About the Orion Elementary School Philosophy

Orion Elementary School helps to develop an educational citizenry for the 21st century which will be characterized by personal habits and attitudes such as:

•accepting responsibility for personal decisions and actions;
•accepting responsibility for our local and global communities;
•academic honesty and the ability ot face challenges with courage and integrity;
•a healthy lifestyle;
•empathy and courtesy for others and respect for difference among people and cultures;
•self-confidence and a willingness to risk mistakes in order to learn; •concentration and perseverance;
•seeking a fair share of the work load and managing time in a responsible manner;
•working cooperatively with others, which includes the ability to listen, share opinions, negotiate, compromise, and help a group reach consensus.

To develop these habits and attitudes requires a climate that is conducive for learning, Orion believes that learning occurs when:

•learners construct meaning;
•learners are actively engaged in purposeful tasks;
•activities are integrated and meaningful;
•learners are expected and encouraged to learn;
•learners are offered multiple modalities to provide for multiple intelligences and learning styles;
•learners internalize belief that what they learn and do in school makes a positive change in the community;
•learners are supported with coaches, mentors, and advocates;
•all learners have advanced learning opportunities;
•all essential learnings are described with outcomes and standards, and are assessed through formative and summative performance activities.