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The New Dimensions School views
competence and intelligence as multifaceted.
The New Dimensions School staff considers all curriculum areas and
learning opportunities as different ways for children to express
competence. Nontraditional academic areas such as art are
viewed as equally important as, for example, reading, as a context
for academic achievement.
Children's self-directed engagement is
viewed as the foundation for learning.
The activities that make up the fabric of children's life are seen
as the contexts for using interests in one area as the foundation
for learning in other areas.
The New Dimensions School offers multiple
entry points into the curriculum.
Activity rich learning opportunities are viewed as different
pathways for children to enter into learning that is self-directed.
The New Dimensions School emphasizes
curricular context.
The New Dimensions Schools staff stimulates interests in making
discoveries, constructing, meaning, creating and testing new ideas,
and reflecting on one's own abilities and accomplishments.
The New Dimensions School staff builds on
children's assets and strengths.
Identifying, acknowledging, building on, and celebrating
students' assets and strengths are the heart and soul of The New
Dimensions School curriculum. The belief that all children
have assets and strengths as well as the capacity to become more
competent is the cornerstone of this approach to learning.
Note: These principles and core
values are adapted from and based on the successful work done by
Project Spectrum at Harvard University.
Chen, J.Q., Isberg, E., & Krechvsky, M. (Vol. Eds.). (1998) Project
Zero frameworks for early childhood education: Vol. 2 Project
Spectrum: Early Learning activities. (H. Gardner, D.H.
Feldman, & M. Krechevsky, Series Eds.). New York:
Teachers College Press. Chen, J.Q., Krechevsky, M., Viens, J.,
& Isberg, E (Vol. Eds.). (1998(. Project Zero frame-works for
early childhood education: Vol. 1. building on children's
strengths: The experience of Project Spectrum. (8H. Gardner,
D.H. Feldman, & M. Krechevsky, Series Eds.). New York:
Teachers College Press.
Instruction
At The New Dimensions School, we use teaching methodology
called Teacher Responsive Instruction. First, our teaching is
asset-based. That is, we
see the interests and strengths of each student, our students'
families, and the communities in which we live an learn as central
to our educational approach. There from the basis of our
instruction in all academic subject matter - reading, writing,
mathematics, language, the sciences, and the arts.
Second, the environments in
which learning takes place at The New Dimensions School are planned
with an understanding of educator Howard Gardner's groundbreaking
Multiple Intelligences learning research, which focuses on many
different ways that people learn; our classes use the Project
Approach for organizing occurring everyday settings and activities
in the classroom and community to provide a rich array of learning
opportunities for our students.
Finally, our instructional program analyzes each project and
activity for the role it plays in promoting the development of
student key abilities. Our
goal is for all students to be able to meet state and national
educational standards defined for each subject area incorporated in
the key abilities.
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Standards
The New Dimensions School incorporates project-based
learning into the daily classroom schedule so that both academic and
technical skills are applied in real and hypothetical situations.
We pride ourselves on our small classrooms with low student to
teacher ratio.
The strong commitment of The New Dimensions School to produce
students who are aware of the global community in which they will
live and work, and who abide by the doctrine of thinking globally
and acting locally is a core ingredient in our child-centered
instruction.
All classroom teachers follow the North Carolina course of study for
all subject areas to insure the key concepts are taught at each
grade level. The instruction strategies focus on helping
students to work at their individual levels so that they can master
the skills they need to be successful in school and in life.
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Spanish Enrichment
Students participate in educational and social experiences
carried out in Spanish. Our Spanish Instructor is a native
Spanish speaker as well as an educator.
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Student Performance
The New Dimensions School follows a multifaceted approach to
documenting student success. An extensive
Asset-Based Performance Portfolio
is compiled throughout the year to assess a student's growth.
The portfolio includes several assessments, summaries, evaluations,
and work samples for each student project. Parent-teacher
conference are held 4 times a year to review students' portfolios.
Students at The New Dimensions School follow the State of North
Carolina testing requirements, which include but are not limited to,
3rd grade pretest, 4th grade writing test, and End of Grade (EOG)
tests in 3-5 grades.
In addition to the State testing, The New Dimensions School conducts
assessments on each child utilizing a nationally standardized test
called the Metropolitan Achievement Test. K-3rd grade students
are screened using PALS (Phonemic Assessment of Literacy Skills).
All K-3rd grade students are also screened in mathematics.
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