Here at The Booker School, we strive to work together with parents in educating the whole child through what we do. We believe that by educating the whole child, we not only help them to become a valuable member of society when they leave school and join the workplace, but we empower them to become good citizens now, in the role they play.
Social Emotional Learning
Mindfulness is not just part of our routine in school, but part of how we treat ourselves and each other. By understanding ourselves, our reactions to stimuli and others, we can take more ownership over the choices we make.
'When you find peace within yourself, you can become the kind of person who can live at peace with others' - Anne Frank
Within our school’s mindfulness routines, students learn more about their bodies, their breath, and who they are. Each morning, students are invited to practice Movement, Stillness and Reflection activities to begin their day. We have noticed, on the odd day where they may miss this, that students crave this opportunity to start the day on the right foot and often ask for it.
A Meaningful, Relevant and Challenging Curriculum
At The Booker School, we celebrate our incredible team of teachers who work tirelessly to create and facilitate the curriculum for the students in their care. Ms Temma Frecker, Governor General Award winning teacher, is our Curriculum Coordinator and leads collaborative activities to ensure we are delivering the best educational opportunities for our students.
Our curriculum is built around the PYP Model (www.ibo.org) as we look towards full accreditation within the next few years. The PYP is the scaffold for learning and we fill this scaffold from the British Columbian Curriculum and the Nova Scotia curriculum to ensure our students are ready for when they move on from our program.
The curriculum is an inquiry-based and concept-driven model, allowing students to build connections with prior knowledge and engage in real-world learning. By using local and global learning opportunities, students build a deeper level of understanding around big ideas.
As a model designed to support International Mindedness, we recognise the value of Multilingualism in our Language Policy. Every student, from PreK to Grade 8 is taught French as an additional language. We strive to deliver a love of second language learning for all that it offers.
Outdoor Education
Our campus is situated in the beautiful and safe village of Port Williams in the Annapolis Valley. From here, our students are able to go for hikes along the ancient Acadian dykes and through the local forests. We have a forest on campus that allows students to inquire into the natural world, build forts, and explore together.
With the students taking leadership roles, we plan excursions such as a 4-day biking and camping trip from school to Annapolis Royal (110km). From Grade 1, students take part in overnight excursions, starting with a stay in the school. These experiences lead nicely into high school experiences like that of the Duke of Edinburgh award.
With a large campus and many outdoor spaces, learning is often taken outside. This may be part of the Personal, Social and Health Education model, or perhaps reading and math in the outdoor classrooms. Our school lives along the philosophy of 'there's no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing'.
Opportunities
We believe that schools should be a place of opportunity. A place where our young ones can explore different skills, talents and interests as they develop into their unique personas. We support the students in learning the strong set of skills in literacy, math, science and the arts, so that they can communicate their ideas successfully and make their own choices for future learning.
We also provide experiences with local professionals to explore different disciplines and ideas. We have Ms Gaea Jess from Cadance Dance Academy in Kentville come in and work with students on expressive movement. Mr Andrew Haight from Floating Bridge in Canning comes in and trains the students with Aikido - 'The Art of Peace'. Ms Colleen Gerrits comes in weekly and works on the visual arts program. We've had 6-week introductions to string instruments from Ms Elizabeth Sircom and the team at Horton Youth Orchestra. We learn programming and robotics skills with the Lego Robotics competition and support from Acadia University.
We continue to expand the program and the opportunities that we can provide for our students as they continue to develop their sense of self. If you have something you feel you could offer, let us know at admin@bookerschool.com
Service Learning
One of the essential elements of the PYP is Action. We support the students in taking action from their learning. Throughout the year, teachers model, facilitate and support student agency. Encouraging the students to share their voice, make their own choices, and take action.
One of the ways we model this is through our Service Learning Partnerships. Our whole school partners with L'Arche Homefires in Wolfville, a centre for people with difficulties and focused on inclusion. Here, we build relationships and run activities for the children and core members to get to know each other and value one another.
Finding out more
The best way to come and find out more is to visit us and arrange a Stay-A-Day for your child. We have a small but energetic and committed community that welcomes new members.
We have scholarships available for January-June 2019 and for the September start in 2019, so apply today to see if you are eligible.
Want more from education and join our community in educating the whole child at The Booker School.