA's Responsive Classroom program, which helps us structure our daily morning meetings, focuses on team building, games that make kids (and teachers) move, laugh, and mingle, and on setting expectations for classroom behavior that allow the classroom to coexist and collaborate harmoniously. However, we serve up lots of extra helpings of games and exercises during the first 6 weeks of school; the overwhelming emphasis is on getting the 4Cs juices flowing. For some students, new to PNA, working with their peers toward a solution may be a new and difficult challange. For some naturally reticent students, or some naturally forceful students, collaboration is a delicate balance of give and take that can be hard to negotiate. But we know that collaboration is imperative to fruitful inquiry and healthy relationships. Through collaboration, the outcome is, generally, far greater than the sum of the parts. This is where the Fall Outing comes in. The idea of the Fall Outing is not just to get the kids outside, but to build school spirit. Teams are mixed at every level, and students each find their own moments to shine as they use their individual strengths to help their teammates out through the day! It is a chance for the elementary school to mix, mingle and team build. The younger kids need to know that they can depend on the older kids, and the older kids need to know that there are younger kids looking up to them (this ethic continues throughout the year with the class Buddy system). This event and other future trips or events are an opportunity for a small group of peer learners to bond together, and start honing those communication and collaboration skills that ensure success at every level. Comments are closed.
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Martina HenkeMartina Henke has been a K-8 educator for 30+ years. A life-long learner, she loves working with kids of all ages, new technology, great books, fiber arts, and her wonderful family! Archives
April 2021
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