The School follows State Board pattern and pupils are
prepared for the S.S.L.C Board Examinations. State school comprises Nursery to
The KG classes comprises of the Nursery, LKG and UKG. The curriculum
followed in these levels is play-based and child centered recognizing the
studentsâ multiple intelligences and encouraging creative thinking. A day at
the Pre-Primary would involve much free play, both indoors and outdoors along
with structured time.
The curriculum involves learning through observation, experiential
learning through first-hand experience, thus developing sensory perceptions to
trigger both the creative and intellectual faculties of the child. Language and
literacy development are facilitated with children listening and responding to
rhymes, chants and stories and have ample opportunities to interact with
teachers. Rhymes are a socially engaging, playful and a developmentally
appropriate way for young children to hear, identify and experiment with the
sounds of language.
Nursery, LKG & UKG
Knowledge (Oral rhymes, stories, reading)
STD. I & II
4. Environmental Science
STD. III TO V
5. Environmental Science
VI TO VIII
STD. IX & X
Moral Education /
Value Education :
Value Education is part of the school curriculum. It
nurtures general awareness, civic sense and services .
PE is a
part of the general curriculum of the school. Organized Drill, Mass PT and games are
conducted under supervision of Physical
Education instructors and teachers.
3.Art & Craft & SUPW
Craft classes enables the creativity of the students by articulating their
ideas in their work.
Socially Useful Productive Work (SUPW) from
Standard V onwards has been introduced. Students are trained in various skills,
painting, product out of waste materials etc.,
Health Education - Yoga:
Yoga brings together mind, body and
breath to produce perfect balance within us and can be the perfect addition to
the school curriculum, as it can help children keep their minds calm and grow
Extra Curricular Activities
The School has four Houses :
- stands for leadership qualities.
Ganga - stands for dedication.
Yamuna - stands
for value every human.
stands for team spirit.
specifically trained to be leaders of the future. Keeping this objective in
mind, every year a student council is formed house-wise. Leader nominees are selected by
the Principal and Sports committee teachers, thereafter the students elect their leaders.
inter-house competitions are held such as debates, elocutions, song, dance,
Sports and games such as
cricket, athletics, skipping, chess, carrom and football are conducted to
promote team spirit, cooperativeness, friendly competition and sporting spirit.
*Among other School activities, Fine Art classes
are conducted such as Classical dance , Violin, Vocal Music, Mridangam, Tabala
to bring out the hidden talents of the child.
Learning of music, Fine Arts & Yoga classes are part of school
takes initiative in preparing students not only in academics but also in
various co-curricular activities. We also encourage students to
participate in Scouts & Guides activities, Band group & other cultural
*In order to
equip them in the art of public speaking, our students are encouraged to speak on
relevant current subjects in the morning assembly.


UPDATE: Celly no longer exists. But this conversation can be applied to the ideas of communication with students and families on your platform of choice.
Listen to a great interview with Darek Teller from Celly. Celly believes small messages change the world so they built a place where your message will:
- build movements
- inspire learning
- level the playing field
- & promote free speech
I express some of the frustrations of conducting masterâs degree research and attempt to entice you to participate in research when you have the opportunity!
Comic strips provide a powerful way to get students to enjoy and be motivated about writing. Students love to interact with things they can see and the following comic strip generators will get students to engage in conversations using cartoon characters and build stories and share their works with each other.
- Scholastic Story Starters | http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/story-starters/
- Make Beliefs Comix | http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/
- StoryBoardThat | http://www.storyboardthat.com (TeacherCast.net affiliate link)
- Comic Master | http://www.comicmaster.org.uk/
- Chogger | http://www.chogger.com/
- Witty Comics | http://www.wittycomics.com/
House of #EdTech VIP
Billy Krakower â Billy is the Computer Technology instructor at Beatrice Gilmore Elementary School in the Woodland Park Public School District (NJ). For the past six years, he has served in such positions as Special Education Teacher, an Inclusion Teacher, and Resource Room Teacher.
- Enjoys teaching students how to use web 2.0 tools such as Edmodo, Skype, Google Hangouts, Google Docs, and Espresso Education.
- Billy has an Advance Certificate in Educational Leadership from Long Island University and also has earned a dual Masters Degree in Special Education & Elementary Education from LIU.
- Presenter at various conferences on Technology in the Classroom including:
- Billy is one of the lead organizers of edcampNJ.
- Co-founder of #elemsci chat and co-moderator for #njed, #satchat & #elemsci chats.
- Recently has been named Co-Director of NJASCD North Chapter.
- Serves as an Executive Board Member for NJAET.
Connect with Billy:
ASK QUESTIONS, SHARE YOUR FEEDBACK AND CONNECT WITH ME


The word microwave is a word with more than one meaning. It is used to describe the machine that you use to heat food and also the tiny micro-waves that are used in the process. A microwave is able to heat up foods and liquids by heating the water content in them and when it does so over a prolonged period of time, it can even cook foods to completion.
How do Microwaves work?
Any food that contains even a little amount of water can be cooked or heated using this machine. A microwave oven contains a small machine called a magnetron. This sends out tiny waves or micro waves that vibrate the water molecules in the food. When molecules move a lot they generate heat, so the more these water molecules move, the hotter they get.
What material can be used in microwave?
Since this process is manipulating the water content of the food, it is necessary to cover the item when heating it, otherwise the water will evaporate and leave your food dry. They can only heat things that have some amount of water and can pass through most materials like ceramic and glass. Since these microwaves are magnetic, you cannot put metal into a microwave since this will reflect it and make it explode. Other materials like plastic and aluminium will melt when exposed to these shaking waves.
Gather three different things you want to heat- start with a mug of water, some dal, and a potato. Heat these foods up and see which of these get hottest when exposed to the same amount of micro waves. You may notice that the denser the material, the less the microwaves can penetrate through to the middle. Can you confirm this?
For more such science articles and videos, visit Science for Kids.


Date of Award
Master of Music
School of Music
Dr. Samantha Inman
Dr. Stephen Lias
Dr. Bradley Meyer
Dr. Court Carney
The steelpan was invented in the 1930s in Trinidad and Tobago. It has evolved over the past eighty years. Although steelbands are now found across the globe and at all levels of music education, academic research regarding the music of the steelpan and its composers and arrangers is scarce. This paper examines six works for steelband by Leon âSmoothâ Edwards, a prominent arranger of indigenous steelband music for the Panorama competition in Trinidad and Tobago. Music scores for four of the works have been notated for the first time. The paper documents Edwardsâ variation development techniques, voicing, and orchestration. The analysis then guides the creation of an arrangement for steelband of J.S. Bachâs Orchestral Suite in D major: Air, in the rhythmic calypso style of the Panorama arrangement, similar to the pieces performed for the Carnival Bomb competitions of the 1950s and 1960s.
Rudder, Michelle A., "THE ARRANGING TECHNIQUES OF LEON âSMOOTHâ EDWARDS AND THEIR APPLICATION TO CALYPSO-STYLED CLASSICAL MUSIC ARRANGEMENTS FOR STEEL ORCHESTRA" (2021). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 386.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
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The second chance education programme was focused on providing a safe space within the community environment where young women, girls and adult women alike could express themselves through creative activities and develop basic literacy and numeracy skills using contextually-relevant materials. Beyond the scope of the basic literacy and numeracy skills, the second chance education programme encompassed vocational skills, life skills, Socio-Emotional Learning (SEL), psychoeducation, sessions on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights as well as sporting activities. The assumption was that through the varied activities, beneficiaries would learn how to communicate effectively, participate in activities that engage them mentally and physically, force them to think critically and solve problems, build their resilience through self-care and psychological wellbeing, improve self-awareness and assertiveness, and ultimately build their confidence.
To achieve this, a comprehensive curriculum was developed to guide the implementation of the various components of the second chance education. As part of the evaluation of the effectiveness of the programme, Neem Foundation developed tailored evaluation tools to assess improvements in the numeracy and literacy abilities of beneficiaries.


Reading is a necessity in everyday life. Whether reading street signs, reading the news, or reading menus, comprehension is a fundamental reason for reading. Reading comprehension is a common core essential skill that can and should be taught to students, however, identifying worksheets for optimal reading comprehension is even more difficult. Learning time is valuable and teaching should focus on key skills. The worksheet should have a purpose and teach you specific skills to focus on. Visit our site for more about Reading tricks.
Over 30 years of research has shown that teaching reading comprehension is successful. Teachers can help students understand what they read, in fact, they can help students remember what they read and participate in meaningful discussions about the text.
What does the research show? Scientific research shows that there are specific strategies that improve reading comprehension. Reading strategies are detailed steps students take before reading a text. This strategy aims to increase comprehension during and after reading the message. Reading is more than fluency and memorizing vocabulary. Reading fluently is not enough. Students should fully understand the content read. By using different learning and reading strategies, students can extract meaning from different texts.
There are six general reading comprehension strategies:
1. Checking for Comprehension â It is essential that students learn to recognize when they are not getting meaning from the selected text. Students can read a selection fluently but do not understand, students need to learn what to do if reading comprehension is not effective.
2. Graphic Organizers â Graphic organizers are visual diagrams that help organize data. Other names are maps, web, charts, graphs, etc. These organizers help students identify key concepts and supporting details. They help students summarize their visual reading choices.
3. Answering questions â The right questioning technique can greatly improve comprehension. Reading comprehension worksheets with low- and high-level questions based on Bloomâs Taxonomy help you deepen your understanding of the reading selection.
4. Creating Questions â Students need to know their background patterns and how it relates to their current question choices. Students determine what they already know about the topic. Students will add what they need to know and what they have learned to actively process the text by developing their own questions. resulting in greater understanding
5. Distinct Plot Structure: Plot structure can be defined by the layout or organization of the text of the plot, such as understanding characters, settings, issues/conflicts, climaxes, and checks. Students will increase their understanding Heading comprehension Subheadings, pictures and bold words will also help students improve their understanding.
6. Summary â a summary is necessary to process and categorize all the information received. Students should be able to recognize basic concepts. Distinguish between important and unimportant information. and create this new data in the current schema.
Which reading comprehension worksheet is best? Any activity or worksheet that promotes six or more common reading comprehension strategies. It is reasonable to spend time studying in the classroom or doing homework.


- State Policies on Dual Language Learners in Early Childhood
- ELLs in Early Childhood Education: Recruiting Immigrant Families
- Assessment for Young ELLs: Strengths and Limitations in Current Practices
- 8 Strategies for Preschool ELLs' Language and Literacy Development
- Education Policy and Our Perception of ELL Performance
Books and Booklists
Guides and Toolkits
Research and Reports
- Developing Kindergarten Readiness and Other Large-Scale Assessment Systems
- The Effect of Attending FullâDay Kindergarten on English Learner Students
- The Long Reach of Early Childhood Poverty
- Providing a Head Start: Improving Access to Early Childhood Education for Refugees
- Early Literacy: Policy and Practice in the Preschool Years
These policy recommendations from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) outline best practices in assessing young ELLs, addressing the role of the home language, family involvement, and the qualifications of educators conducting the assessments. The recommendations are also available in Spanish.
Our policy section was made possible by a generous grant from the Carnegie Corporation. The statements and views expressed are solely the responsibility of the authors.


If youâre considering the IB program to get into a competitive university, the short answer is yes. The IB program is a global education curriculum that is designed to be challenging and provide a diverse, global perspective. Most IB students arrive at university well-prepared. Letâs take a look at the benefits.
What is the IB Program and How is it Different?
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IB) is a comprehensive academic curriculum designed for the needs of a global world. Originally developed for mobile students who lived in different countries as the children of foreign diplomats and other political figures, the program has gained a lot of notoriety and is now available in more than 140 countries around the world.
The IB program is focused on creating a better world by fostering intercultural understanding, respect, and a drive for learning. This academic program is independent of government and national systems and focuses on balancing local and global contexts to develop worldly students. The skills that the IB program provides are becoming increasingly important in our knowledge-based society that is becoming more globalized every day.
Characteristics of IB Learners
Students who complete the IB program develop many foundational skills that will serve them well in college as well as in their future careers. These skills are often desired by top universities making many IB graduates ideal candidates.
IB learners tend to:
- Develop exceptional critical thinking skills and become good at solving complex problems.
- Adopt a self-driven work ethic and seek out academic challenges and opportunities for growth.
- Be fluent in multiple languages with a higher level of cultural awareness, helping add diverse perspectives to any conversation.
- Be agile and prepared to engage with a globalized, rapidly changing world.
How the IB Program Develops Learners for University Success
The IB program focuses on two attributes that set students up for future success at the university level. The first attribute is a cross-disciplinary study that offers a wide range of exposure to different subjects to build well-rounded foundation skills in collaboration, critical thinking, and research. The second attribute is the development of a strong work ethic. Students are continually encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning which creates self-motivated individuals.
IB students learn to:
- Be curious and ask challenging questions rather than accept information as it is given to them.
- Think critically and apply knowledge to different contexts for practical real-world application.
- Develop strong research skills.
- Master the English language (the global language of business) or another secondary language that broadens their communication skills.
The Bottom Line
Most universities, including the most competitive in the world, recognize the IB program has a strong academic experience that produces high-quality learners. These students are often the most prepared to tackle rigorous university programs like MIT, Harvard, Standard, Yale, and Princeton. At most universities, the acceptance rate of IB Diploma students is two to three times higher than their general acceptance rate. Thereâs no doubt that the rigor of the IB program can be a good way to get into your university program of choice if you are dedicated and up to the task of seeing it all the way through.


Plan a project to implement in the classroom, school, or community throughout the school year. Earn one credit/unit while developing a program, unit, or project; this course is designed to reward the extra planning and preparation for something special.You must log 25 hours planning and working toward the implementation of your project(s). *After successful completion of EDUO 9801, you may enroll in EDUO 9822 and EDUO 9823 with additional projects.
In this course, participants will have opportunity:
- Plan and implement a project in the classroom, school or community this school year
- Consult with instructor about plan and progress as hours are logged
- Collaborate with an administrator or supervisor about the project
- Log 25 hours planning and working toward the implementation of the project
- Prepare a final presentation for an administrator or supervisor showcasing final project
Course Relation to Professional Standards
This course aligns to the standards for the teaching profession:
- Standard 2: Creating and Maintaining Effective Environments for Student Learning
- Standard 3: Understanding and Organizing Subject Matter for Student Learning
- Standard 4: Planning Instruction and Designing Learning Experiences for All Students
- Standard 6: Developing as a Professional Educator
15 years in elementary education.
Educational Leadership Certificate from Hood College.
One of the best parts of being in education is helping students to become lifelong learners.
Love to travel, be with family and friends, and enjoy the perks of living life near the water.


Faculty Leader: Miss H. Saunders
At Friars we believe every child has the right to an outstanding education enabling them to become numerate citizens, tackling problems and finance in the home and workplace with confidence and to the best of their ability.
Maths is an essential part of everyday life. We aim to help our students become fluent in basic number skills, be able to tackle problems with confidence and be able to reason mathematically.
Students are taught in class groups in Key Stage 3 and are grouped according to ability in Key Stage 4. Lessons may be delivered to whole groups where new concepts are covered or in small groups/individually in order to give additional support when necessary.
We understand that students have different learning styles and have adapted the curriculum to enable pupils to get the best from lessons whether they prefer to learn: visually, logically, aurally, verbally or physically.
Maths at Friars
At Friars, the aim of our teaching and learning, is that students will become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, be able to reason mathematically and solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of problems and persevering in seeking solutions. The aim for Friars Academy is to provide an exciting, interesting and challenging curriculum which is accessible by all our learners.
- Students follow the new Maths curriculum from September 2016.
- They study Number, Geometry and Measures, and Statistics topics (some study Algebra).
- Real-life and functional Maths is used and applied throughout Maths lessons, and across other areas of the curriculum and as part of the Friars school day.
Students follow the new specification OCR Maths Entry Level course from September 2017. The assessment is made up of two written tests and one practical task.
- Number, Shape and Data topics.
- Written and mental arithmetic skills.
- Mathematical reasoning.
- Strategies to solve problems
- Applying mathematical skills in a variety of contexts
- Mathematics outside the classroom.
- Some students study AIM Awards in Maths, which are a series of Functional Skills Qualifications providing learners with the maths and numeracy skills and abilities they need to take an active and responsible role in their communities, workplace, educational settings and in their everyday life.
At Friars, all students are motivated through provision of opportunities for a positive experience of applying maths in real-life contexts; shopping at the supermarket and visiting the Cozy CafÃ© each term.
In Year 10, the students run an Enterprise company, where they work together to do finances/banking, shopping, baking cakes for sale and also working at the Cozy CafÃ© â serving customers, working out the bills, taking money and giving change.
All students at Friars Academy have a statement of Special Educational Needs. Our maths teaching incorporates strategies for overcoming common barriers and the use of a cross curricular approach to embed learning.
We aim to support cross-curricular skills:
- to encourage language development
- to aid the development of literacy; overcoming the reading barrier to enable all learners
- to work systematically and solve problems
- to maintain motivation and engage students with multiple learning styles by using music, art and science to make maths fun and meaningful with cross-curricular projects â working together to engage learners
- to develop ICT skills
- to work collaboratively and cooperatively with others, in pairs and groups.


International Day of Education 2023: Date: Theme, Quotes, History & Significance
International Day of Education will be celebrated today under the theme "To Invest in People, Prioritize Education."
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Every year, the world celebrates the International Day of Education on 24 January. The day is dedicated towards empowering people with the light of education, peace, and prosperity.
Education is a fundamental right. Without an inclusive and equitable education, no country will accomplish the success and development.
On the occasion of international education day, several events, workshops, seminars, and other educational programs will be held globally to ensure that every human soul on earth knows the significance of education.
Let us read about the date, theme, history, and significance of the International Education Day 2023.
When Is International Day of Education Celebrated?
The International Education Day is recognized every year on 24th of January.
What Is the Theme of International Day of Education 2023?
The theme of International Education Day 2023 is 'To Invest in People, Prioritize Education.'
UNESCO has dedicated this year's International Education Day to the women of Afghanistan who are being deprived of their right to education.
History and Significance of International Education Day
The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 24 January as the International Day of Education with an aim to emphasise the role of education for peace and development.
This year marks the 5th International Day of Education.
The significance of celebrating the International Day of Education is to make education accessible to everyone irrespective of religion, caste, and creed.
According to the United Nations, "The right to education is enshrined in article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The declaration calls for free and compulsory elementary education. The Convention on the Rights of the Child, adopted in 1989, goes further to stipulate that countries shall make higher education accessible to all."
International Day of Education 2023 Quotes
Here are some inspirational quotes for the International Day of Education 2023 that people must share with others to ensure that everyone knows the importance of education.
An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.Benjamin Franklin
The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education.Martin Luther King, Jr.
The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.Aristotle
Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.Albert Einstein
âEducation without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil.âC.S. Lewis
âEducation is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.âW.B. Yeats
âEducation is not preparation for life; education is life itself.âJohn Dewey
âEducation is a better safeguard of liberty than a standing army.âEdward Everett
âNine-tenths of education is encouragement.âAnatole France
âIt is as impossible to withhold education from the receptive mind as it is impossible to force it upon the unreasoning.âAgnes Repplierg
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In terms of school participation, students in the treatment group were more likely to agree that schoolwork is nice, makes them think about things in a new way, and that their school offers programs, classes, and activities that make them interested in school. Overall, we found no evidence of any significant impact on student achievement in math, reading or science, attendance, or the other survey results we analyzed in our full report. Art should be a time for children to express their ideas and experiment with materials.
Art education for young children is also a way to involve students more in the learning process. Classes with practical activities such as painting, drawing, building or designing projects give students an outlet for their feelings and thoughts and keep them interested in learning. This is especially true for young students who often have problems with concentration in the classroom when teachers give lectures or lessons that are not interactive. Through art and other applicable teaching aids that allow students to practically work on a project, students are more enthusiastic about learning and often take home a clearer lesson than they would otherwise.
Even adults can experience memory benefits simply by listening to music. This week is Childrenâs Art Week (9-17 June) and to celebrate this event, art activities are taking place across the UK to give children the opportunity to get involved in creative activities. Jenny Hallam, a lecturer in psychology at the University of Derby, talks about the importance of art for childrenâs development and how parents can promote self-expression. Art in Action strives to implement more fine arts programs in the United States with our creative curriculum and the dedicated team behind each lesson.
It also promotes emotional intelligence and self-expression, as children learn to process and express their emotions in a healthy way. Many children and adults benefit equally from the quiet time of art, which provides the necessary introspection. Read more about Art Classes for Kids here. Life is not always easy, and everything that helps children develop life skills that accompany them on their way is vitally important. Some of the most important social and life skills can be taught through art. By communicating commonalities with other children or adults, art promotes teamwork and cooperation. Group projects teach children to take responsibility, while art projects generally teach children to follow instructions.
I have been teaching art and design to students in Northern Ireland for 28 years and have always strongly believed that children should be encouraged to evaluate their own work and that of others using words in visual language. With practice, children learn to express their ideas naturally through observation and quickly gain the confidence to use a variety of descriptive words to confidently articulate a deeper perception of what they see. Art education is an important component of the development of every child, as it teaches teamwork, analytical and creative skills. These skills are often left out of traditional curricula that emphasize technical skills such as math and science to prepare students for college degrees, masterâs degrees, and even doctoral degrees in a worthwhile field of study. This leaves the children little room for individual expression and the opportunity to work on personal development and concentration.


Bachelor of Science
The Pre-K-4 Program is concerned with the education of children from birth to the fourth grade and emphasizes child growth and development at these ages. It coordinates what is known about the child and the environment with sound educational practice. Current research and theory are related to practical application with an emphasis upon field-based experiences.
Early Childhood Education at Kutztown University is a program that offers preparation in early childhood education and in elementary education. A graduate of the program receives certification in Pre-K-4. The Pre-K-4 Program prepares teacher candidates as teachers in infants, toddlers, preschool, kindergarten, and grades one through four in the elementary school.
Required Courses: 120 Credits
Pre-K-4 Early Childhood Course Categories
Child Development, Cognition and Learning (Child Development, typical and atypical, birth through age 9; cognition and learning-applied in the classroom)
Subject Matter Pedagogy Content (Language Development in Early Childhood, Language development, academic success and learning to read, Math foundations for the preschool years, Early literacy foundations for the preschool years (pk-1), Literacy foundations for the primary grades I (2-4), Differentiated reading instruction for the primary grades: focus on interventions, Math foundations for the primary grades, Social Studies methods, Science methods, Motor Development and Health, Social Development and Arts methods)
Assessment (Assessment Methods I: Observation and Informal, Assessment Methods II: Summative, Formative, Diagnostic, Benchmark)
Family and Community Collaboration Partnerships (Family and Community Relationships, Family Collaboration Diversity)
Professionalism (Evidenced-based practices in pre-K through grade 4 care and education, Advocacy, Collaboration and Cooperative Learning, and Issues and Trends)
Student Learning Outcomes
All initial teacher certification programs use the ten InTASC standards (required by CAEP accreditation) as their Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs). The ten InTASC standards are organized in 4 domains (The Learner and Learning, Content Knowledge, Instructional Practice, and Professional Responsibility).


Learning Manager Mrs E Topliss.
Assistant Learning Manager Mrs A Ashley
Numeracy Coordinator Mr C Lewis
Teacher of Mathematics Mrs G Marubbi
Teacher of Mathematics Mrs C Rowlands
Teacher of Mathematics Mr T Clarke
Teacher of Mathematics Ms A Angel
Teaching Assistant Mrs T Jenkins
Why is Mathematics Important?
Mathematical literacy is an individualâs capacity to identify and understand the role that mathematics plays in the world, to make well-founded judgements and to use and engage with mathematics in ways that meet the needs of that individualâs life as a constructive, concerned and reflective citizen. A numerate person is someone who can calculate accurately and effectively in a variety of contexts. A numerate person can also solve problems using logic.
This definition allows us to focus on improving numeracy skills and life outcomes for many people. It implies the essential skills needed for solving problems, processing information, making decisions and interpreting data. Being numerate is about appreciating number relationships and interpreting answers, and not just about doing calculations.
Mathematics at Key Stage 3
At KS3, students study a wide range of topics which begin to prepare them for their GCSE journey. They are grouped according to ability from the beginning of Year 7 and are assessed half termly with repair time being given to fill the gaps in their understanding.
We have 6 purpose built classrooms and an intervention room with a range of technologies including interactive whiteboards, kinaesthetic resources and practical equipment.
Our more able pupils, in addition to challenge in lessons, are stretched by participating in the UK Maths Challenge with the opportunity to enter competitions
promoting problem solving and team work and other mathematical enrichment activities. Pupils are also encouraged to complete our fortnightly Numeracy Challenges and participate in the weekly parallel challenges.


There are a lot of trite websites and apps available for teaching elementary education concepts. And then there are the occasional gems. Zip and Abby, from The Learning Chest, is one of the true gems.
The goal of Zip and Abby is not to teach simple âmath factsâ or to drill on numbers as abstract concepts. Most of the questions donât even use explicit numbers. The goal is to get the pre-K and K set ready to talk about numbers in a relative sense, with full-sentence thinking.
Each of the lessons (there are currently sixteen in the Google app, available for $1.99; presumably the Apple app is comparable) starts with a series of questions.
For each question, a statement is read aloud and the user must choose the image that matches the statement. For instance, for the image set below, the statement is, âZip is holding some balloons.â
The questions get rather complex. In the fruit lesson, for instance, a distinction is made between âfewerâ (comparing the count of items) and âlessâ (comparing the volume of items), while the image set below goes with the statement, âThe red bowl has the most fruit but the fewest cherries.â
When the user gets a selection wrong, the selected image turns red and the user picks again. Statements which were answered incorrectly are repeated again, later in the set, until they are answered correctly on the first try.
Once the user gets through the entire set of questions successfully, they are rewarded with a cute, humorous, and delightfully engaging story involving Zip and Abby. In Balloon Monster, for instance, Zip and Abby are carrying balloons and canât figure out why they keep popping. Eventually they learn that thereâs a bee flying around and accidentally breaking them.
There are all sorts of details to this package that absolutely tickle my educator fancy:
- There are no explicit instructions. Users are left to figure out what theyâre supposed to do, from the very beginning. Given that thereâs not much to do (listen to the statement and pick a picture, then listen to a story), thatâs fine. It reinforces the âinquiry-basedâ aspect that Millenials-and-post approach computer software with. My six-year-old knew exactly what to do: When in doubt, click something.
- Error correction is gentle but clear. My son (six years old) was admittedly a little confused when he got a question wrong and got it again later. Heâs used to RAZ-Kids, where you have to go back manually to questions you got wrong. There were a few times where I could tell my son wanted to have an explanation of why his selection was incorrect for the statement given, but thatâs the role of the parent working with the child, not of the software.
- The software is simple, sleek, and professional. It is also age appropriate: No written instructions (indeed, no instructions at all), everything is click- or touch-based, and the images are bright and interesting.
- The stories are genuinely engaging. This is especially impressive given the amount of repetition involved. Even in the stories, thereâs more learning to be had: Zip and Abby like to share equally, which leads to humorous frustration as they try to share an odd number of things.
- The software has a clear purpose, explains that purpose to parents, and sticks to that purpose consistently.
- The software shines for Language Arts as well as for mathematics. Indeed, while itâs meant for a much younger audience than the high schoolers that I teach, I will keep it in mind as an example for my colleagues of how to include Language Arts in mathematics education.
- Some more advanced math concepts are tucked in without comment. In Balloon Monster, the statement âAbby and Zip have the same number of balloonsâ is repeated for several image sets; in one case, the correct answer is where Zip and Abby arenât holding any balloons at all.
Because of the nature of the software, itâs not something that can be played over and over. The ability to randomize has been sacrificed for coherence and quality of whatâs provided, and thatâs all right. Since my son is just now finishing up Kindergarten, most of the tasks seemed too simple for him, although he was stuck for several iterations at âThe red bowl has the most fruit but the fewest cherriesâ and similar statements. But these limitations leave the user hungry for more: Zip and Abby for first and second grade math. I hope such things are on the horizon.


The start of the 2022-2023 school year is here!
One wonderful thing about being an educator is the gift of fresh beginnings that a new school year brings! If only we could bottle the special mix of emotions that accompanies the back-to-school seasonâexcitement, anticipation, optimism, clarity!
And at the same time, we know that feelings of excitement and clarity can quickly shift to a sense of urgency, as the important work of giving each student just what they need comes into focus.
Getting equipped to start the essential work of strategic instruction requires putting lots of different pieces together!
In this 6-part blog series, weâll offer you a path into phonics instruction that is explicit, systematic, and cumulative, using our Explicit Phonics Lesson Template. This lesson format is designed to make teaching students to read easier.
The Phonics Lesson Planning Template includes:
A three-day format that can be modified to be shorter (1-2 days) or longer (4-5 days) based on the needs of your students.
Evidence-based and multi-sensory routines to make learning more brain-friendly. Support for phonics instruction that is explicit, cumulative, and mastery-focused.
(See Chapter 3 of Shifting the Balance for more on all that!)
A daily phonemic awareness warm-up.
Daily practice with blending, writing, and reading.
Guidance for harnessing the power of the reciprocal relationship between reading and writing.
Explicit instruction of new phonics skills.
Review of previously taught skills.
Best of all, this template can be utilized with any phonics concept or sequence. And it is designed with both whole-group and small-group instruction in mind.
Next week, we will start a step-by-step walkthrough of the Explicit Phonics Lesson Template, providing insights to help you grow your skills and confidence in using this tool to make teaching reading easier for your students!
So go ahead and grab a copy, and weâll meet you back here next week!


The First grade S.A.F.E. presentation targets children ages 6 to 7 and is 30 minutes long. This course reinforces the Kindergarten S.A.F.E. presentation by reviewing escape plan behaviors. These include crawling under smoke conditions and reporting unsafe conditions / situations to an adult.
A few specific and more complex situations are introduced at this level. The more important of these topics are recognizing the difference between a toy and a tool, not playing with matches, and understanding candle safety as it applies to holidays and birthdays. Motor skill activities practiced are crawling on hands and knees instead of on the belly and âstop, drop, and rollâ is taught.
This course covers safety and prevention strands 9.2, 9.8, and motor skill development strand 2.1.


by David Wray
Why Is Trust Important?
Trust is the foundation of every relationship we have, personal and professional. It is defined by Merriam-Webster as âtruthfulness or accuracy, confidence in, rely upon confidentlyâ¦â.
This means that every single decision we make or action we take will either increase or decrease trust. Our actions, or lack of action, affects trust in us as an individual, leader, and employee of the organization. Without it, we will fail to form relationships â personal and professional.
It raises the natural question of how do we build trust?
Build Trust as a Character Trait
Steven Covey introduced the idea of an âemotional bank accountâ to reflect the amount of trust that is built up in a relationship. It is a good analogy because it helps us recognize that actions can deposit (increase) or withdraw (decrease) from a relationship trust balance. We intuitively know that an overdraft balance in a bank account costs us fees and interest. Whereas in relationships it may cost us the relationship itself! In this blog, even now, I hear my motherâs words to her three children: âif you break my trust in you, you will have to work ten times harder to earn it back!â
So, how do we build trust in a way that benefits relationships and, in the context of business, benefits our careers?
How Do We Evaluate Trust In Others?
Before delving into the steps for building trust, itâs useful to consider how others judge whether we are trustworthy or untrustworthy. There are three fundamental traits:
- Delivering on commitments made
- Creating a safe space for others
- Living our values every day, in every way
Trust is built and retained when our actions and decisions align with traits that reflect authenticity. Authenticity in actions, behaviours, words, everything really! Trust is not a destination; it is a journey that requires a regular investment of effort to protect.
Steps to Build Trust
So, letâs consider some of the traits that encourage behaviours and decisions which promote trust.
The foundational skills apply in all aspects of personal leadership, whereas some are specifically needed to build a reputation of being trustworthy.
Looking at character. It is important to adopt a philosophy of doing what is right, not what is easy â especially when no one is looking! At some point, we all reach a cross in the road that hands us two options. The easy road and the right road. Like any good ethical dilemma, the easy road may not be wrong per se, but it may not be the best road to take. Character leaders always do what is right, this is the essence of a trusted leader.
A simple example illustrates these traits in action. Josefine is a team leader, she is deemed trustworthy by her team, peers, and management. The current quarter is not going well. Her team is unable to deliver the revenue forecast which means the company revenue will fall short of stakeholder expectations.
Because Josefine is trustworthy, she will not:
- Manipulate the situation,
- Throw her team under the proverbial bus when revenue falls short,
- Lie or hide behind creative truths to minimize the impact, or
- Misrepresent facts to protect herself from fallout because of missing the revenue target.
In living her values Josefine is seen as a trusted leader, where the team knows she will do what she says, creates a safe environment for her team members, and lives her values even if it is tougher to do so.
A trusted leader inspires individuals to collaborate and achieve something better together than they could alone. Trusted leadership surfaces when others see them as being selfless. This means that the leader creates a safe working environment, does what she/he says they will do, and places the team above their own ambitions. To retain this trust, leaders need to focus on the little things every day â particularly when no one is watching!
For over twenty years, David Wray has been a passionate transformation and change management executive. He has worked with Fortune 100 companies and individuals throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
In his new book, The Power of Potential: A Straightforward Method for Mastering Skills from Personal to Professional, David shares these secrets to illustrate how they apply in business and everyday life â sharing many practical tips, tricks and tools. He uses these same techniques to help many others achieve their personal and professional goals.


By: Halie Holland
Before I get into equity issues at Heritage, I must disclose something. This isnât bashing the school system for equity problems in any way, shape, or form. The sole purpose is to highlight evident issues at schools and shine a light on them just so everyone is aware.
Anyway, I was curious to how the Heritage Equity club members define equity and they told me, equity is often mixed up with equality. Equality is fair treatment while equity is adjusting to different needs for others. An example they gave me was people with special accommodations. They need in-class assistance and wheelchair accessibility. Its making accommodations to meet everyoneâs needs met.
First, how do we go about this? Well, according to Waterford.org , there are three key strategies in equity in education. Below is a chart that goes in depth into each strategy.
STRATEGY #1: ADDRESS POVERTY AND THE ECOSYSTEM
The important belief that in order to achieve success in early childhood education, education leaders and policy makers must understand and address the varied and complex forces that affect how children learn. The better these challenges are understood and addressed through policy, the more equitable and effective the outcome for those children who need it the most.
STRATEGY #2: INCREASE ACCESS AND REMOVE BARRIERS
One of the keys to equity is removing barriers and increasing access to early childhood education resources that are crucial to mitigating early learning and development gaps. The challenges are many. Parents are often unaware of the many benefits and advantages that early childhood learning provides. Even if they are aware, finding and accessing resources can be problematic and affordability can be an issue. Removing these barriers and creating more access to early learning options can make all the difference in a childâs education.
STRATEGY #3: USE DATA AND REPORTING TO TARGET SERVICES AND SHINE A SPOTLIGHT ON EQUITY
The difference between equality in education and equity in education is subtle yet significant. Where equality aims for equal treatment of all students with access to similar resources, equity strives for giving each student the resources they need to compete on equal footing. Knowing where each child is in their development and what resources they need to close gaps depends on data.
Everyone deserves to feel included, and having an equitable learning space is crucial for a child to feel included. Equity is vital to improving school readiness and creating a fair start for early learners. Only when the majority of people in the education experience embrace equity as a core value and use it to shape policy and practice will we see meaningful and awarding progress toward those goals.


Welcome to VoicED, your newsletter from Oxford, bringing you educational policy, news, views, resources and articles relevant to your classroom â Issue 3
The Autumn term has been an opportunity for pupils to refresh their knowledge and re-engage with learning. âCore skillsâ had mixed recoveries in the final months of the 20/21 school year, letâs look at some of the key talking points:
- The Education Policy Institute found that children entering secondary school are estimated to be 2â3 months behind previous cohorts in numeracy, and 1â2 months behind on their literacy skills.
- Research from the EEF and NFER found that the gap between those who are and are not on the Pupil Premium scheme in key stage 1 has widened since 2019, which may indicate similar patterns across all key stages.
- Simon Cox and Craig Barton sum up how the recovery of numeracy skills has been non-uniform, with high-attaining pupils recovering better than average but lower-attaining pupils performing worse than average across the country, and that boys have suffered more on average than girls. Could this pose a challenge for maths teachers who have a wider range of abilities in their classroom?
This article from National Numeracy explains why numeracy skills have such wide-ranging benefits; not only in STEM but also via transferable skills such as perseverance, confidence and motivation. Resilience in maths can benefit pupils in ways they might not yet realise, but small changes in perspective can make a big difference.
Since parents/carers are a vital contributor to attainment recovery, encouraging parental support and cultivating a growth mindset, especially when tackling the jump from primary to secondary education, are vital to showing that maths is a subject anyone can be good at and even enjoy. These resources from the EEF look at home learning approaches that can help.
You might also likeâ¦
- Quick summary: A survey of teachers conducted by the Royal Society summarises the impact of Covid-19 on maths education for 3â19 year olds.
- Ready-to-use resources: These resources from NRICH help teachers and parents to support maths education.
- Thinking differently: This blog outlines ways you can encourage parents and pupils to adopt a growth mindset and identify where they are limiting their potential.
- Practical work suggestion: The National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics gives tips and guidance on how to adapt maths teaching for the return to the classroom.
- Metacognition in STEM: These EEF case studies look at how metacognition can support independent learning and revision across STEM subjects.
And finallyâ¦ Listen to Craig Barton and Resourceaholic blogger Jo Morgan discuss sequencing in the maths curriculum.
You may also be interested in:


Neanderthals were making string and cords from fibres long before early humans cottoned on to the technique, according to a new archaeological discovery.
Researchers have found a 6.2 millimetre (0.24 inch) fibre fragment which they date to around 41,000â52,000 years ago â so quite a bit older than the previous record holder, a 19,000-year-old fragment found in Israel.
The discovery was made in a cave in France, which would've been a Neanderthal settlement at the time. It suggests the species were smarter and more adept at crafts than we often give them credit for.
"Understanding and use of twisted fibres implies the use of complex multi-component technology as well as a mathematical understanding of pairs, sets, and numbers," write the researchers in their published paper.
"Added to recent evidence of birch bark tar, art, and shell beads, the idea that Neanderthals were cognitively inferior to modern humans is becoming increasingly untenable."
After discovering the fragment, the researchers used spectroscopy and microscopy techniques to analyse it and determine where the fibres had originally come from â probably the inner bark of a non-flowering tree, such as a conifer, before it hardened.
The team suggests that we have a poor understanding of the Neanderthals because perishable materials like this are usually long gone by the time we get to them. Tools and bones can only tell us so much.
If these ancient hominids were indeed able to make string, they would have had to know about the growth and seasonality of the trees the fibres were taken from, and been able to apply some numeracy skills to twist and bundle the fibres up into yarn.
In other words, making fibres and string is more complicated than you might realise. The researchers think the fragment they've discovered might have been a handle for the flint tool it was attached to, or part of a net or a bag for holding tools.
And this goes way beyond a bit of string. Once you can make a cord like this, it's not a huge leap to making fabric, baskets, mats and even boats. Again, the inference is that Neanderthals and their societies were more sophisticated than we give them credit for.
Some experts have urged caution about the findings, suggesting that the fibre may have been left behind by early humans â but this is far from the first study to produce evidence that Neanderthals were smarter than previously thought, nor is it the first study to propose that they could construct crafts in this way.
"The cognitive abilities for making string and rope are very similar to those for making language," anthropologist Bruce Hardy, from Kenyon College, told George Dvorsky at Gizmodo. "This speaks to the cognitive abilities of Neanderthals."
The research has been published in Scientific Reports.


Learn To Draw - The COMIC BOOK STYLE
What you'll learn
- Fun and easy methods to practice and learn.
- Learn how to draw people and perspective in a compact, easy-to-digest, art course.
- Pencil, paper, eraser, ruler, and imagination.
Easy and fun art classes! Feels like a live art class! Have Fun and Learn How to Draw in these 14 video art lessons. Learn Cartoon Drawing and Realistic Characters, Expressions, and Perspective, with Artist Cristian S. Aluas. Filmed at Masterpiece Art School.
Take this fundamentals drawing course now, by signing up today!
Who this course is for:
- Novice or students with some experience.
Masterpiece Art School was founded by Cristian S. Aluas. He's a professional artist and art teacher, and the author of "IT'S A LIVING: Surviving as a Freelancer in the 21st Century." Cristian has over 20 years of art experience and over 15 years of professional teaching experience. His lessons are easy to follow and fun to watch. One of the benefits of buying Cristian's video art lessons is that they feel like you are actually in the room with him, listening and learning along-side. Pure and entertaining art education!


In this video learn How to Draw 1-Point Perspective: Step by Step. Enjoy this video and master the fundamentals of Perspective Drawing with regular practice. Use the Drawing and Sketching supplies given below.
Perspective Drawing and Sketching Supplies you may need:
- Mixed Media Sketchbook And Drawing Pads
- Sketching And Drawing Art Pencil Kit
- Mix Media Paper Pad For Drawing And Painting
- Graphite Charcoal Pencils With Sketch Pad
- Graphite Charcoal Pencils Set For Artists
- Faber Castell Graphite Set For Sketching
Details of How to Draw 1-Point Perspective: Step by Step
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#Draw #1Point #Perspective #Step #Step
See How to Draw a City in 1-Point Perspective Step by Step for Beginners. SUBSCRIBE:
Narrated step by step art tutorial, learn how to draw using 1-Point perspective: Draw a City with Roads and Bridges in perspective, using a 2B pencil.
Watch Next: How to Draw Perspective Playlist:
This 1-Point Perspective drawing is a drawing of a City in Perspective, draw a view in 1-point perspective, step by step.
I hope you LIKE, COMMENT & SUBSCRIBE:
How to Draw in 1-Point Perspective Step by Step for Beginners: Draw a City in Perspective Step by Step: Circle Line Art School: Episode 233
The first step is to draw a horizontal line halfway up your page, next draw a across in the middle of this line, this will be the vanishing point for this one point perspective drawing, from this vanishing point, draw two diagonal lines to the left and then two diagonal lines to the right.
Thank you for watching this 1-Point Perspective art tutorial from my channel, Circle Line Art School, please subscribe to my channel for a new art tutorial each week, there are now more than 230 of my drawings to watch!
Circle Line Art School: Free Art Tutorials Online
Hi, my name is Tom McPherson and I founded Circle Line Art School as an online art education resource for all. My aim is to inspire people to learn to draw and be more creative.
Please leave a comment to let me know what kind of drawing you would like to see next.
You can follow me on:
For weekly YouTube art videos:
For my website please visit:
Thank you for your support and have a great day!
Circle Line Art School
Music used in this one point perspective art lesson:
Rubix Cube by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution licence (
Plastic or Paper by Wes Hutchinson
How to draw a City in perspective for beginners: Narrated 3D art tutorial for beginners, step by step
Learn to Draw with Circle Line Art School


One of the important research findings of 20th century was the recognition that early childhood and primary education stages play the key role in the development of the personality of children. Similar attention in high quality early childhood education has never occurred before. Another important recent finding points out the extraordinary potential of ICT to enhance the learning processes of children: digital technologies can provide children with new opportunities to attractive and relevant learning, communication, exploration, and development. Digital toys and tools properly integrated in learning and play can empower children by granting them a voice they have never had before. Digital technologies also open new pathways to social interactions and change the learning relationships between children and teachers.
The Policy Brief outlines the values that ICT offers to early childhood learning; gives different perspectives on the process of implementation of ICTs into ECCE practice; lists most frequent safety concerns and presents general criteria for determining the developmental appropriateness of the ICT tools to be applied in ECCE; calls attention to the necessity to support the transformation by simultaneous evaluative research; specifies several risks to the process; and summarizes several recommendati ons for policy and practice. The omnipresent message of the Policy Brief is the understanding that the potential of ICT for ECCE can be productively harnessed only if new technologies are integrated into early childhood learning experience alongside many other ordinary everyday activities, not displacing them.


Struggles with Handwriting
Does Your Child Have Messy Handwriting and Does it Really Matter in Todayâs Digital World?
There has been some discussion recently about the viability and necessity of learning penmanship skills. Yet research shows that writing by hand engages the brain and is a vital component of literacy. Since handwritten testing throughout the school system is unlikely to change any time soon, learning to write quickly and clearly is an important means to an end. With the adoption of the Common Core State Standards, the emphasis and expectations placed on classroom note-taking and expository writing in grades Kâ5 is greater than ever.
Why Kids Need to Learn Handwriting
What is Dysgraphia?
Dysgraphia is a learning disability that affects written expression. It is a neurological disorder that generally appears when children are first learning to write. Dysgraphia appears as difficulties with spelling, poor handwriting and trouble putting thoughts on paper.
If your child is experiencing any of the difficulties listed below, a handwriting assessment by one of our Occupational Therapists would be the next step.
- Has difficulty holding pencils or markers?
- Has difficulties coloring within the lines?
- Has messy or sloppy handwriting?
- Has illegible handwriting?
- Seem weak or uncoordinated?
- Write too large/too small?
- Occasionally or frequently reverse letters/numbers?
- Has some difficulty learning letters/numbers correctly?
- Has difficulty staying on a line?
- Has a hard time with handwriting activities or learning new skills?
Assessments can be held at the the Center or your childâs school, helping to determine which therapies would be most beneficial. Then the remediation process can begin. Our OTâs education, training and skills provide the foundations for a perceptive and comprehensive therapy program, individualized to meet the needs of each child.
25-33% of children are challenged with dysgraphia. Our occupational therapy program can help children, ages 4 and up, develop strong handwriting skills through fine and visual motor skill strengthening and development.
Donât children learn handwriting in school?
Handwriting instruction should begin with pre-writing activities, usually around age 4. These multi-sensory activities pave the way for handwriting proficiency. While children are exposed to letter formation in Kindergarten, they are expected to enter Kindergarten with the ability to visually identify the name and sound of each letter. If the foundational skills are not in place to do the job of learning to write, a child may avoid the task and quickly fall behind. A study from Vanderbilt University showed that only 12% of teachers have taken a course in how to teach handwriting. Therefore remediation at school and early detection of symptoms of dysgraphia often doesnât occur.
Having fun while learning to write.
In addition to one-on-one therapeutic services, Child Success Center also offers Handwriting Club , providing a fun learning environment, where your child will be placed in a group setting designed to match specific skill and age levels. Our small group size and interactive indoor gym promote a positive approach to learning an often difficult and challenging skill. We incorporate multi-sensory strategies and whole brain learning â featuring the Handwriting Without TearsÂ® program. This easy-to-learn curriculum makes handwriting mastery joyful for students of all levels.
Handwriting is a life skill that affects how we function in the world. Learning to write becomes the skill that builds the foundation for learning to spell, read, build vocabulary, compose content, work with numbers and even reason.


Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.-Harry S. Truman
Powerful teaching happens when teachers take information gained from observations and assessments of childrenâs literacy development into consideration when planning instruction. Since observations can be subjective, it is important to include data from more formal observations as well.
We use running records as assessment tools to assess students literacy progress. A running record is a tool for coding, scoring and analyzing a childâs precise reading behaviors. (Fountas and Pinnell). Up until recently, I was using forms from the Fountas and Pinnell kit for running records. While a great way to take a running record, it requires a lot of copies and paper.
I have found an app called Record of Reading. It is a great appâ¦not just because it was created by my alma mater, Clemson Universityâ¦but because it is an electronic means of assessing reading behaviors. You donât need a calculator as it has embedded formulas for accuracy and self corrections. The app even records the child reading while the teacher simultaneously takes the record. When replaying the record, the oral reading and the record are synced. The record can be saved or emailed. There is also a user manual if needed. You are able to type or write directly in the app and it doesnât have to be opened in a PDF annotator. Best of all, it is FREE!.
Running records inform our instruction through capturing progress, assessing text difficulty, matching texts appropriately to students, and seeing and hearing reading behaviors directly. They also help us group students with similar instructional needs as well as provide individualized instruction where needed. They give explicit feedback to the student and to parents if needed.
Watching my students grow as readers is rewarding. I love watching them go from non-readers to readers over the course of the school year. Creating successful readers requires knowing your studentsâ¦knowing their strengths and where they struggle. It also requires that we know our studentsâ interests so that we can have texts available to stimulate reading. By keeping track of our studentsâ reading behaviors through running records, we can inform our instruction to best meet their needs.
Today, we will do exciting new things. Letâs get to it!


The Creative Schools Continuum Online Art Exhibition
âEnjoyment as a pastime is not the only benefit of Art â Skills, values and attitudes developed in art education are transferable to other areas of learning and lifeâ
The Creative Continuum of Creative Secondary School (CSS), Creative Primary School (CPS) and Creative Primary Schoolâs Kindergarten (CPSKG) is known for its forward-thinking, progressive, exceptionally student-centred education for students aged 3 to 17 in Hong Kong. Arts and aesthetic education, being such an important and beneficial part of the all-rounded development of students, is highly emphasised in the respective curriculum of our 3 schools. For this reason, we have chosen this online Art Exhibition as our first continuum joint activity this year.
It is a common concern nowadays that traditional education with only an emphasis on academic attainment based on exam scores is not going to be adequate for preparing new generations of the workforce for our digital and innovation-driven economy. In our increasingly competitive and rapidly changing world, creativity and innovation are the key drivers of economic growth and competitiveness.
Recent university research has found that arts education is considered one of the essential ways to nurture the skills and attitudes required by innovation and creativity. In addition, it was found that Arts Education can also help students build confidence and self-esteem, enhance emotional well-being, foster positive character as well as acquire essential generic and social skills.
An article âThe Power of Art Educationâ displayed here at this art exhibition outlines the key benefits of Arts Education. This same article is also posted on the respective websites of our kindergarten, primary and secondary schools.


Most kids want life to be fair. If your sister gets more of the candy bar than you, thatâs not fair. If you have to do more of the work than your brother, thatâs not fair. To be fair to two people, they should each do or get one-half; 1/2 can mean that something is divided into 2 equal parts.
You donât believe itâs that simple? Check out the next video:
In Fish Lake, players practice with fractions while learning math problem-solving strategies. Theyâll also be introduced to Native American history. Watch out for poisonous snakes! Canoe through the rapids. Find enough food for your villageâs survival. Figure out âwhatâs fair.â Who knew you could get this excited about fractions? Recommended for grades 4 and up. Available on Mac and PC.


Note: this activity is associated with the lesson on exploring ecosystems.
Flamingo Haiku â Student sample
Purpose: To understand haikus and how to construct them.
Materials: Recycled paper, pencil, colored pencils, crayons, marker, watercolor paper, watercolors, and water cups.
Common Core Standards:
English Language Arts Standards:
Craft and Structure:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.3.5 (third) Refer to parts of stories, dramas, and poems when writing or speaking about a text, using terms such as chapter, scene, and stanza; describe how each successive part builds on earlier sections.
CCSS.ELA-ELA-Literacy.RL.4.5 (fourth) Explain major differences between poems, drama, and prose, and refer to the structural elements of poems (e.g., verse, rhythm, meter) and drama (e.g., casts of characters, settings, descriptions, dialogue, stage directions) when writing or speaking about a text.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas:
CCSS.ELS-Literacy.RL.5.7 (fifth) Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the meaning, tone, or beauty of a text (e.g., graphic novel, multimedia presentation of fiction, folktale, myth, poem).
Reading: Foundational Skills:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.3.4b (third), 4.4b (fourth), and 5.5b (fifth) Read grade-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings.
Range of Writing:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.3.10 (third), 4.10 (fourth), and 5.10 (fifth) Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS):
Understandings about the Nature of Science:
Science is a human endeavor:
Science affects everyday life; Creativity and imagination are important to science.
Acorn Woodpecker student example
Procedure: (Discuss haiku poems)
- Discuss the structure of haiku poems with students (first line has 5 syllable; second line has 7 syllables; and the third line has 5 syllables). Provide examples, such as:
Ocean Haiku Poem Rainforest Haiku Poem
Blue, salty water Trees, five stories high
Important ecosystem High biodiversity
All life depends on A bounty of life!
- Have students practice haiku poems with you and with each other.
- Encourage students to choose an ecosystem of interest to them when constructing their haiku. Note: If students choose to paint, cut a piece of watercolor paint and paste on metaphor writing activity below (pdf)
- Students can share their work with their classmates and parents. These can also be showcased in the classroom (see below).
- Students can fill in the type of ecosystem in the title of their haiku poem (see pdf).
______________ Haiku Poem
Written by _______________________________
Completed Student Examples
5th Grade :


The young artists who take NYJLâs Tuesday morning art classes are explorers. They get lost in the details while carefully sketching a Ming-dynasty-inspired vase. They discover combinations of color and light by creating stained glass mosaics out of tissue paper. And they contemplate the wilderness of Chihulyâs twisted glass sculptures by recreating their own out of other materials. These students are exercising their critical thinking and experiencing the pride artists feel when creating an artwork with theirs own hands.
Research supporting art educationâs positive impact on childrenâs academic success and social-emotional wellbeing is abundant. A 2019 Brookings Institute report found that, among elementary school students,â[â¦] increases in arts learning positively and significantly affect studentsâ school engagement, college aspirations, and their inclinations to draw upon works of art as a means for empathizing with others.â And according to studies by the National Endowment for the Arts, students from low-income communities demonstrated higher test scores in science and writing if they were highly engaged in the arts from kindergarten to eighth grade, compared to students who were less involved in arts during those formative years.
Affirming the importance of arts programming in education, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio committed $23 million in 2014 to upgrade arts facilities and equipment, strengthen partnerships with cultural institutions, expand specialized programming for English language learners and students with disabilities, and support staff development.
âArts instruction must be continuous, rigorous, inclusive, and reflective of the diversity of the communities and students the DOE serves,â said Chancellor Richard A. Carranza in the NYC Department of Educationâs Arts in Schools (2017-2018) report.
The NYJL is strongly committed to arts education too. In fact, we have six committees dedicated to engaging students in rich, cultural and artistic activities and experiences. One example of our arts education programming is Project Muse.
Every week, Project Muse volunteers provide interactive art education classes to third grade students at a Title 1 school in the Lower East Side. Volunteers cultivate an environment where students feel comfortable, supported, and inspired to learn and develop their creativity and artistic skills through explorations of diverse artistic styles, championed by artists such as Frida Kahlo and Monet.
Project Muse organizes several field trips to arts and cultural institutions each year, so students can engage with artworks in real life and create their own inspired projects. Recently, NYJL volunteers and students visited the Childrenâs Museum of Art to see E.V. Dayâs Breaking the Glass Ceiling exhibit, encouraging guests to question invisible boundaries and aspire to greatness beyond societyâs expectations and limits.
Project Muse artists have also visited the Botanical Gardens, where they documented natural works of art through photography. Afterwards, the students walked through the neighborhood to identify and admire street art.
To foster studentsâ aspirations, Project Muse hosts a career panel each year so students can learn more about art-related careers.
If you would like to celebrate Project Muse, please join us Thursday evening, December 5, at Golden Tree, where we will celebrate the important contributions of five community projects. A three-day shopping event and celebration, Golden Tree is one of NYJLâs signature events to raise funds for our missionâand continued exploration in the arts.


Some scholars of education could categorize gifted education under the umbrella of âspecial education,â but this pedagogical strategy is different from special education simply because of the studentsâ capabilities. Even though several severely disabled children can discover straightforward tasks, such as pushing a buzzer when they want consideration, some kids could be incapable of studying. Some children are simply identified as candidates for specific requirements due to their healthcare history. At this meeting, the IEP team will discuss the assessment final results and decide if your child is eligible for special education services.
Our system consists of coursework that enables students who pass the required PRAXIS tests to add elementary education certification to their initial special education licensure. Segregation is geared towards students who require intensive assistance or are unable to cope with even short attendance in a typical classroom. Schools must educate all children with disabilities, regardless of the nature or severity of the disability.
76 Congress responded to these court rulings with the federal Education for All Handicapped Youngsters Act in 1975 (because renamed the People with Disabilities Education Act (Thought)). Some children are very easily identified as candidates for special demands from their healthcare history. All unique-demands students acquire an Individualized Education System (BEP) that outlines how the school will meet the studentâs individual requirements.
Two of her youngsters have understanding variations. Student to teacher ratios are kept low, frequently six:1 or reduce based upon the wants of the children. Kids who have a disability and meet distinct eligibility criteria according to the laws and regulations outlined by the California Education Code and federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (Idea) may possibly qualify for special education under 1 of thirteen (13) regions.
Initially, special education pertained to a relatively small quantity of folks within society (i.e. those with the most obvious and encompassing disabilities) now there are a lot more children identified as exceptional inside schools and regular classroom settings (e.g., students with more mild to moderate disabilities such as youngsters and youth with studying disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder) than at any time within our history.


Class 9 Civics
This right mainly focuses on three issues which are as follows:
(a) Traffic in human beings: This means the human beings cannot be traded to be used as slaves or to be used for immoral purposes. This law has been especially made to protect human trafficking for sex trade.
(b) Bonded Labour: The constitution has banned the forced labour or begar. If a person is forced to work without pay or at nominal pay, this is termed as begar. If the begar continues for a long period then it is known as bonded labour.
(c) Child Labour: Child labour has been banned in the country. A child below 14 years of age cannot be employed in hazardous works; like factories, railway stations, highway eateries, etc. Due to constant efforts by the government, there are now very few instances of children working in hazardous occupations, like beedi making, firecracker factory, bangle factory, etc.
The constitution gives the right to freedom of religion. As per this right, a person is free to follow a religion of his or her choice. The government does not interfere in the religious matter of its citizens. Every person has the right to profess, practice and propagate his religion. Every religious group or sect is free to manage its religious affairs. But a person cannot compel another person to agree to a particular religion by any means. However, a person is free to convert to any religion of his choice. Freedom of religion does not mean doing anything in the name of religion. For example, nobody can force a widow to tonsure her head in the name of religion. Nobody can perform animal sacrifice in the name of religion. The government owned educational institutions do not promote any religion, but it cannot prevent a private institution from doing so.
Every minority group has the right to protect its unique culture and to propagate its unique culture. The meaning of minority is not referring to religion only rather it is also about the linguistic and cultural groups. For example, Telugu speaking people are in majority in Andhra Pradesh while they are in minority in Karnataka. Followers of Sikhism are in majority in Punjab but they are in minority in Delhi and Haryana. If a minority group wants to impart education in its own language, it is free to do so in order to preserve the uniqueness of that language and the related culture. The government run institutions cannot deny admission to anybody on the grounds of religion or language.
When any of the fundamental rights is violated, the affected person has the right to seek constitutional remedies. The person can go to the court where his grievances could be addressed. No government organ (like the executive, legislature or any government functionary) can violate the fundamental rights of the citizens. In case of any violation of the fundamental rights, a person can file Public Interest Litigation (PIL). PIL is an instrument which allows anybody to knock at the doors of the judiciary.
Times have changed drastically since the days when our Constitution was written. Demands for many new fundamental rights have been coming up time and again. Some of these demands have been included under the scope of fundamental rights. For example, the Right to Education has been included in the list recently. As per this right, every child has the right to get elementary education. Similarly, RTI (Right to Information) was enacted recently. Under RTI, anybody can demand information regarding the functions of a government department or official. The RTI has helped in bringing transparency in working of government departments.
Copyright Â© excellup 2014


A Creative Approach to Literacy and Numeracy Using Dinosaurs
Teachers can often find it quite challenging to settle children down in a reception class after spending time in nursery and yet it is important to help children make the transition towards more cognitive and structured learning. Children move into reception from nursery schooling from around the age of four and nursery schools within the country operate a curriculum based around what is termed the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). This statutory framework sets out the standards that young children are to reach and provides the guidelines to help teaching professionals ensure that children learn and develop in healthy, stimulating and safe environments.
At the heart of the Early Years Foundation Stage is the need to develop the broad range of personal and group skills a young child will need as they grow up and enter more formal education. This framework helps to provide an appropriate foundation for the childâs academic career. It has been subject to a number of revisions, the three key areas of a childâs communication and language development in conjunction with their physical well-being and their personal, social and emotional development have become even more central to the core aims of this Government initiative and this, surprisingly is where dinosaurs can help.
Children from around 36 months can begin to gain an appreciation of dinosaurs and prehistoric animals. It is surprising what they can pick up from the many television documentaries, films and books dedicated to dinosaurs that these children are exposed to. Many young children can obsess on dinosaurs and it is surprising how quickly they can learn the long, often complicated names of dinosaurs such as Tyrannnosaurus rex and Triceratops.
If children have a natural affinity for all things Dinosauria, then this fascination can be used to help them develop improved literacy and numeracy skills. For example, when helping children to form sentences and the meaning of words, a picture of a dinosaur with a speech bubble can help the child to consider what the dinosaur might be thinking or even saying. The child can be encouraged to explore feelings and emotions using the dinosaur as an exemplar.
Using a Dinosaur to Help a Child Explore Emotions
Illustration credit: Everything Dinosaur
The same dinosaur picture can help a nursery school child with their numeracy skills. Counting games can be devised such as counting the number of legs the dinosaur might have or the horns on its head for instance. Dinosaur models make great counters for use in many numeracy based exercises, they are tactile and easy to handle and the games can be developed with the children encouraged to sort their dinosaurs into different groups based on simple criteria such as sorting by size, by colour and by which ones might be meat-eaters and which ones the herbivores.
An early fascination with dinosaurs and prehistoric animals can help a creative teacher to devise imaginative learning games thus helping their young charges to learn whilst having fun in a supportive environment.
Take a look at the educational, dinosaur themed items available from Everything Dinosaur: Models of Fossils and Dinosaur Themed Toys and Games.


Early childhood education (ECE) in Uganda is a critical component of the countryâs overall education system. It is considered as the foundation for a childâs future academic and social development. However, despite its importance, ECE in Uganda is facing numerous challenges that hinder its effectiveness.
One of the main challenges facing ECE in Uganda is a lack of government funding. The government allocates only a small percentage of its budget to education and almost nothing to ECE apart from policy Guidelines and regulations. This has resulted in substandard schools, teachers, and resources. Many children in Uganda do not have access to quality ECE, leading to a poor foundation for their future education.
Another challenge is the lack of trained teachers. Many ECE teachers in Uganda do not have the proper qualifications or training to provide high-quality education. This results in a lack of effective teaching methods and a lack of focus on child development. This can lead to a lack of progress in child development and an increase in the rate of child dropout in school.
Additionally, many rural areas in Uganda lack access to ECE. This is due to a lack of infrastructure and resources in these areas. This has a significant impact on children living in rural areas, as they miss out on the opportunities that ECE provides.
Despite these challenges, there have been efforts to improve ECE in Uganda. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and international organizations have been working to provide access to ECE for children in rural areas. Additionally, the government is working to improve teacher training.
To provide an effective early childhood learning experience, early childhood Development should have its own unique focus. The curriculum needs to be broad and includes physical and social learning with significant time allocated to learning through play. Classrooms and outdoor spaces should be equipped to provide a range of play and learning opportunities.
Assessment of learners should be continuous and involve all staff in observing and assessing the developmental progress of learners. Finally, parents should be closely involved with their childâs learning and continually supported with parent empowerment programmes.
KAWA team of Education Quality Specialists is working in collaboration with Edify Uganda to improve on the quality of ECD teachers through technology in Schools.
In conclusion, ECE in Uganda is a critical component of the countryâs overall education system, however, itâs facing numerous challenges. Lack of government funding, lack of trained teachers, and lack of access to ECE in rural areas are among the major challenges. Nevertheless, there have been efforts to improve ECE in Uganda by NGOs and international organizations, and the government is working to improve job teacher training.
ECE Topics for School leaders and teacher Support
- The importance of play-based learning in early childhood education.
- Strategies for creating a positive and inclusive classroom environment.
- Techniques for assessing and evaluating young childrenâs learning and development.
- The role of technology in early childhood education and how to effectively integrate it into the classroom.
- Strategies for addressing the diverse needs of young children with different backgrounds and abilities.
- The benefits of outdoor learning and how to incorporate it into the curriculum.
- The importance of parental involvement in early childhood education and ways to involve them.
- Strategies for promoting language and literacy development in young children.
- The importance of healthy nutrition and physical activity in early childhood education.
- The role of the teacher in fostering social and emotional development in young children.
- The importance of cultural sensitivity and diversity in early childhood education.
- How to foster critical thinking and problem-solving skills in young children.
- The importance of ongoing professional development for early childhood teachers.
- How to create and implement effective lesson plans for young children.
- The importance of fostering creativity and imagination in early childhood education.
Find resources and guidance for Parents, School leaders, and teachers
- Promoting Pre-Mathematical Skills
- Keeping And Caring For Things In The Environment
- Promoting Language And Communication
PARENT BOOST GUIDE (6-8 YEARS)


Eagle Nation in Education
Why is it important to include K-12 artists with Eagle Nation on Parade? The truth is that learning to paint, create a website, or design an energy-efficient home requires mastering skills which are often invisible to the naked eye, but are developed through a strong visual arts education.
Arts Are Vital in Education
10 Lessons Art Teach
- The Arts teach children to make good judgments about qualitative relationships. Unlike much of the curriculum in which correct answers and rules prevail, in the Arts, it is judgment rather than rules that prevail.
- The Arts teach children that problems can have more than one solution and that questions can have more than one answer.
- The Arts celebrate multiple perspectives. One of the large lessons is that there are many ways to see and interpret the world.
- The Arts teach children that in complex forms of problem solving purposes are seldom fixed, but change with circumstance and opportunity. Learning in the Arts requires the ability and a willingness to surrender to the unanticipated possibilities of the work as it unfolds.
- The Arts make vivid the fact that neither words in their literal form nor numbers exhaust what we can know. The limits of our language do not define the limits of our cognition.
- The Arts teach students that small differences can have large effects. The Arts traffic in subtleties.
- The Arts teach students to think through and within a material. All art forms employ some means through which images become real.
- The Arts help children learn to say what cannot be said. When children are invited to disclose what a work of art helps them feel, they must reach into their poetic capacities to and the words that will do the job.
- The Arts enable us to have experience we can have from no other source and through such experience to discover the range and variety of what we are capable of feeling.
- The Artsâ position in the school curriculum symbolizes to the young what adults believe is important.
[ source: National Art Education Association (NAEA) ]
Art Education Resources
- Learning in a Visual Age: The Critical Importance of Visual Arts Education
- Advocacy for a Challenging Time
- NAEA Toolkit
Last updated: 6/30/2021


Ensure students master fundamental literacy skills
When students crack the code on reading, they unlock their academic potential. In fact, many states cite early literacy as a major key to academic success and include 3rd grade reading proficiency goals in their ESSA plans. Edmentumâs dynamic 2-in-1 literacy solution, Reading Eggs and Reading Eggspress, is designed to build and reinforce foundational skills in a rich, interactive online world aligned to the five essential pillars of reading.
Learn to read with Reading Eggs
Reading Eggs begins at the emergent level, helping pre-K through 2nd grade learners develop foundational skills as they learn letters and sounds, spelling, sight words, and basic sentences. After an initial placement test to determine where students are ready to start, learners can immediately begin building skills with short, scaffolded instruction and practice to develop reading automaticity.
Read to learn with Reading Eggspress
Reading Eggspress includes exciting learning tasks that encourage proficient reading for 2nd through 6th grade students. Following a short assessment, leveled comprehension lessons immediately begin to stimulate studentsâ cognitive skills and to develop their reading, spelling, and vocabulary skills through engaging, age-appropriate activities and games.
Monitor progress and target instruction
Through the Reporting Dashboard, educators can monitor placement and progress in each learning area, measure Lexile-level gains, quantify usage, and ensure students are meeting literacy milestones. In support of data-driven instruction, supplemental Teacher Resources are available, including printable activities for learning centers, ready-made lessons for additional reteach, and digital Big Books for shared reading.


Since women in Ethiopia traditionally are resposible for house and field work, mothers have no time to provide their children an elementary education. Many mothers cannot read or write themselves. This tradition of minimal education must end. A great number of African children must work hard at home or in the fields and have no access to playful learning. They are therefore insufficiently prepared for school attendance later on and have greater difficulty in school â if they have the opportunity to go to school at all. Kindergartens are a beginning here.
In recent years, the city of Adigrat, located in the northernmost part of Ethiopia on the border to Eritrea, has experienced an enormous increase in population. The region is still suffering from the consequences of war with Eritrea, which has deprived many families of their fathers, or has even made orphans of the children. The number of street children has increased correspondingly. Adequate supervision on the part of state kindergartens is not guaranteed in this city that is growing by leaps and bounds.
Ethiopian children learn through accompanying their mothers everywhere in the first years of life. They are therefore very far in early childhood development. In the period between 3 and 6 years, however, there is often a break in development as children are often left to themselves at this age or even need to get involved in the household chores or work in the fields.
The associationâs goal is to provide kindergarten-age children, particularly from underprivileged families, with a better start in life by means of an opportunity to attend kindergarten on a regular basis. To accomplish this, Ethiopiaâs specific problems must be taken into consideration.
It is important to remember that a kindergarten is not only important for children, but also for their mothers.
"Kindergartens should be established in the communities to relieve women and give them time to earn money for their families."
(Berliner Missionswerk 2008)
In the facility, children will acquire social ccompetences, develop their creativity and achieve preschool general knowledge as well as basic English. In this way, beginning school is made easier, and the childrenâs educational chances are thereby increased.
The kindergarten in Adigrat opened its doors in December 2012 and 110 children have attended the education facility since September 2013. The Social Departement of the city of Adigrat chose which children were able to attend the kindergarten along with the Womens Affair Departement in accordance with the criteria of âPoorest of the poorâ.
All children are able to attend the kindergarten free of charge and the costs involved in running the facility are financed by personal sponsors from Germany.
The kindergarten is now already running in its 6th year and again, this time, we meet 110 happy, healthy and well-fed children. 37 of them will soon say goodbye in a festive ceremony and head off to school.
Particularly positive is the extraordinary team spirit among the employees where everyone helps everyone else no matter what the task in hand. The team makes the impression of being a friendly community. And at the traditional staff meeting several employees speak of their belonging to an AV family of sorts. This great atmosphere naturally has an extremely positive effect on the work. In addition, the kindergarten teachers are becoming increasingly creative and are developing their own ideas for engaging the children, all of which go far beyond the initial âfront of classâ technique.
The architectural firm Ottmann Architekten based in Munich designed a purpose-built building that matches the design of the surrounding buildings and consists of two houses located opposite each other. In the first wing of the building, there are four group rooms, one small library and the office. The second building situated opposite holds the dining room, the bedroom, the sickroom, the kitchen and the volunteer room. The sinks and toilets are located next to this building.
All the furniture and furnishings have been manufactured by local workshops in an attempt to support the businesses in Adigrat.
The staff consists of:
- one manager
- one accountant
- three kindergarten teachers and four assistants
- one cook
- one cleaning lady
- three guards (who alternate in 8 hour shifts)
The children get two warm, healthy and varied meals during the day.
The kindergarten starts at 8am and can be attended until 4:30pm.