Hello again!  Josh here.  Summer’s heat has finally broken, and the slight hint of fall’s chill rides the winds.  

Sorry, I love this time of year.  Makes me wax poetic a bit.

But much as the wind hints at the coming change of seasons, we have a hint today of the coming MS program to share with you.  Rest assured that more details will be coming soon!  But if I spill the beans too soon, I won’t have anything to write about in the upcoming months, you see.  

But what I do have to share with you today is a brief introduction to the PIC.

What is PIC?

PIC stands for “Project-based, Inquiry-based, Concept-based” learning.  In a nutshell, it is our outline for our Grade 6 to Grade 9 programs – a mix of curriculum, projects, and activities that compose the school year.  Through the PIC, we will continue ISN’s goals of offering age-appropriate, stimulating, and fulfilling learning.  We will enable students to prepare for higher education while continuing to grow as lifelong learners.

Tell me more!

Certainly, though again, more will be shared later.  For now, let’s focus on the basic values of the PIC.

At the heart of the creation of the PIC were four program values.  The first of these is “age-appropriate learning.”  While every era of life is unique and filled with its own special challenges, one could argue that middle school is one of the most special-challenge-filled times in life.  The transition from childhood to adulthood has begun in earnest, the individual has begun to take shape, and we value learning methods and individual goal-setting that suits this growth stage.

The second program value is “learning as an enjoyable and challenging activity.”  We want to help students answer the question, “Why am I learning?”, use that to create motivation, and then build educational experiences of an appropriate challenge to help them find joy in learning.

Third, we have “understanding the fundamentals.”  Always in motion is the future, and change comes fast.  To keep up, students need to go deeper than superficial facts into understanding the underlying issues and fundamental meanings.

Finally, program value number four is “fulfilling oneself and others.”  At ISN, we believe honesty + integrity = confidence.  This creates individual happiness, which in turn spreads to happiness in those around us.  By learning to create this happiness, students learn the skills to improve both their communities and the world.

With these values in mind, we have been building the MS program, and we continue to fine-tune the specifics to create the best program possible for your children.

Thanks again, and see you next month!

–Josh