ABOUT US

Magnussen School is a school where students are encouraged to utilize their individual talents to their fullest potential, while learning which approach to education best facilitates their learning styles. All students will have strengths in some area as well as the potential for strengthening weaker areas. The goal of the school is to foster the various strengths of our students, be it emotional, musical or language based and so on.

The teacher holds the philosophy that each student comes with strengths and talents that may or may not be evident to the child. Creating a safe learning environment where students will be able to flourish academically while boosting their self-confidence and self-image is essential for academic and social-emotional growth to take place. Individual strengths will be utilized as students are encouraged to learn beyond the ministries prescribed learning outcomes for their grade level, a multifaceted curriculum will be enriched with hands on learning and self-directed project work.

Weaknesses will be built up in an environment which understands the students need for direction and positive re-enforcements. Assessment and evaluation will be inclusive of the student’s efforts as well as their understanding of the curriculum; all grades will be designed to do justice to each student’s learning style and capabilities. Students will learn in an environment created for their success, at no point will students feel compared or set up to compete with other students.

Current events will be covered in social studies with the aim that students understand the concepts covered in the curriculum as well as being challenged to apply them to their understanding of the real world. The science and math program will include hands on learning and be taught in a manner which reaches each students learning style. The school will be active in utilizing the UBC campus as well as the faculty members.

In the classroom, group work and cluster teaching in small groups will maximize each students time spent with the teacher, and encourage positive working relationships with other students. Students will be encouraged to research topics which have been carefully designed together with their teacher and parents to engage interest and facilitate maximum learning potential.

The teaching will cover the appropriate curriculum for each student’s grade level while encompassing content which will teach students how to be effective learners. Organizational skills and self-monitoring techniques will run throughout the curriculum with an emphasis on understanding how each individual learns and teaching them the best way for each individual student to approach learning.

Cognitive exercises through the Eaton Arrowsmith School may be recommended to assist students who have had learning disabilities assessed. The future of the school is aimed towards expansion, the focus this year will be grades 4-7 with the hope that the school will fully separate from the Eaton Arrowsmith School and move towards a 2200 square foot area located in the same building. This new area will facilitate a high school, along with the elementary program, which can be a stepping stone for students as well as those transitioning out of the Eaton Arrowsmith School.