This fall, when students finally get back to classrooms, they will have some bold new options awaiting them at Dr. Brass School.
Noel Budz, the new principal at the school said while most might think of the offerings as programs, he prefers the term lifestyles.
鈥淲e鈥檙e connecting with the kids鈥� passions,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e want to give the kids options.鈥�
Budz said they know from experience they are having a difficult time holding the attention and interest of some students with conventional classes, and as a result they lose some students. That is not a good thing.
So, they are putting some new lifestyles education modules on the table for students to pick up and explore.
The new school offerings will look to build upon interests students have, things not necessarily thought of as part of a school education. Each student in Grades 4 to 8, will 鈥榮ign-up鈥� for one of the five, with spots limited in some.
There will be one termed 鈥榖uilding active leaders鈥� which will endeavour to build leadership and social justice skills in students.
鈥淲e want students being out in the community,鈥� said Budz, adding that builds community in addition to student skills.
Another of the programs is 鈥榞rowing citizens鈥� which will take a varied approach from incorporating physical and mental health while focusing on growing gardens and understanding the environment around the students. It will be a program much like one offered in Churchbridge, and Budz said they are actually having a formal partnership with the school there, and the one in Saltcoats to build a programming model.
A third option will be instruction connecting students with elders.
Budz said bringing elders together with students is important to build community bridges.
As it stands many seniors 鈥渁re afraid, or intimidated by our youth,鈥� he said. And young people often do not see the value in what seniors have to say, he added.
By 鈥渓earning together and sharing stories,鈥� the community is better off, said Budz.
It is the other two 鈥榣ifestyle鈥� choices though that is garnering the most attention.
The Performing Arts Academy will have students receive performing arts training every afternoon led by a professional dance instructor.
Students will also receive workshops throughout the year with local and national artists in various areas of performing arts.
The performing arts will include, but are not limited to: hip-hop, ballet, jazz, contemporary, cultural dance, acting, music and improvisation.
Budz said it is expected the performing arts academy will develop a monthly in-house production for fellow students, and it is likely a year-end event for a broader community audience will be part of the program.
Then there is the Hockey Academy, which will look to build skills related to the sport. Programming will include ice-time two or three times a week, off-ice training, and character development.
Budz said such a program will build on established interests in the sport, and then use that interest to build life skills too. He noted that it is important students learn things such as how to handle adversity, for example when you hit a patch where you struggle as a player on the ice.
鈥淚f things didn鈥檛 go well, what kind of a person do I turn into?鈥� asked Budz.
In the case of hockey, off-season, the plan calls for students to have a golf membership, and be introduced to various other sports.
While the five new offerings will be the focus on afternoons at the school every day, Budz said within each academy will be attention paid 鈥渢o curriculum outcomes students are supposed to achieve鈥�.
The difference will be in how those core curriculum elements are delivered.
Budz said they will take what he termed a 鈥渂lended鈥� approach, including a focus on a level of online education, something he said is becoming increasingly important for students to know how to deal with as it is something used in future education.
鈥淚n high school and university you鈥檙e going to take online courses,鈥� he said.
