Our school is open to all students, and all faiths.  Many people do not realize that you do not have to be Catholic to attend St. Joseph School. In fact, our student rolls often include non-catholic families.   Christian values taught at are school are universally applicable, and translate to all Christians.  We believe that all students deserve WINGS!
 

One major difference is that our classrooms are “child-centered.” A student-centered classroom isn’t a place where the students decide what they want to learn and what they want to do. It’s a place where we consider the needs of the students, as a group and as individuals, and encourage them to participate in the learning process all the time.

Beginning Fall of 2011, our grade groupings will be more flexible, and based on skill level.  This means that while teachers respect curriculum needs and demands, they design, plan, and implement curriculum in the context of each individual child’s needs, strengths, and timetable. As children and teachers meet over materials, ideas, and activities, teachers are constantly observing children’s understandings. If a child can move more quickly, or needs more time when a particular methodology is successful or unsuccessful, adaptations in curriculum for that child are made.

We practice assessment (testing) of children in an ongoing way rather than in a final one. This allows for ongoing feedback and communication between student and teachers. Students are given a skill growth plan, tailored to their individual needs and skills. We describe growth plans as being similar to lab results indicating to a health practitioner what prescription to write for a patient.

We provide children with learning opportunities in a multi-age setting which has lots of benefits. All children do not develop evenly across all areas; a student with strong verbal skills might struggle with writing. A child might be average in math but excel at logical reasoning and problem solving. A student may be very adept academically, but have a hard time socializing.  Multi-age settings allow children  to find true peers of any and all ages. They also have the opportunity to take on roles as teachers and students, leaders and followers with their fellow classmates. These opportunities reinforce skills.  A nurturing, family atmosphere is born, as our children learn win-win behaviors, and how to socialize with children both younger and older than themselves.

Families considering St. Joseph's WINGS Initiative should ask themselves a few questions

    * Do you believe in educating your “whole child”?
    * Are character education, respect for self and others, empathy, and a social conscience important to your family?
    * Are you concerned that today’s students will need many different skills in tomorrow’s world and feel that in order to reach all students, a variety of teaching methods are necessary?
    * Do you seek the following skills for your child: Critical thinking, problem solving, time management, the ability to work alone or in groups, leadership, comfort with technology, creativity, and a lifelong love of learning?
    * Do you believe that in the 21st century global economy, that being bilingual or multilingual is beneficial?


If you answered yes to several of these questions, our program will be a wonderful fit for your family.

  
Like all schools, we follow the the curriculum developed by the Michigan Department of Education.   Multi age programs often use Themes to tie in overarching ideas for an academic year. Battle Creek Science Kits, Rosetta Stone Classroom Language Learning software and other tools engage our students and they benefit from the experiential learning taking place.

There are academic goals and guidelines for every student.  However, we understand that there isn't a one-size-fits-all method to meet those goals.  A student's "Best Pace" can be very different from their "Preferred Pace", and our faculty recognize the difference, and direct students accordingly.   

Some students are visual learners, others prefer hands on methods.  While one student may read that 2+2=4, another may need to see 4 blocks or dots.   The timing, materials, content, and methods will change from child to child, with the growth plan as an organizing and informational tool for children, parents, and teachers.

 It is a myth that learning can't be fun! It is another common misconception that fun can only occur in classrooms on special occasions like birthdays and holiday parties. Sitting in straight rows for 6-8 hours per day is not required for learning to occur.  In all aspects of the school, students need to be engaged or they will tune out. Over or under challenging students will result in them disengaging from learning.  When they remain engaged, our students actively participate in the classroom and stay focused on skill growth.  When fully "tuned in", students find enjoyment in all aspects of learning, simply from the rewards they feel from gaining new skills.  

By using things like learning games, discussions that are interactive, hands-on/authentic learning, project-based learning, virtual and real life field trips,our students gain skills but enjoy it so much more. A peek into our classrooms might lure some visitors into thinking that no work is getting done, but nothing could be further from the truth!