2009lorem ipsum dolor met set quam nunc parum

Who am

I?

Learning to Understand Ourselves

The Kindergarten child enters a new classroom environment,encountering the new faces of children and teachers. Asfacilitator the teacher becomes aware of the process andjourney through which the individual identity of each childwill need to be celebrated and shared, in order for the group identity or class community to emerge, develop and grow. The individual child needs to be given many opportunities to discover his or her own identity to enable him or her to feel comfortable to share with the group. We

were determined to continue on this path of identity, because we knew that the young child’s thoughts are continually evolving. We wanted to pursue the notion of what it is to be somebody. We could see the children’s faces. We were able to identify a sense of self but what was that child really like? A sense of self has to develop gradually. Being yourself is about knowing who you are. Fortunately time is a component that will play a huge role in the path of this investigation that we have chosen.

Through  this  inquiry  we  understand  how  we  have  a  role  to  play  in  our  own  physical,  mental,  social  and  spiritual  health  and  contribute  to  that  of  others.  Each  person  is  dynamic  and  through  cultural  experiences  develops  his  or  her  own  set  of  values  and  view  of  the  world.  We  will  explore  the  idea  that  individuals  are  interconnected.

Through  this  inquiry  we  understand  how  we  have  a  role  to  play  in  our  own  physical,  mental,  social  and  spiritual  health  and  contribute  to  that  of  others.  Each  person  is  dynamic  and  through  cultural  experiences  develops  his  or  her  own  set  of  values  and  view  of  the  world.  We  will  explore  the  idea  that  individuals  are  interconnected.

Through  this  inquiry  we  understand  how  we  have  a  role  to  play  in  our  own  physical,  mental,  social  and  spiritual  health  and  contribute  to  that  of  others.  Each  person  is  dynamic  and  through  cultural  experiences  develops  his  or  her  own  set  of  values  and  view  of  the  world.  We  will  explore  the  idea  that  individuals  are  interconnected.

Enduring  Understanding:Each  person  is  unique  but  we  all  share  things  in  common.

Compelling  Ques5on:•How  can  I  understand  more  about  myself?•  How  do  my  experiences  make  me  unique?•  How  are  we  part  of  each  others’  stories?

Concepts:RelaDng  -­‐  Listening  and  EmpathyResourcefulness  -­‐  CapitalisaDon,  Making  links,  Imagining

“To  give  oneself  an  iden/ty  is  a  long  and  /ring  process.  It  is  like  being  born  a  second  /me.  It  is  the  need  of  each  one  of  us  to  give  ourselves  a  face,  a  body,  gestures,  ac/ons,  thoughts  words  and  imagina/on.  It  is  the  sen/ment  of  being  that  dis/nguishes  us  from  others,  in  order  to  recognise  and  be  recognised,  to  recognise  ourselves  in  others  and  in  others  to  find  a  part  of  ourselves.  It  is  in  fact  a  dialogue,  confronta/on  and  discussion  with  the  other  ways  of  being  and  thinking,  that  the  image  of  oneself  takes  on  awareness  and  defines  itself.”

Loris  Malaguzzi

Looking within....I  invited  the  children  to  look  into  themselves,  to  try  and  form  a  deeper  understanding  of  who  they  are,  to  listen  carefully  to  their  rhythms.  The  children  bravely  accepted  and  offered  profound  insights  into  their  feelings  and  sense  of  being.  There  was  trust  in  the  recognition  that  every  individual  is  whole,  capable,  wise  and  responsible  for  their  response  to  life.  That  in  being  compassionate  with  ourselves  and  others  we  can  move  through  life  doing  the  best  we  can.  In  paying  attention  to  the  here  and  now,  we  discover  that  things  change,  moment  to  moment.

What are your ideas about feelings?

I  was  touched  by  the  level  of  depth  to  their  responses.  The  children  began  by  sugges<ng  some  of  the  feelings  that  they  have,  

“I  can  feel  happy.”“I  can  feel  angry  and  sad.”“If  I  am  nice  to  my  friend,  they  feel  nice  and  I  feel  nice.”“On  the  bicycle  I  feel  happy  going  super  fast.”“I  feel  happy  when  I  see  rainbows  and  bu=erflies.”

“Building  with  magnets  makes  me  happy.”

As  the  children  iden<fied  different  feelings,  I  was  surprised  at  how  they  were  already  aware  of  the  extent  that  we  are  connected  to  others  through  our  emo<ons.  There  seemed  to  be  some  understanding  that  the  way  other  people  feel  can  affect  the  way  we  feel  and  also  that  we  can  affect  the  feelings  of  others.  

“I  was  happy  because  I  had  friends.  My  friends  help  me.  We  play  together  and  take  turns.”“Monta  make  me  happy.”“Be  kind  to  your  friends,  it  makes  me  feel  happy.  And  if  they  are  feeling  sad  and  blue  it  makes  them  feel  be=er.”“You  can  share  and  be  nice,  it  makes  me  feel  good  and  happy  and  kind.”“It  makes  me  sad  when  people  are  sad.”

The  conversa<on  developed  into  sharing  theories  about  what  is  going  on  inside  you  when  you  experience  different  feelings.  I  find  it  fascina<ng  to  explore  ideas  about  the  invisible  and  challenging  children  to  consider  what  can  not  be  seen,  thus  ac<va<ng  the  meaning-­‐making  competencies  of  children  as  a  basis  of  learning.  

“It  comes  from  our  brains  and  hearts.”“Your  brain  gets  the  idea  and  then  you  tell  your  heart  and  then  you  say.”“If  you  are  sad  all  of  your  body  is  sad.”“From  whole  inside  your  body.”“They  work  together  as  a  team,  your  brain  and  your  heart.”“The  blood  turns  red  when  you  are  angry.”“The  blood  is  red  and  helps  you  to  think  and  feel  angry  or  sad  or  happy.”“The  heart  gets  black  when  you  are  angry.”

The  children  made  graphic  representa<ons  of  their  theories  and  shared  their  drawings.  For  some  of  the  children,  it  is  easier  to  express  their  thinking  through  drawing  rather  than  verbally.  For  some  children  drawing  helps  them  to  clarify  their  ideas  as  they  find  ways  to  illustrate  their  ideas  on  paper.

“The  heart  and  the  brain  makes  you  smile.”

“Inside  it’s  like  a  volcano  exploding.  Hot  lava  and  rocks  coming  when  you  are  geKng  mad.”

“Hugging  makes  me  happy.  The  brain  and  the  heart  work  together.  They  are  a  team.”

‘When  I  feel  happy,  it’s  like  flying.”

“Feeling  mad.  Big  sharp  teeth.  The  bones  and  the  heart  are  geKng  ready  to  punch.  They  are  angry  too.  Tornado  in  my  brain.  Steam  is  coming  out  of  my  ears.  My  head  is  almost  exploding.”

“I  have  a  volcano  in  me  when  I  am  angry.  I  have  a  volcano  in  my  belly.”

“When  I’m  happy  it’s  like  I  have  rainbows  and  colour  dots  in  my  body.  It’s  like  the  sun  is  shining.”

“My  brain  goes  black  when  I  am  sad.”

“When  I’m  angry  ...  I’m  drawing  many  brains  because  they  are  bouncing  around,  like  my  brain  is  going  nuts.  I’m  doing  my  face  red.”

In  pausing  to  think  about  joyful  events  or  unpleasant  events,  in  paying  aDen<on  to  events  in  daily  life,  what  happens  in  your  minds  ,  thoughts,  hearts  and  bodies,  the  children  are  becoming  more  completely  aware  of  the  current  feeling  state  or  emo<on.  The  children  are  really  feeling  their  feelings.  

Anger....

In  our  discussions,  many  of  the  children  talked  about  angry  feelings.  In  response  to  these  acknowledgements  of  less  comfortable  feelings,  we  read,  ‘Angry  Dragon’  by  Thierry  Robberecht.  I  selected  this  book  as  it  shows  the  power  of  our  emo<ons  and  how  we  can  be  overwhelmed  and  transformed  by  how  we  feel.  The  children  made  thoughFul  comments  about  the  main  character  in  the  story,  a  young  boy  who  feels  his  anger  rising,  building  inside  him  and  turning  him  into  a  giant  dragon  and  then  how  the  boy  is  soothed  and  the  fire  inside  of  him  dissipates.  The  metaphor  of  the  dragon  inside  connected  well  with  the  children’s  descrip<ons  of  a  volcano  in  their  stomach  that  exploded  when  they  are  angry  or  mad.  

Anxiety...

The  children  bravely  discussed  events  that  they  feel  worried  about,  

“When  I  was  first  coming  to  school  I  felt  excited  and  nervous.  Excited  to  see  my  new  class.  Nervous  there  might  be  new  friends,  they  might  not  like  me.”

“I  worry  about  the  thunder,  lightening,  noises,  dreams.  It  scares  me  when  it  thunders  and  lightening.  When  I  splash  in  the  puddles  I  feel  be=er.”

“I  worry  about  the  dark  and  lightening.  When  it’s  dark  I  can’t  see.  I  am  scared  of  the  lightening.  I  need  to  go  to  my  mum  and  she  hug  me  and  kiss  me.  SomeRmes  I  go  there  to  sleep.”

“I’m  worried  about  when  me  dad  takes  me  to  school  and  he  has  to  go  and  I  am  staying  alone  in  school  unRl  2  o’clock.”

“I’m  scared  of  my  mum  and  my  sister  going  somewhere  in  the  car.  My  mum  and  my  sister  going  to  everywhere  but  not  school,  I  am  at  school.  I  think  it  will  always  be  a  long  Rme  but  actually  it  isn’t  a  long  Rme.”

“When  my  bus  is  here,  I  don’t  have  any  Rme  to  hug  my  mum  and  dad.  I’m  sad  when  my  mum  and  dad  is  gone.”

“When  I  am  asleep  alone,  I  worry  about  a  monster  saying,  ‘I  am  going  to  eat  you!’  When  my  mum  comes,  when  my  mum  sleeps  with  me,  I  feel  be=er.”

“I’m  scary,  I’m  worry  lightening  go  to  my  body.”

lorem ipsum dolor met set quam nunc parum

When  listening  to  some  of  the  children  describe  what  they  do  to  feel  beDer,  it  seems  to  be  important  that  we  help  children  to  feel  connected  to  parents,  teachers  and  caregivers  and  to  provide  a  stable  and  happy  environment  where  children  can  be  comforted  when  they  are  overloaded  with  stress.  These  discussions  further  reinforce  the  vital  importance  of  rela<onships.  It  serves  as  a  reminder  about  the  way  we  get  along  with  children  and  how  this  influences  them.  The  environment  must  be  set  up  to  interface  the  cogni<ve  realm  and  the  realm  of  rela<onship  and  affec<vity.  My  hope  is  that  over  <me,  we  can  provide  a  safe  context  for  children  to  learn  to  understand  and  love  themselves  and  to  develop  empathe<c  understanding  of  others.

“Holding  hands  with  my  friends  makes  me  happy  again.”

“I  outside  and  play,  I  feels  good  again.”

“When  you  are  angry  you  can  take  a  deep  breath.”

“Going  on  the  slide  makes  me  happy  again.”

“I  pretend  I’m  on  a  cloud.”

“Holding  hands  with  Milo  makes  me  feel  be=er.”

“A  sunny  day  makes  me  feel  be=er.”  

“I  close  my  eyes  and  imagine  a  happy  feeling,  like  excited  for  something  like  a  birthday,  my  birthday  or  my  friends  birthday.”

“Making  funny  faces  makes  me  laugh  again.”

“Yes,  laughing  makes  me  feel  be=er.”

It  was  interes<ng  to  me  that  many  of  the  sugges<ons  from  the  children  about  how  to  manage  stress  

seemed  somewhat  similar  to  adult  versions,  including,  

•  deep  breathing-­‐taking  long  slow  deep  breathes,  •  autosugges<on  -­‐  dropping  into  the  mind  key  phrases  or  images  that  induce  a  sense  of  physical  relaxa<on,  •  physical  contact  of  a  loved  one•  physical  presence  of  a  loved  one•  nature•  exercise  or  physicality  

Managing our worries...

How can we manage our anxieties and worries?

Holding hands with my friends makes me happy again.

If go outside and play feels good again.

More time for playing is good.

Being in my house makes me feel better.

Doing somersaults makes me happy again

I think about flowers and rainbows and I feel better

Holding hands with Milo makes me feel better.

Thinking about hearts makes me happy again.

Being with my friends makes me happy again.

A sunny day makes me feel better.

When I am angry I take deep breathes.

I pretend to be a ninja when I am angry.

When you are angry you can take a deep breath.

Going on the slide makes me happy again.

Being with Nanako and friends make me happy.

Being upside down makes me feel better.

I pretend I’m on a cloud.

I think about hearts and butterflies and I don’t feel sad any more .

Laughter...

Many  of  the  children  suggested  that  laughing  makes  them  feel  beDer  if  they  are  feeling  angry  or  sad.  They  seem  to  have  a  sense  that  when  laughter  is  shared,  it  binds  people  together  and  increases  happiness  and  in<macy.  Humor  is  infec<ous.  The  sound  of  roaring  laughter  is  far  more  contagious  than  any  cough,  sniffle,  or  sneeze.  I  decided  to  discuss  laughter  with  the  groups  to  find  out  more  about  the  children’s  ideas.  

“Every  body  laughs.”

“I  laugh  at  jokes.”

“Audra  is  sRcking  her  tongue  out  at  me  and  it  makes  me  laugh.”

“It’s  like  you’re  doing  funny  faces  and  saying  silly  words  and  you  laugh  a  lot  a  lot.”

“Playing  soccer  with  Makoto  make  me  laugh.”

“When  my  dad  blows  a  raspberry  on  my  tummy.  It  Rckles  and  I  laugh  .  He  does  it  at  bed  Rme.”

“When  I  Rckle  on  my  foot  it  really  Rckles.”

“When  I  got  Rckled  under  my  arm  it  really  Rckles.”

Even  talking  about  laughing  caused  much  laughter.  Children  shared  jokes  with  spontaneity  and    made  silly  faces  to  encourage  more  laughter.

“I  like  to  make  people  laugh  by  saying  silly  things.”

“I  like  people  to  laugh  and  be  happy.”

Some  of  the  children  really  enjoy  making  their  friends  laugh  and  have  a  desire  for  others  to  be  happy.  We  

laughed  together  as  a  group,  beginning  with  fake  laughter  that  quickly  became  contagious  and  real,  just  hearing  laughter  seems  to  prime  your  brain  and  readies  you  to  smile  and  join  in  the  fun.  An  emo<onal  sharing  that  has  the  capacity  to  build  strong  and  las<ng  rela<onship  bonds,  also  contribu<ng  joy,  vitality,  and  resilience.

The  feelings  were  so  strong,  we  were  moved  to  compose  poetry  about  laughter.

Frustration....

Many  of  the  children  described  frustra<on  at  being  rushed  or  not  having  enough  <me.  The  children  came  to  the  conclusion  that  it  does  make  them  angry  or  frustrated  when  they  have  to  stop  something  or  they  are  interrupted,  but  they  understood  that  it  is  usually  because  their  mums  cared  for  them  and  wanted  them  to  be  healthy  and  strong.

“I  hear  my  mum  and  I  listen  to  her.”

“Your  mum  wants  you  to  get  strong  and  grow.”

“If  you  eat  and  go  to  bed  you  might  get  strong.”

“Otherwise  you  will  be  grumpy  in  the  morning.”

“You  have  to  eat  something  to  be  healthy.”

“So  you  can  be  strong.”

“If  you  watch  too  much  TV  your  eyes  need  glasses  or  the  TV  gets  hot.”

“Your  mum  wants  to  sleep  good  so  you  have  your  beauty  sleep.”

The  children’s  comments  reflected  their  busy  schedules  and  the  ways  in  which  <me  is  organised  for  them.  Perhaps  the  children  would  benefit  from  <me  off  from  a  hec<c,  hassled  rou<ne  to  rest  and  restore  and  to  be  simply  present  in  the  moment.  

It  seems  clear  that  the  children  find  interrup<ons  frustra<ng  and  have  a  desire  for  prolonged  periods  of  <me  for  explora<on  and  discovery.  I  hope  that  the  structure  of  our  day  at  school  reflected  the  needs  of  the  children,  that  our  schedule  allows  for  flow  and  

nego<a<on  and  to  accommodate  differences  in  the  children.  Things  happen  in  their  own  <me  and  space  without  the  forced  nature  a  rushed  schedule  or  over  scheduling  gives.  There  are  events  in  each  day  that  the  children  can  an<cipate  such  as  class  mee<ngs,  snack,  lunch,  projects,  outside  explora<on  and  home  <me.  It  follows  the  same  predictable  order  but  without  fret.  We  try  and  give  ample  <me  and  space  for  children  to  make  connec<ons  in  their  own  <me.  We  try  to  make  sure  that  we  have  enough  <me  to  talk,  to  listen,  to  reflect  and  to  be  together.

The  children  have  a  sense  of  trying  to  fit  too  many  things  into  a  day.  When  we  try  to  rush  the  children  or  move  them  on  to  something  else  when  they  are  deeply  engaged  in  an  ac<vity  causes  tension  and  frustra<on.  

Gandini  talks  of  the  connec<on  between  <me  and  space  for  an  atmosphere  for  learning,  

“The  consideraRon  of  the  children’s  own  needs  and  rhythms  shapes  the  arrangement  of  space  and  the  physical  environment,  while  in  turn,  the  Rme  at  disposal  allows  for  the  use  and  enjoyment,  at  a  child’s  pace,  of  such  carefully  thought  out  space.”

(Edwards,  C.,  Gandini,  L.    and  Foreman,  G.  (1993),  p.140,  The  hundred  Languages  of  Children.  Norwood,  NJ:Ablex)

There  is  much  to  be  said  for  providing  <me  for  the  children  to  make  connec<ons  to  their  own  world,  in  their  own  <me  as  competent  individuals.  If  we  see  the  children  as  competent  to  construct  their  own  knowledge  then  the  children  must  be  given  <me  to  do  this.

I  would  like  more  time...

...to  play  football  with  my  friends.

...to  get  chocolate  milkshakes  and  vanilla  milkshakes  with  

my  family.  Me  and  my  Daniel  and  my  Alex  and  my  dad  

and  my  mum.  I  would  like  so  much  to  be  with  my  family.

I  would  like  more  time...

...to  swimming.  I  want  swimming  in  the  ocean  with  daddy.

...to  watch  flowers  and  rainbows  for  as  long  as  I  want.

...to  do  ballet  with  Ms.  Chris5ne  and  Nanako.

...be  in  the  Atelier.  I  like  to  make  rainbows  and  flowers.  I  love  them.  I  like  it  in  the  Atelier.

....  for  riding  my  bicycle  with  two  wheels  so  fast.  With  my  sister.  I  like  to  ride  my  bicycle  with  my  sister.

Reacting...

Harmonious  rela<onships  stem  from  a  founda<on  in  speaking  and  listening  with  mindfulness.  Instead  of  mindlessly  spou<ng  whatever  pops  into  our  thoughts,  we  speak  mindfully  when  we  use  words  that  reflect  our  values  and  a  deeper  connec<on  to  ourselves.  Mindful  listeners  are  those  who  make  you  feel  heard  and  understood  and  who  offer  a  natural  presence  and  kindness  just  by  virtue  of  their  listening  skills.  Both  mindful  speech  and  mindful  listening  can  be  taught  and  prac<sed.  Both  involve  aDending  to  another  person  with  full  aDen<on  while  being  aware  of  your  own  self,  body,  thought  and  emo<on.  Given  this  we  talked  about  how  we  can  react  to  others,  par<cularly  when  they  upset  or  displease  us.  

The  children  are  at  varying  levels  in  their  development  and  skills  at  being  able  to  communicate  effec<vely  with  others  when  a  situa<on  has  upset  them.  Whether  we  are  young  children  or  grown  ups  much  stress,  unhappiness  and  difficulty  can  arise  in  our  less  than  skillful  communica<on  with  others.  We  all  benefit  from  thinking  about  how  to  listen  deeply  to  ourselves  and  others  and  then  communica<ng  more  clearly  and  compassionately.  We  try  to  work  on  ways  to  support  the  children  during  difficult  communica<ons  by  helping  them  to  learn  to  pause  to  consider  what  they  feel  they  want,  what  another  person  feels  and  wants,  and  how  they  might  work  things  out.  These  steps  could  also  nurture  empathy  and  compassion  for  yourself  and  others  and  lay  a  founda<on  for  crea<ve  problem  solving  and  true  coopera<on.  We  talked  about  taking  a  moment  and  trying  not  to  just  react  and  blurt  out  thoughts  and  feelings  as  they  appear  in  the  heat  of  the  moment.  

•What  do  I  feel?

•What  do  I  want?

•What  does  the  other  person  feel?

•What  does  the  other  person  want?

The  combina<on  of  paying  aDen<on  to  our  own  feelings  and  wants  and  then  considering  the  feelings  and  wants  of  others  helps  us  be  kinder  to  ourselves  and  kinder  to  other  people.  

“When  you  threw  my  toy  in  the  trash,  you  broke  my  heart.”“Ha,  ha,  I  hate  you.”“Stop  it,  stop  saying  that.”“Sorry.”

“Stop  throwing  the  block.  It  makes  me  sad  and  it  hurts  and  it  might  hurt  my  friend.”

Relating with love and kindness....

Over  our  <me  so  far  in  Kindergarten,  the  children  have  come  a  long  way  in  becoming  more  compassionate  towards  them  selves  and  others.They  have  a  heightened  sensi<vity  towards  being  loved,  feeling  worthy  of  love  and  feeling  lovable  just  as  they  are.  We  have  talked  a  lot  about  our  own  feelings  and  ways  of  managing  them  and  as  we  grow  to  love  and  understand  ourselves  we  are  more  able  to  love  and  understand  others.  We  had  a  beau<ful  session  where  the  children  remembered  a  simple  moment  when  they  felt  cared  for  or  loved  by  someone,  recalling  the  details  of  the  moment  -­‐the  <me,  the  se[ng,  the  person’s  voice-­‐  and  allowing  the  feeling  of  being  cared  for,  or  loved,  fill  them.  We  then  sent  caring  and  loving  messages  to  the  person  who  made  us  feel  loved.  It  was  touching  to  listen  to  the  children  appreciate  their  parents,  brothers,  sisters,  grandparents  and  friends  and  acknowledge  what  these  people  do  and  that  the  children  themselves  are  loved  by  many.  

The  verbal  wishes  of  kindness  metamorphosised  into  tangible  wriDen  and  drawn  messages.  With  love  and  kindness  the  children  created  notes  and  delivered  them  to  delighted  recipients.  

“To  mummy,  I  love  you  mummy.”“To  daddy  and  mamma,  I  love  you.”“To  Shub,  you  are  the  best.”“To  mum  and  dad,  I  love  you  and  I  will  never  forget  you.”

“To  mum,  I  love  you  you  are  my  best  friend.”“To  Lauren,  you  are  my  best  friend.  I  love  you.”“To  mum,  I  have  drawn  you  a  love  machine  so  you  are  loved,  and  here  is  the  hearts.”“To  mum,  thank  you  for  taking  care  of  me  when  I  am  sick.”

We  hope  that  the  children  remember  that  they  can  send  love  and  kindness  to  themselves  and  others.

Our learning lives on

Our  inquiry  into  understanding  ourselves  and  others  is  con<nuous  and  we  hope  that  we  provide  a  favourable  and  recep<ve  context  for  the  children  to  discover  and  love  who  they  are  and  who  others  are.  We  hope  to  grow  self  compassion,  based  on  the  understanding  that  all  human  beings,  ourselves  included,  have  difficulty  and  simultaneously  deserve  kindness.  Self  compassion  intertwines  kindness  toward  oneself,  an  understanding  of  our  common  humanity,  and  mindful  awareness.  Self-­‐  compassion  enhances  well-­‐being,  our  ability  to  build  strong  rela5onships  and  increases  resilience.  Compassionate  ac<on  and  altruism  are  perhaps  the  highest  forms  of  moral  behaviour  and  offer  us  op<mism  for  the  future  of  humanity.  

Daniel  Goleman  reminds  us  that,  “  

..our  deepest  feelings,  our  passions  and  longings,  are  essenRal  guides,  and  that  our  species  owes  much  of  its  existence  to  their  power  in  human  affairs.”  

(p.3,  EmoBonal  Intelligence,  1995)

We  will  endeavour  to  build  children’s  perspec<ve  taking  skills  enabling  them  to  understand  how  their  own  ac<ons  will  be  experienced  by  others,  and  take  into  account  other’s  needs,  informa<on  and  expecta<ons.  To  foster  empathy,  making  possible  both  the  understanding  and  sharing  of  emo<ons.  To  give  children  a  reasonable  amount  of  control  over  their  own  ac<ons  and  emphasise  that  they  have  this  control.  Perhaps  then  we  will  fulfill  our  mission  to  develop  passionate,  inquisi<ve  and  crea<ve  learners  who  take  ac<on  to  be  best  for  the  world.