Learner Profile Traits

We nurture our curiosity, developing skills for inquiry and research. We know how to learn independently and with others. We learn with enthusiasm and sustain our love of learning throughout life.

How can parents help to develop students who are Inquirers at home?

• Visit places that spark inquiry like a museum, park or nature preserve.

• Explore the areas of your child's interest by visiting the library to borrow books.

• Develop an understanding of the Internet. Work with your son or daughter when the Internet is being used and try to instill the understanding that some internet sites are not reputable.

• Model being an inquirer. Ask questions and wonder!

• Praise your child for asking a question.

• Have your child jot down their wonders in a journal. Spend time researching these wonders!

We develop and use conceptual understanding, exploring knowledge across a range of disciplines. We engage with issues and ideas that have local and global significance.

How can parents help to develop students who are knowledgeable at home?

• Encourage your child to be aware of current events by watching the news or reading news articles when appropriate.

• Explore connections between the area of interest and other topics.

• When your child asks a question, encourage them to seek the answer out rather than giving them the answer.

• Ask your child about what they are learning in school and engage them in conversations about it.

• Foster areas of interest that your child displays though books, outings and activities.

Ask:

• "Why do you think that is important to know?"

• "Can you think of anything that's happening today that might be similar to...?"

• "What does that make you think of?"

• "Does that remind you of anything else you've learned?"

We use critical and creative thinking skills to analyze and take responsible action on complex problems. We exercise initiative in making reasoned, ethical decisions.

How can parents help to develop students who are thinkers at home?

• Encourage your child to engage in pretend play, children are naturally curious and imaginative.

• Pause and wait...give your child time to think for him/herself, be patient.

• Don't intervene immediately, it's okay to let your child explore on their own.

• Ask open-ended questions.

• Help children develop hypotheses.

• Encourage critical thinking in new and different ways.

• Encourage your child to retell stories, put on plays with story props.

• Leave time for unstructured play.

• Encourage your child to play and explore outside.

• Encourage Creative Thinking.

• Let your child experience failure, and then let him/her figure out how to turn their failure into a positive learning experience.

• Provide opportunities to visit Children's Museums and Libraries.

We express ourselves confidently and creatively in more than one language and in many ways. We collaborate effectively, listening carefully to the perspectives of other individuals and groups.

How can parents help to develop students who are Communicators at home?

• Take turns speaking and listening to one another about your daily events.

• Explore other forms of communication including symbols, signs, and sounds.

• Read a variety of texts and find connections between the books and your child's life.

• Discuss the TV programs and videos you watch together.

• Make books, magazines, and other reading material readily available.

• Take time to listen to your child when he/she talks with you, by turning off technology and providing undivided attention.

• Ask questions about what they are saying, ask for explanations.

• Act out stories, plays, poems, use language in fun creative ways.

• Sing together.

• Support other forms of communication via art, dance, music etc.

We act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness and justice, and with respect for the dignity and rights of people everywhere. We take responsibility for our actions and their consequences.

How can parents help to develop students who are principled at home?

• What you do as a parent matters. How you treat and respond to your child should come from a knowledgeable, deliberate sense of what you want to accomplish.

• You cannot be too loving. It is simply not possible to spoil a child with love. What we often think of as the product of spoiling a child is never the result of showing a child too much love. It is usually the consequence of giving a child things in place of love.

• Connect behavior to character.

• Provide opportunities for your child to make their own decisions, discuss the consequences of their decisions.

• Read and tell stories in which the story characters demonstrate making principled decisions.

• Discuss how being principled is life long commitment and well sought after as a characteristic to have.

We critically appreciate our own cultures and personal histories, as well as the values and traditions of others. We seek and evaluate a range of points of view, and we are willing to grow from the experience.

How can parents help develop students who are open-minded at home?

• Model open and accepting behavior for all humans.

• Nurture respect and love for all living things.

• Expose your child to a variety of cultural experiences.

• Visit Explore and More Children's Museum to "travel" around the world.

• Read and tell stories from around the world.

• Watch movies that show other countries cultures.

• Listen to a variety of types of music.

• Read and write different forms of poetry.

• Learn about how different cultures celebrate holidays.

• Prepare and taste foods from other countries.

We critically appreciate our own cultures and personal histories, as well as the values and traditions of others. We seek and evaluate a range of points of view, and we are willing to grow from the experience.

How can parents help to develop students who are CARING?

• Start by practicing empathy. Model the caring behavior you would like to see in your child. Your child notices everything you do! Using kind words, helping others and being an active listener will show your child that you care about other people.

• Help your child consider the feelings of others. Ask, "What do you think she's upset about?" "How would you feel if that happened to you?"

• Read books that demonstrate caring and kindness. Discuss the message of the story and how it can be applied in your every day lives. Ask, "What are some things we can do to show kindness?" "Is there anyone we know that could use some extra caring right now?"

• Brainstorm ways your family can get involved in the community. Send cards to residents of a local nursing home. Donate food, clothing or toys to those in need. Place inspiring quotes around the neighborhood for others to see.

• Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Sometimes this can be challenging for busy families, but make an effort to establish these habits in your home. By developing children who care about the environment, you are helping the future of the globe.

• Emphasize social skills like saying please, thank you, sharing with siblings and recognizing when others may be having a difficult day.

• Smile.

We approach uncertainty with forethought and determination; we work independently and cooperatively to explore new ideas and innovative strategies. We are resourceful and resilient in the face of challenges and change.

How can parents help to develop students who are Risk-Takers at home?

• If your child is feeling uneasy about trying something, encourage them to attempt it and have them reflect on how it felt.

• Set short term goals. Consider activities that push your child out of their comfort zone. Encourage them to offer their opinion, spend time learning a new activity, try a different food, learn a new game or even to spend time with someone they don't usually spend time with.

• Explain the difference between being a risk-taker (trying new things) and engaging in dangerous activities.

• Ask, "What's the hard part?" to identify the challenge and brainstorm ways to fix it.

• Click on the link for more suggestions https://biglifejournal.com/blogs/blog/activities-grit-resilience-children

We understand the importance of balancing different aspects of our lives—intellectual, physical, and emotional—to achieve well-being for ourselves and others. We recognize our interdependence with other people and with the world in which we live.

How can families help develop students who are Balanced at home?

• Create a daily schedule that includes time for school work, outside physical activity, arts and music, rest, balanced meals.

• Allow time for a variety of activities daily with your children (school activities, indoor play, outside play, active play and quiet activities).

• Model doing a little bit of everything in front of your child: play, learn, exercise, rest, eat healthy foods.

• Praise your child for demonstrating a balance lifestyle.

• Visit many different places to learn: libraries, museums, nature trails and nature preserves, parks, Historical Parks.

• Explore different hobbies: yoga, jogging, knitting, cards, marbles, collecting stickers.

We thoughtfully consider the world and our own ideas and experience. We work to understand our strengths and weaknesses in order to support our learning and personal development.

How can parents help to develop students who are reflective at home?

• Have your child stop and think throughout the day about their behaviors. Assist him/her with focusing on the following prompts:

• Is what I'm doing appropriate? If so, explain why it is. If not, explain how it is not.

• How can I change my behavior? Have your child think of positive ways to make changes.

• Is the situation I am in a positive situation? If not, how can I make it a positive situation?

• Am I doing my best? Am I working my hardest?

• Parents can model the above thinking process by talking aloud to themselves, ask and answer yourself these questions about things you are doing throughout your day. This way your child sees you working through the Reflection process, and can use your examples as their models to learn from.

• Model how to make mistakes, how to fail. And then, how to pick yourself up and dust yourself off. It's okay to make mistakes, making mistakes is part of learning. Being Reflective teaches us how to grow and learn from both mistakes and from positive experiences.