Wellspring Learning Community
| Wellspring Learning Community | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Information | |
| Established | 2007 |
| Principal | Kathleen Battah |
| Grades | Nursery - High School |
| Website | http://www.wellspring.edu.lb |
Wellspring Learning Community is a comprehensive school for grades Nursery - High School (US Grade-numbering system) located in the Mathaf area of Beirut, Lebanon. It was founded in 2007 with grades nursery - three.[1][2]
Mission
Wellspring Learning Community aims to establish a unique school learning environment in which students from diverse backgrounds are given every opportunity to develop their intellectual, emotional and social capacities, academic skills, and individual talents in all areas.[3]
Guiding Principles
In support of the mission, Wellspring Learning Community teachers and administrators aim to work collaboratively in an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust; to design, plan and provide an excellent, modern, positive learning environment, that builds on an ongoing process of self-assessment, evidence-based decision making, and continual improvement. Wellspring Learning Community asserts its commitment to the following guiding principles:[1]
- Establishing a safe and collaborative learning community that meets the needs of the students, school personnel, and parents
- Maintaining a well-kept, clean and vibrant physical campus environment
- Giving attention to the whole child by supporting students’ development in all domains, including the academic, linguistic, social, emotional, ethical, artistic, and physical
- Making education relevant to the real world and children’s life experiences
- Honoring diversity and individual differences
- Promoting the development of strong multilingual abilities
- Delivering an equitable education for all students
- Holding ourselves accountable for students’ learning and school-based development
- Putting in practice an interactive, creative approach to teaching and learning that combines the best elements of a variety of modern classroom instructional strategies to meet different learning abilities
- Empowering teachers as professional decision-makers
Bilingualism
Wellspring's founders designed its curriculum and staffing to support student learning in both Arabic and English equally, and in all subject areas. Students study French as a third language.
International Baccalaureate Programme
Wellspring is notable in Lebanon for its participation in the IB Primary Years Programme. The subject areas of the PYP are language, social studies, mathematics, science and technology, arts, and personal, social and physical education. Students are required to learn a second language during the programme. At Wellspring, this is a third language, French. Assessment is carried out by teachers according to strategies provided by the IB, and with respect to guidelines to what the students should learn specified in the curriculum model.
Technology
Computer-assisted teaching and learning, and interactive whiteboards are utilized in keeping with Wellspring's emphasis on technology in the classroom.[4]
Community service
As its name suggests, Wellspring seeks to foster a sense of community among all its constituents - students, teachers, staff, parents, and area residents - and community service activities are integral to this spirit of community building.[5] Wellspring has active environmental awareness and recycling programs, and includes education on careers and their impact on the world [6]
References
- ^ The Daily Star "New school stresses role of learning in community - and vice versa." Retrieved 4 October 2009
- ^ The Daily Star "Wellspring kicks off academic year." Retrieved 4 October 2009
- ^ "Wellspring Mission". Retrieved 12 Sep 2009.
- ^ The ITG Newsroom "Wellspring students benefit from technology." Retrieved 4 October 2009
- ^ Global Youth Service Day ""One-Day Buddy" Day." Retrieved 4 October 2009
- ^ The Three Poles http://thethreepoles.com/blog/?p=1259 Retrieved 4 October 2009.
External links