News

Elementary students are completing their annual Student Profiles which will come home next week!   Designed to show a child’s annual progress at Springmont, they include his/her end-of-year Progress Report, selections of the child’s work, examples of creative expression chosen by the child and a written reflection of the school year. The profile offers a well-rounded expression of a child’s many areas of growth and development as a learner, creator, communicator and social being.

According to research at the Harvard Graduate School of Education regarding determinants of student success, “a high GPA, SAT score, or IQ is not an accurate indicator or barometer of success later in life. …most high numbered students turn out to be quite ordinary achievers as adults.”  As a result of this study, Harvard set out to determine the necessary elements for creating a climate for learning and the elements of authentic assessment as predictors of future success. 
 
The outcome of their research identified the following to be the necessary elements for learning:
•    Introduce students to general concepts rather than only the component skills
•    Allow opportunities to explore new concepts
•    Integrate the areas of study
•    Afford students the opportunity to:

o    make decisions
o    make mistakes
o    build on previous activities, successes and failures and meet greater challenges through the process  

And the components of authentic assessment to be:
•    Observation by the teacher
•    Ongoing assessment and feedback
•    Student’s self-reflection and self-evaluation

These findings confirm our school’s mission and culture of engaged learning.  Look for your child’s Student Profile next Thursday, May 25.  Happy reading!