At All Aboard, we believe learning is fun! We value creativity and encourage students to explore their interests while helping to introduce them to new topics. We also believe that curiosity is a fundamental part of a student’s development, so we encourage questioning from students. Through in-depth discussions, questions can help to guide us to new thinking and ideas that very often lead to new questions. The learning process is a journey, and because it will differ for every learner, we want to ensure that students have the opportunity to experience the joy of learning and discovery.

Additionally, we facilitate problem solving and teach students to “dig deeper” into essential questions and topics of discussion. Students develop resilience and grit as a result of approaching challenges with support and overcoming them, ready to tackle new ones. The joy of learning and discovery can help students learn to love learning, and this will not only help them as students throughout their time at All Aboard, but long into the future as they become contributing members of a global community, no matter what profession or path they pursue.

What is the purpose of education? We believe a fundamental goal of education and learning is to become a contributing member of a global society, particularly in this time period, when it is common for different cultures, countries, and societies to work together for the betterment of humankind. This learning process begins at a young age, and we teach core components to lay a foundation for Global Citizenship for our students.

Key character components, such as honesty, kindness, respect, perseverance, independence, and work ethic, are evident in our curriculum, our school environment, our teaching, and our learning opportunities. These elements of good character are important for children as we want them to not only be well-rounded language learners, but also people.

The ability to work well with others and collaborate with peers is a skill that will help children throughout their academic career and later, in their professional lives. Good communication skills and leadership abilities are also important areas to develop in students of all ages and can be integrated seamlessly, as it is within our school, into learning opportunities at all levels. At All Aboard, we want to prepare students not only to succeed academically, but also in life.

One of the aspects of our school that we are most proud of is our collaboration as a school community: students, families, staff, teachers, and administrators. We are all a team that is working together to support the learning of everyone within our school community, and we work diligently to provide this environment that fosters positive communication and collaboration among all members of our school community.

Collaboration and communication includes peer-to-peer interactions, home-school connections (correspondence between families and our teachers and staff), and teacher-student-family communication, which often is demonstrated during activities when families are invited into our school for student-led presentations and opportunities to chat with teachers and school staff.

Why is collaboration among all of the members of our community so important? By working together and learning not only from one another, but alongside and with each other, we can use our collective knowledge to learn more together. As Sir Ken Robinson stated, “Most great learning happens in groups. Collaboration is the stuff of growth.”

Why learn a language if you don’t feel comfortable using it? We want to empower students to feel confident in their abilities as English speakers and as people. By providing meaningful, well-planned, manageable tasks for students that stretch their thinking, challenge them to grow new ideas, and build their abilities, we are able to support learners as they grow into self-confident individuals.

Our safe learning community also helps to reinforce the fact that all students have unique perspectives to share, ideas and skills to teach peers and build upon, and endless opportunities to learn and grow together.

Students develop self-confidence and feel empowered, which allows them to try new things, be positive members of the school community and the surrounding community, and develop as well-rounded individuals.