At Miracle Grow, students LEARN.

L Students have a LOVE of acquiring new knowledge that  is relevant  to their individual needs and interests.

E EVERY experience in the classroom and in the community adds to the desire of each student for educational growth.

A Students are ACTIVE participants in the learning process.

R Students have a strong sense of personal RESPONSIBILITY for their learning and for their actions within the school walls and in the community.

N  NOTHING  is learned in isolation. The curriculum links the material studied with relevant and meaningful opportunities that students can explore in the community.

The purpose of education is for the development of each student. We take  our responsibility to provide stimulating and purposeful educational opportunities to each student that enters the doors of any school in Miracle Grow very seriously. On a daily basis, we guide each learner to become productive, responsible, competent citizens and confident, caring adults. In order to accomplish this, the curriculum is geared toward the needs, desires, abilities and experiences of our students. We graciously invite school leaders, parents, community members, teachers and students to take part in the development of a rigorous and invigorating educational environment.

Students are taught to take pride in their education. They understand the important role each of them carry in our community and learn valuable lessons that will extend throughout their lives. Students are active, responsible participants in their learning.  John Dewey, author of Experience and Education and educational philosopher acknowledged to be the pre-eminent educational theorist of the twentieth century, stresses the importance of the participation of the learner in the learning process, linking education with experience. 

Teachers are professional and nurturing resources dedicated to the education of the whole child. They collaborate with their colleagues and use their expertise to provide intellectually stimulating and relevant educational experiences tailored for each learner. All students learn the same core elements of the curriculum but celebrate their own unique differences and interests in demonstrating the knowledge they acquire through problem-based, authentic and relevant performances decided upon beween teacher and student. Richard Sagor, founder of the Institute for the study of Inquiry in Education and author of various books assisting schools and educators to improve local school initiatives, believes when teachers realize their work has made a difference in the lives of their students, they sense that their efforts are worthwhile. Our district promotes such efforts and instills in teachers and in students pride in their ability to positively impact learning.

The leaders of the school reach out effectively to members of the community and engage them in taking a shared responsibility for the success of their schools. Contributions and suggestions from parents and community members guide the curriculum and important decisions that create the strong academic structure of the schools. Community members welcome students to participate in off-campus learning opportunities throughout their high school years where they can use their education to productively participate in the community, learning the importance of caring for themselves and for others. Nel Noddings, a professor of Education at Stanford University and educational philosopher believes that a general education program organized around centers of care would encourage members of the community to participate in educating the child.

I welcome you to our schools. I look forward to sharing the vision of our district with you as we prepare our students of today to be the leaders of tomorrow.

Sources:

John Dewey, Education and Experience (1938)

Nel Noddings, The Challenge to Care in Schools: An Alternative Aproach to Education (1992)

Richard Sagor, Guiding School Improvement with Action Research. (2000)