GROWTH MINDSET

Growth mindset is having the belief that your qualities are things you can cultivate through effort. People with a growth mindset thrive on challenge, viewing failure as a learning opportunity and a building block towards success. These people believe, “I can get smarter. Effort makes me strong. I’ll spend more time and work harder to reach my goals.”
Students with a fixed mindset often give up when they can’t solve a problem and give in to defeat. With a focus on a more positive outlook, the teacher at DCS are helping students to work to improve their skills, learn from their mistakes, develop perseverance and hopefully lead to greater success. We encourage our classes with visuals and spoken reminders of phrases like, “This may take some time and effort”, “I’m going to train my brain”, “I will try a different strategy”, and “Mistakes help me learn!”

PROJECT BASED LEARNING

Project Based Learning (PBL) is a practice that engages students in their learning process. It uses an inquiry-based approach to education and utilizes a project to teach them. Students are given a question at the beginning of a unit to spark their curiosity and engage them in brainstorming ways to answer the question. From these ideas, a project is chosen and the students brainstorm what they will need to learn in order to complete their project. PBL gives students the opportunity to create beautiful work with an authentic audience. It gives them voice and choice and engages them to be more involved in their learning.

Grade 7 & 8 students sharing with DCS students what the learned while working on a Heritage Fair project of their choosing.  (2021-2022 school year).

RESPONSIVE CLASSROOM and MORNING MEETINGS

Students in Grade 1 (2019-2020 school year) participating in the "I mustache you a question" lesson.

The Responsive Classroom approach to teaching consists of a set of well-designed practices intended to create safe, joyful, and engaging classrooms and school communities. The emphasis is on helping students develop their academic, social, and emotional skills in a learning environment that is developmentally responsive to their strengths and needs." 
Our morning meetings include greeting one another by name, spending time in devotions through reading the bible and praying together as well as an interactive activity that helps to develop the social and emotional development of students. 

The grade 1 class  celebrates Dr. Seuss Day, a day where they celebrate the great children's author,  Dr. Seuss.

Homework Expectations

Homework is an integral part of our academic program, and it is intended to build habits of self-discipline and of independent study in our students.  If students are absent due to vacation or a mission trip, parents are responsible for making sure that their children catch up on homework at home. 
 
All students from Grades 3 - 8 receive an agenda in September. The teachers write the homework on the classroom homework board throughout the day. It is the students’ responsibility to copy the assignments, take the agenda and the homework home, have their parents sign the agenda after work is complete, and bring the agenda back to school the next day. Teachers check the agendas on a daily basis.

Both the amount and the type of homework will be carefully planned by the teacher.  Weekends will generally be kept clear, which does not mean that independent study during weekends is discouraged!  In the Primary Grades "homework" will actually be Snuggle Up and Read, practicing spelling and word station words, and the Bible Memory Work Program.  We strongly recommend the “ten-minute rule”.  Starting in Grade Four, an average homework period of no more than forty minutes per day is recommended. 50 min/day in Grade Five, 60 min/day in Grade Six, etc. the actual time spent, of course, will vary from student to student.  Students work at different paces, so your child may require more or less time for homework. 
 
Assigned homework must be completed. 
 
Help your child choose an appropriate place to do his/her homework.  A well-lit area, free from distractions and equipped with necessary supplies (pencils, rulers, erasers) is most beneficial.  Make every effort to be involved in your child’s homework, guiding and encouraging your child to work independently.  You are an integral part of your child’s educational team.
 
If your child has too much homework, check their work habits before calling the teacher.  Difficulty staying on task, poor study skills, or an inability to work without supervision may interfere with the learning/homework process.  Build healthy work/study habits and when needed, seek assistance from the teacher.  Open dialogue with your child’s teacher will only enhance the educational experience. ​