A new day dawns with The Providence School

Wed, Mar 12th 2014, 01:35 PM

Come September a new learning institute for children in their formative years, known as The Providence School will be an option for parents seeking a different kind of education for their children other than a "black and white book and chalkboard institution", but rather a laboratory where students pursue dreams, cultivate creative ideas and inspire those around them, according to the Head of School, Shacantila Hall-Briggs.
When The Providence School opens its doors it will initially cater to K2 through grade three-aged children in an energetic community where global education, character and service learning are paramount. At the school they aim to develop a more curious, creative, confident, considerate and engaged student to become lifelong learners.
"The moment you set foot on our campus, you'll see and feel our energy: the collective buzz of learning, discovery, creativity, collaboration and enthusiasm," says Hall-Briggs.
The school will offer a varied curriculum derived from common core standards in a hands-on, practical program with small class sizes allowing for more individualized student attention. The head of school says the school was designed to have a small school population and that they are going for 12 students per class as the ideal, but no more than 15, and two classes per grade.
"It will always be a very small school," said Hall-Briggs. "We are determined to hear the voice and meet the needs of each child. Our students and their families will be known by name; what he or she is capable of -- and like you, we won't be satisfied with anything but their best. We know they are capable of becoming more -- more skilled, more confident, more prepared, more cognizant of right and wrong, so we expect more."
The school head said it's been proven time and time again that if the bar is raised, "that students won't meet it, they'll leap over it."
"We want it to be very project-based and hands-on so that students will remember what it is they're doing. And the best way to do that is to have a hands-on approach. So everything that has to do with our curricula is very project-based, hands-on, realistic examples and day-to-day activities so that they can glean whatever they can from it and apply it to everyday life. If it's not something students can use readily, we don't want to harp on it," said Hall-Briggs.
While core subjects like mathematics, language arts, social sciences and religious studies are fundamental to the tenets of the school, the head of school said they are of the belief that there is nothing extra about technology, world languages, fine arts, character and service education and health and wellness. At the school they will be billed as co-curricular activities as vital parts to the school's holistic approach to education.
Balanced education
She said with the balance of academics and their values that promote love, honor, integrity, charity and courage, Providence students will leave their halls with impressive knowledge, faith in themselves and with a commitment to use what they have learnt to make a difference at secondary schools and beyond.
"I give kudos to any child who can be academically grounded, but you also have to be well-rounded. I want to put the emphasis on public presentation. The fact that my [six-year-old] son can speak at the drop of a dime ... you give him a [microphone] and he's ready to roll, I appreciate that. He knows when we get in family meetings that he has to speak and that he has a voice -- we're not going to dumb it down for him. He has to bring himself to the table too, and I think that is what we have to give to our children now. We talk about them being little adults, and try to hush them sometimes and not allow them to speak, but the only way they can speak intelligently is to be well-rounded," she said.
K2 through K5 will be known as the Early Years. Students in first through third grades will be considered a part of the Lower School. Hall-Briggs said a grade would be added each year through sixth grade that would be known as the Upper School.
The education at The Providence School will also take on a global aspect for students beginning at home from as young as K5 being able to travel, initially to the Bahamian islands then branching out into the Caribbean. Opportunities will be available for fourth through sixth graders to visit a different continent every year. When actual travel is not a viable option, Hall-Briggs said students would have opportunities to "cyber-travel" via Skype, You Tube and good old-fashioned handwritten letters.
"At the end of the day I think experience teaches more than any book can," said Hall-Briggs.
Languages will also play an important part in the curricula for all grade levels with Spanish and Mandarin the two options. "Spanish is almost a universal language now and Mandarin is up and coming, and this will be from the little ones straight up to sixth grade."
Students who can contribute
A Providence School the students, she said, will able to think logically, creatively, critically, and will be able to contribute.
"I want them to be recognized for their achievements, but also to bring something to the table, and not just to be one who would sit back. And more importantly, I want when our children apply for secondary school here and abroad, I want them to be able to sit down with the best," said Hall-Briggs. "Unfortunately with our children by the time we get to college, sometimes we realize that we're slower than we thought because we're not exposed. We really are a smart people, and we have a lot to bring, but we have that much to catch up on, when we have children who have been exposed to so many different languages, sports ... the different arts; so one thing I think we have to do is better prepare our children."
As for adding a secondary addition to the school, Hall-Briggs says that is something in the back of her mind, and not something she has "closed the door to." For now the focus is on the formative grade levels.
The school's lunch program headed by her brother, Chef Simeon Hall, will be second-to-none as she doesn't just want her students to eat nutritionally, but to possibly discover if they have little chefs in their bodies from early on. As such the school will have a demo kitchen where they can prepare lunches, with produce grown in the school's garden.
"I think if children grow their carrots or their spinach they'll eat them a lot better than if you go to the market and buy them, and thankfully we have the space to do that," she said. "I really want it to be hands-on, and I want there to be no limits to what we can do with our children."
The Providence School is located on Tonique-Williams-Darling Highway (the old Burger King business office) in a building that is over 9,000-square feet of space and will house a multi-purpose room that can be used as a gym or a meeting space. It will have a science lab, a computer lab, the demo kitchen, garden, school playground and in the near future, a language lab.
All classrooms will have a theme. Hall-Briggs said that for the students it would literally feel like they're leaving home to go to another home.
Comfortable students
Another unique aspect that will make the school attractive to parents wanting something different educationally for their children will be the family atmosphere as Hall-Briggs firmly believes it takes a village to raise a child.
"Outside of parental involvement and selling raffle tickets and coming to have parties, we really want parents to be involved in the school. We want to really give them a voice so that they can be very included in the learning process. Outside from regular conferences and the newsletters, we want to also have parent classes that we have scheduled on the calendar so that they can know exactly what is going on with the school. We really want them involved in the school."
Another distinctive mark of The Providence School will be the uniforms that will allow students to display their creativity and not to be boxed in. Students have the option of wearing a choice of three different polo shirts in orange, kiwi and sea blue for everyday use with khaki bottoms and a striped belt. For formal occasions, like their once-a-month chapel during which they will have community leaders come in to speak to the children, and field trips, boys will don blazers with gingham shirt and khaki pants and girls will wear gingham dresses with navy sweaters.
"I want right down to the faculty to be very comfortable. I want it to be a learning environment, not anything stuffy, so as comfortable as we can be that's what I want. I'm not a huge stickler when it comes to things like that. I want you to look like you're at The Providence School, but I want you to have your own taste, your own style and obviously to be comfortable."
The Providence School has been in the works almost two years, and Hall-Briggs said they are ready for their September launch. They launched the school's website, www.theprovidenceschool.org where people can go and read and the difference about what they're trying to do.
The school's name Hall-Briggs says comes from the fact that the word "providence" means the very direction of the hand of God and because God has been kind to them in the entire process, and a spin on the New Providence as well. The school will host an open house on Saturday, March 15 at the Rainforest Theater between 11 a.m. and 2 a.m.

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