by Mistral Dodson | Oct 19, 2022 | Blog
When kids begin their Phoenix education, it often involves a process of unlearning common beliefs about mistakes. In a traditional education model, students are largely confined to the classroom and presented with standardized content which they are expected to memorize and demonstrate (often temporary) retention through worksheets and tests. This approach sends the message that mistakes are unwelcome. It also pressures our kids to be perfect and makes test scores the principal measure of success while neglecting to prepare students for their future. A future where flexibility and depth of thought, leadership and problem-solving skills, curiosity, perspective-taking, and cooperation are the skills most desired in today’s world.
At The Phoenix School, mistakes = learning.
What if the prevalent teaching methodology was turned on its head, and learning was encouraged through doing, being, exploring, experimenting, questioning, researching, designing, engineering, leadership, and other ways that engage students throughout their school day?
What if personalized education was a priority to support a student’s love for learning and gave them academic growth without boundaries?
What if students were given an active voice and role in the classroom and their education?
What if students were given the tools, ideas, and encounters to help them be the best versions of themselves?
Imagine the possibilities!
It exists…right here in Salem, MA and we are inviting you to come and visit our K-8 immersive partnership experience that cultivates leadership and problem-solving skills.
A school where project-based learning spans all subjects and gives students the opportunity to think deeply about topics of interest.
We don’t only ensure that students meet grade-specific standards. In our personalized learning environment, teachers work with each individual to identify areas that will enable the student to stretch beyond prescribed grade-level expectations.
Come and meet the Phoenix educators who are not just math or science teachers, but experts in student academic motivation, creating effective habits, and student empowerment.
Come and explore a school where…
- Learning is an adventure.
- Basic skills come alive as tools that lead to further knowledge, rather than ends in and of themselves.
- Excellence comes from challenge, curiosity, and persistence.
- Kids of different ages work and learn together in mutually beneficial ways. Respect for one another and taking responsibility for one’s actions are integral parts of the school experience.
- Kids and teachers of diverse backgrounds work and learn together.
- The creative arts are an integral part of the curriculum.
- Kids care – about themselves, their community, and the world.
- Parents are active partners in their child’s education.
- Teachers come to learn.
by Mistral Dodson | Aug 2, 2022 | Blog, Summer Adventures
At the end of June, summer adventures explored aerodynamics and propulsion during Launch Zone.
On Monday the weather kept us at The Phoenix School. Before it started raining everyone was still able to go out on a walk; they collected things like dandelion seeds and maple seeds that float in the wind. After they collected them the kids studied these natural objects to understand better how things in nature slow their descent. With this knowledge, they returned to the school and the kids all worked individually to come up with designs for parachutes, before testing them together.
On Tuesday the kids explored the kind of propulsion that’s used in rocket ships by making bottle rockets together. They used PVC pipes and plastic bottles to create the propulsion system and then tested them together, seeing how high the rockets could go. Some of them even got up to the tops of the trees at Salem Willows.
On Wednesday the kids designed catapults. After the kids built their catapults they could test how far they could throw a projectile with them using a measuring tape. Some of the kids were very invested in trying to throw the projectile as far as possible, and they were able to go back and modify their catapult to see if they could improve on their design.
On Thursday the kids worked in groups to make derby cars. After they’d made them, they set up the cars to start on ramps, and they raced the cars to see how fast they all were.
On Friday the kids designed sailboats for a miniature sailboat race. Everyone was given pipe cleaners, straws, and a small cloth sail. Each kid designed their own sailboat using those materials, and in the afternoon they raced their sailboats to test the designs the kids had made. These designs used all of the concepts the kids had learned about over the week: the sail works similarly to a parachute and propels like the bottle rockets and catapults, and the ships had to be aerodynamic like the racecars. Like the first week, the kids each drew their favorite event from the week on the cover of their journal.
Summer programs are enrolling now for the end of August – learn more here >>> https://phoenixschool.org/enrichment-programs/summer-adventures/
by Mistral Dodson | Jul 26, 2022 | Blog
Tired of seeing your child come home with worksheets?
What would it look like if your child experienced a Purpose-Driven Curriculum that presented real-world problems for kids to solve?
Kids embrace curiosity and love for learning when they can make connections between what they are learning in school and how they can apply that to their everyday life.
We create a Purpose-Driven Curriculum, where the core of our academics remains the same, but the overarching theme changes yearly. This gives us the gift of an evolving curriculum, covering current technology, global partnerships, and expert guest speakers.
Students here are engaged learners because our educators think outside the box and create a challenging, hands-on & minds-on curriculum that has students solving real-world problems, daily.
If your student has lost their SPARK for learning, it’s never too late to get it back!
The Phoenix School provides an immersive educational experience that will give them the gift of becoming lifelong learners because they are always challenged at their own personal level.
Are you looking for a new school for your child? Get in touch today…https://phoenixschool.org/visit/
by Mistral Dodson | Jul 19, 2022 | Blog
Imagine a school that….
- has a purpose-driven curriculum
- intentionally shifts focus to ensure challenge + engagement
- collaborates with individuals groups, and organizations to improve our community and the world
- emphasizes the process
Phoenix has been practicing experience-driven and student-centered learning for over 4 decades, where innovation, discovery, and student empowerment are key learning skills taught in the classroom.
Where global education and technology programs are a normal part of our day.
Where your child will never hit their academic ceiling, because each student is challenged based on who they are, not what grade they are in.
We invite you to ask if Phoenix is the right fit for your child.
Ask your questions below!
by Mistral Dodson | Jul 12, 2022 | Summer Adventures
This past week the Phoenix Summer Adventure Kids went on adventures in the Salem Willows.
The theme of the week was Spies in the Wild, all about exploring how animals hide in nature.
Early in the morning, the kids started off by playing games to get ready for the day and finished each afternoon by visiting the beach and swimming together to round out their day.
On Monday they spent some time exploring the beach. They searched the beach for animal tracks, and each student drew the tracks in their journal. They made sure to pay good attention to how the tracks looked, so they could draw them and identify them later.
On Wednesday, the students had an adventure in the woods. The day’s activities were all about camouflage; the first thing the students did was each find an object in nature and attempt to camouflage it. They took their object and put it on a piece of paper, and using their art supplies they all drew backgrounds on the paper to try and hide the object in the background. After that, the kids created animal blinds to cover the lenses of cameras. The purpose of the blinds was to hide the camera (in this case the iPads) from animals, so they could record video of them. The kids were able to get a video of seagulls, as well as some video of robins using the iPad cameras.
On Friday the Phoenix Summer Adventure Kids continued their exploration of camouflage. For this activity, they each made their own creatures to hide in the woods. The kids got to choose whatever creature they wanted to make, real or fictional, and once they were all done they hid their creations along the trail. Afterward, the kids went back down the trail and all tried to find their fellow students’ creations. After they were done they all collected an item from the woods that they wanted to study. They took them back with them and they all used magnifying glasses and microscopes to look closely at the objects. While studying the objects the students all recorded what they saw by drawing it, to show what the objects looked like on a microscopic scale. At the end of the day on Friday, the kids reflected on the week’s adventures. Each kid thought back to their favorite moment of the week and drew that moment to record it.
