Indianapolis Report Year 2 & 3

Transcription

1 Indianapolis Report Year 2 & 3 Following the Hosting of the Exhibit The Wonder of Learning, The Hundred Languages of Children Indianapolis, Indiana - January June 2012 Prepared by members of the Indianapolis Reggio Collaborative Submitted June 15, 2012

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3 Reggio Children and the NAREA Exhibit Committee collaborated to develop a list of reflective questions for hosts of the Wonder of Learning Exhibit. The Final Report for Indianapolis is organized around those reflective questions. Throughout the report you may see references to additional documents that you will find in the appendix. Reflections Table of Contents Dialogues about Quality in Indianapolis Collaborative Participation in Indianapolis Values, Goals and Perspectives in Indianapolis Visibility of Learning in Indianapolis Documentation of Classroom Experiences and connection to curriculum standards and outcomes Documenting the Role of Classroom Environments in Indianapolis Sharing Our Work with Others Advocacy for the Rights of Children in Indianapolis Appendix

4 Reflections

5 It seems so long ago that the Wonder of Learning exhibit was in Indianapolis. Since that time, we have sent a team to Santa Monica to assist our colleagues with the assembly of the exhibit. We also sent a team to Chicago to assist our Chicago friends who were kind enough to visit us during tear down in Indianapolis. The friendships and professional relationships developed along the way have been an unexpected, but pleasant outcome of hosting the exhibit. In March of 2010, Ron Smith and Dr. Ena Shelley attended a study tour in Reggio along with their friend and colleague Dr. Louise Cadwell. It was an incredible trip and wonderful learning experience. Ron commented after the trip that he knew he would be impressed with what he observed in the preschools and infant toddler centers, but nine years of intensive study could not prepare him for what he saw in Reggio. He said, I could not have imagined the level of quality I saw at Belvedere School before seeing it firsthand for myself. The Wonder of Learning, the many books published by Reggio Children and the opportunities to attend conference presentations each hold value for those of us in North America who seek to better understand the work happening in Reggio, but visiting Reggio

6 Dialogues about Quality in Indianapolis The Lab School K-1 Staff with Dr. Louise Cadwell during a visit to Reggio inspired schools in St. Louis.

7 How did The Wonder of Learning The Hundred Languages of Children exhibit and the NAREA Professional Development Series provoke dialogues around quality in early childhood education in your community? : The Dialogue continues and has resulted in meaningful and important legislation. In addition, the interest in the Reggio philosophy continues and there is great demand for professional development. 2010: Senator Randy Head proposed an interim study of the Reggio approach and the potential impact and implementation in programs in Indiana. Members of the Indianapolis Reggio Collaborative and an executive from PNC Bank were asked to testify to the Indiana State Senate Education Committee on the value of the state investing in high quality early childhood education : The summer professional development program at Butler University, TEACH Butler, included a wide range of educators from the Indianapolis area who were able to interact in learning experiences with educators from St. Mary s Child Center and the Warren Township Early Childhood Center. 2010: Dr. Eugene White, Superintendent of Indianapolis Public Schools toured St. Mary s Child Center. Moved by his visit, he stood in the rain outside the center with Dr. Ena Shelley before leaving and asked her if she could help him create a public elementary school inspired by Reggio Emilia. Dialogue between Dr. Shelley, Dr. Bobby Fong, then President of Butler University and Dr. White. This dialogue led to a memo of understanding that outlined the creation of a Butler Laboratory School serving Indianapolis Public School Children. 2011: In August of 2011, the IPS/Butler University Laboratory School opened. Ron Smith was hired to be the principal of the school and the entire teaching staff, as outlined by the memo of understanding, are Butler University College of Education graduates. The school is a Reggio inspired, project-based learning community currently serving grades K-1 and Preschool through a collaboration with St. Mary s Child Center. The school will add one grade level each year and will ultimately serve Pre-K - 8th grade children. The school brochure is located in the Appendix of this document and has also been sent as a separate PDF which is easier to read. You may also want to visit the School Blog located at:

8 Collaborative Participation in Indianapolis Lab School student Isabella works with Butler University students and parents to create a new raised garden bed on the North end of our School grounds.

9 How did the exhibit and the professional development series strengthen the collaborative participation of educators, families, administrators, community members and/or government leaders in the dialogue about early childhood education in your community? 2010: In sharing the exhibit with members from PNC bank, a strong relationship was established because of their focus on investing in early childhood education. PNC Bank now hosts and facilitates quarterly meetings of a large group of stakeholders in early childhood education. 2011: PNC gave a generous gift to sponsor St. Mary s preschool in the new IPS/Butler Lab School that opened on August 8, This gift, given to the Butler University College of Education, totalled $100, gifted over the course of three years in amounts of $40,000.00, $30, and $30, respectively. 2011: Prompted in part by the gift from PNC Bank, a private donor also gifted $150, spread over three years to the Butler University College of Education for the support of preschool at the IPS/Butler University Laboratory School. These two gifts have brought together a private non-profit preschool, the largest school district in Indiana, The Butler University College of Education, a major bank and a private donor for the good of children, and to create opportunities for children to attend a Reggio inspired preschool located within a public elementary school. The opportunity to create a Laboratory School in collaboration with St. Mary s has offered us an incredible opportunity to work even more closely with colleagues within the Indianapolis Reggio Collaborative. We are learning from one another in even more ways than we did before this year. 2011: As the Laboratory School for Butler University, the Lab School serves as a rich training ground for future educators. There are many ways in which the Butler University collaborates with the Lab School. The most prominent example would be the Block A Course. Block A is a 15 credit hour methods block course addressing early childhood literacy, early childhood math, project-based learning and Reggio inspired practice. The course takes place in the Lab School where students spend Monday s and Wednesdays for an entire semester embedded in our school. Mondays are spent on coursework in a classroom provided to Butler and Wednesdays are spent in field experiences working with the Lab School students. All elementary education majors must take Block A prior to student teaching. In addition to Block A, the Lab School has a large presence of student teachers from Butler. in Spring of 2012, the school hosted three student teachers. Next year the school is scheduled to host six student teachers. Other Butler College of Education classes experience shorter field experiences at the Lab School. For example, several of the pre-service physical eduction majors now spend a semester at the Lab School learning how to integrate physical education with project work. The physical education majors are even learning how to create pedagogical documentation to make learning visible.

10 Values, Goals and Perspectives in Indianapolis Below, Dylan (St. Mary s preschool student) and two friends create observational drawings of a ship at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Left, Dylan s observational drawing of the ship.

11 What opportunities for teachers, parents, administrators, community members and/or government leaders to meet and discuss the values and goals of education and childhood were generated as a result of the presence of the exhibit and the professional development series initiatives in your community? How did these opportunities contribute to a better understanding of the various perspectives that exist within your community on this subject? 2010: The results of the Senate testimony noted in question #1, got the attention of the Indiana Higher Learning Commission and the Indiana Education Roundtable policy group. The facilitator of the Education Roundtable contacted Dr. Ena Shelley to discuss the creation of a policy paper on early childhood education. 2011: The policy paper for the Education Roundtable has been completed and will be shared within a few months. 2012: in the Spring of 2012, Dr. Tony Bennett, State Superintendent of Instruction, visited the IPS/Butler University Laboratory School. Although his and the Governor s agenda for education has largely been inconsistent with our values and beliefs about children and learning, we saw this as an opportunity for an important dialogue. He toured the school to learn about our collaboration with St. Mary s and our approach to learning. Several Lab School parents were invited to join us for the visit that included two of his staff members, Dr. Shelley, Ron Smith, Marissa Argus (Lab School Teacher) and Diane Pike (St. Mary s). Dr. Bennett seemed genuinely interested in the perspective of the parents. He wanted to know what drew them to choose the Lab School for their child s education. The parents spoke beautifully about the values and beliefs they each had in common with the school regarding what education should be for their child. They commented that their children were learning, but they were expressing that learning in so many ways and with so many languages. They discussed how closely they had bonded with the staff and how connected they felt to the school. And they commented on the transparency of the school and how they could see how learning was happening for their child. We were pleased that the parents not only spoke with passion about the school experiences of their children, but they also clearly understood the values of the school and they were able to articulate those values so effectively. Since Dr. Bennett s visit, he has reached out to representatives from PNC Bank to learn more about their collaboration with the Lab School, Butler and St. Mary s. He seems curious about how these kinds of partnerships can create opportunities for children.

12 Visibility of Learning in Indianapolis St. Mary s preschool student Abel measures wood for a project.

13 How did the exhibit and professional development series impact the visibility of the learning and relationships of children, teachers and parents within your early childhood education community? : : The summer professional development program at Butler University, TEACH Butler, included a wide range of educators from the Indianapolis area who were able to interact in learning experiences with educators from St. Mary s Child Center and the Warren Township Early Childhood Center. 2011: Dr. Louise Cadwell, Ron Smith, and Ena Shelley were invited to do a lengthy conference session at the state Indiana Association for the Education of Young Children state conference. There was standing room only and the audience members were early childhood educators and parents : Members of the Indianapolis Reggio Collaborative continue to receive frequent requests for professional development and tours of the schools. Interest from Indiana legislators continues as well. There has been a noticeable increase in Bills related to early childhood education in response to an increase in advocacy efforts. Although we cannot directly relate all legislation to the presence of the Wonder of Learning in Indianapolis in 2009, the presence of the exhibit certainly played an important role. The most recent legislative victory came when the Governor recently signed a Bill to provide the funding to make full-day kindergarten available to all Indiana children : The IPS/Butler University Laboratory School has received a lot of attention this year from the media. In the Fall the school was featured on the 6:00 news for a What s Cool in School feature. The Lab School and its collaboration with St. Mary s, Butler and PNC Bank has been featured in three newspaper articles in the Indianapolis Star. The new President of Butler University, Dr. Jim Danko, had directed the Butler University PR department to make the collaboration with Shortridge Junior/Senior High School and the IPS/Butler University Laboratory School the number one priority for the department. President Danko and his wife recently visited the Lab School to learn more about the school and Butler s role in the work happening in the school. Earlier this year, President Danko s wife asked our students to make wire sculpture napkin rings to be used at the President s inaugural luncheon. She was really pleased with the napkin rings which are now used in the President s home when they host Butler related dinner parties. Recently Dan Rather was at President Danko s home for such a dinner party and he enjoyed hearing about the Lab School and how Butler University plays a role in the the education of young children in our city.

14 Documentation of Classroom Experiences and Connection to Curriculum Standards and Outcomes

15 How have the early childhood educators in your community learned to extend the documentation of classroom experiences of learning and relationships to include connections with the values and goals of parents and administrators, as a result of the professional development opportunities created by exhibit and professional development series? In which way did the educators connect children s experiences to government/ district mandated curriculum standards and outcomes? : St. Mary s Outreach Program continues to offer professional development opportunities for local early childhood entities. Head Start and Day Nursery (the two largest early childhood service providers in the State of Indiana) have continued participate in those opportunities : The Butler University College of Education students spent a great deal of time at the Lab School learning together with the children and teachers of the school. The Block A class mentioned earlier in this document is perhaps the most prominent of these experiences.

16 Documenting the Role of Classroom Environments in Indianapolis

17 How did the exhibit and the professional development series encourage educators to document the role of the environment in their classrooms? What did educators and parents learn about the role of the environment within the school community through the documentation of the learning and relationships that typically develop within that context? Tours continue at our schools. Requests have come from all over the state for professional development activities. Many of the schools that we have worked with demonstrate great changes in their environments, particularly Little Dove Day Center in Indianapolis and the Columbus Indiana public early childhood program. The interest in the Reggio Philosophy continues : The Children s Museum of Indianapolis opened a preschool within the museum in August of it originally opened as a Montessori/Reggio inspired program for young children. We had some early concerns that the school might have selected the names Montessori and Reggio because those approaches are becoming increasingly popular within the more affluent customer base the program hoped to attract. We are pleased to say that last summer the Museum hired a new director who had worked in one of the Lawrence Early Learning Centers. The Museum also hired two new lead teachers, one of whom graduated from Butler University last May with a degree in elementary education. Since that time the environments of the Museum Preschool have become stronger and they seem to be moving toward a Reggio inspired philosophy without trying to continue to be both Reggio inspired and Montessori. 2011: The Children s Museum came to the conclusion that the much loved Playscape area of the museum needed to be rebuilt and remodelled. PNC Bank helped finance the changes and Lynne McGuire from St. Mary s was included on the planning team. Our understanding is that the new Playscape will be a far more appropriate learning environment for infants and toddlers with some influences coming from Reggio inspired practice. The visibility of the Museum as one of America s top museum s for young children and their desire to move in a Reggio inspired direction is positive and is another learning environment that impacts our entire city of young children.

18 Sharing Our Work with Others

19 Were the educators in your community able to organize an exhibit of documentation of the learning and relationships of children, teachers and parents to be shared with community members in a public context during your hosting period? If so, where was the exhibit and how did your community respond? If not, what plans do you have for such an annual exhibit? : Since the Wonder of Learning moved on to other cities, interest in site visitations to our schools has continued. The schools of the Indianapolis Reggio Collaborative have functioned as a living exhibit of our work and countless visitations to the schools occur each year : The Warren Early Childhood Center now hosts an annual event that includes documentation and examples of student work. The event is hosted each May and it includes an auction that provides funding for the School s Tuition Support Program. 2011: The Indianapolis Reggio Collaborative in association with the Indiana Association for the Education of Young Children (IAEYC) sponsored an Art Exhibit at the Indianapolis Arts Garden during the IAEYC State Conference. Contributions to the exhibit came from all over the State. 2012: The Art Exhibit was again hosted by IAEYC, this time with co-sponsors from across the State.

20 Advocacy for the Rights of Children in Indianapolis

21 How did the presence of the exhibit and professional development series contribute to educators, parents and community members abilities to advocate for the rights of children in the community? In what ways did their abilities develop? Did educators and parents develop a better understanding of current policies regarding early childhood education and issues being addressed by school and government officials, the disposition to communicate with school and government officials through and phone and/or attendance at meetings and rallies? 2010: Jeff Kucer (PNC Bank) and Ena Shelley co-authored an Op Ed piece that appeared in Inside Indiana Business, the Journal of the IBJ. 2011: Ena Shelley was interviewed by Matt Tully regarding the early childhood platform of the candidates for mayor of Indianapolis. She was also interviewed and quoted in two articles by another Indianapolis Star reporter, Scott Elliott on the need for funding for early childhood education in Indiana. 2011: Once again, legislation presented this session 2012 for high quality early childhood education has surpassed other sessions. The Governor of Indiana will sign a bill that will form an Early Childhood Advisory Council. Two large groups that were involved with the exhibit: IAEYC and United Way of Central Indiana have taken on advocacy for high quality early childhood education as part of their strategic plans. They have developed procedures that foster the participation of families and educators in support of bills for early childhood. In addition, members of the planning committee for the exhibit and the Indianapolis Reggio Collaborative are included in the advocacy activities of both entities. Connie Sherman participated in the United Way of Indiana lobbying day at the State House in February 2012, serves on the United Way of Central Indiana Advocacy Council and is on the Board of the Indiana Association for the Education of Young Children, participating in their advocacy efforts. 2012: Jason Kloth is the new Indianapolis Deputy Mayor for Education. Jason visited the IPS/Butler University Laboratory School to learn more about the partnership with Butler, IPS, St. Mary s and PNC Bank that led to having a high quality preschool located inside a public school. Jason expressed his desire to help the city find a way to provide a quality education for all of Indianapolis children. He thinks our model could be a piece of this complicated puzzle.

22 Appendix

23 Lab School Brochure The Hundred Languages of Children Indianapolis Public Schools by Loris Malaguzzi No way. The hundred is there. The child is made of one hundred. The child has a hundred languages a hundred hands a hundred thoughts a hundred ways of thinking of playing, of speaking. A hundred, always a hundred ways of listening of marveling, of loving a hundred joys for singing and understanding a hundred worlds to discover a hundred worlds to invent a hundred worlds to dream. The child has a hundred languages (and a hundred hundred hundred more) but they steal ninety-nine. The school and the culture separate the head from the body. They tell the child to think without hands to do without head to listen and not to speak to understand without joy to love and to marvel only at Easter and Christmas. They tell the child to discover the world already there and of the hundred they steal ninety-nine. They tell the child that work and play reality and fantasy science and imagination sky and earth reason and dream are things that do not belong together. And thus they tell the child that the hundred is not there. The child says No way The hundred is there. Loris Malaguzzi IPS/Butler University Laboratory School 3330 N Pennsylvania Avenue Indianapolis, IN (317) A Reggio Inspired, Project-Based Learning Environment I made my leaf with all colors of wire because the leaves on the tree are all colors right now. Talajah Excellence. Scholarship. Respect. Courage. Magnet & Options Program IPS/Butler University Laboratory School School Features Children are naturally curious about the world, and they have many ways to express what they know. They have questions of their own that should be taken seriously by the adults who surround them. At the IPS/Butler University Laboratory School, students gain math, science, language and social studies skills through learning projects on topics of interest as they discover the answers to their own questions. A special emphasis is placed on problem solving and on the arts and sciences as forms of communicating, expressing ideas and demonstrating learning. With the support of a creative staff and the Butler University College of Education, students will be prepared for a successful middle school and high school career and for successful lifelong learning beyond high school. Multi-age Classrooms Grade level structure will include K-2 and 3-5 classrooms by the year Educational research has shown that strong relationships among teachers and students are essential to high levels of achievement; therefore students beginning in Kindergarten will remain with the same teacher for three years before moving to another classroom. School highlights include: Butler University Laboratory School Multiage classrooms Inquiry approach to learning Emphasis on the arts and science for communicating learning A belief that ALL students are capable, creative and curious Inquiry Approach to Learning The Butler University College of Education The College of Education believes we must prepare our students for schools as they should be, not simply perpetuating schools as they currently exist. Upon graduation, College of Education students dare to imagine and create schools that reach high standards and promote excellence in education. These schools focus not only on student achievement, but also on the development of thoughtful citizens in a democratic society. At the IPS/Butler University Laboratory School, with the support of the faculty of Butler University and the Butler trained teaching staff, we will create a learning environment where students learn with what bestselling author Daniel Pink refers to as, three essential elements: (1) Autonomy the desire to direct our own lives; (2) Mastery the urge to get better and better at something that matters; and (3) Purpose the yearning to do what we do in the service of something larger than ourselves. The Project Approach is our primary approach to developing curricula. Projects are in-depth investigations of topics of keen interest to children and provide rich and meaningful contextual curricula for teachers to teach. Small group and whole class projects not only engage the students, but also offer rich opportunities for teachers to help students master essential skills. Emphasis on Arts and Science Student learning becomes more complex, more rigorous and more memorable when disciplines of knowledge are woven together into a rich tapestry of experiences. Learning opportunities in different subject matter are not divided and separated from one another at the IPS/Butler University Laboratory School. Art and science are ways for children to interpret the world around them. Children use science to investigate their environment and use art as a language to represent their theories and understandings. A Reggio Inspired School There is a small city in North Central Italy called Reggio Emilia. This beautiful city has become famous over the last 50 years for developing the finest schools for young children in the entire world. In Reggio, democracy is not something that is simply talked about, but democracy is actually lived by the children, the parents and the teachers within the schools. Children as young as three, and their parents, truly have a voice in what is learned and how learning takes place. Reggio Emilia and its schools are the inspiration for the IPS/Butler University Laboratory School. Butler University has a rich history of Reggio Inspired practice. The Butler College of Education, in collaboration with the Warren Early Childhood Center, St. Mary s Child Center and the Lawrence Early Learning Centers, created the Indianapolis Reggio Collaborative in The Indianapolis Reggio Collaborative has gained national and international recognition for excellence and the IPS/Butler University Laboratory School, the newest member of the Indianapolis Reggio Collaborative, is staffed with teachers who are members of the collaborative and/or Butler University College of Education graduates. A Collaborative School The Butler University College of Education and Indianapolis Public Schools have long dreamed of creating a Reggio Inspired Project-Based Learning School. Our school is a place where children s own interests and questions are taken seriously because curriculum can begin with the children s curiosity, and all of the skills, concepts and knowledge that children need to succeed in the world will arise naturally from the rigor of their work and from the guidance and support of the teachers and parents around them. Our school is also a place where parents and community members will be invited to engage with students and staff in meaningful ways that contribute to our collaborative learning experiences. Please consider joining our learning community by enrolling your child in the IPS/Butler University Laboratory School where learning is engaging, purposeful and full of joy.

24 The Hundred Languages of Children by Loris Malaguzzi Indianapolis Public Schools No way. The hundred is there. The child is made of one hundred. The child has a hundred languages a hundred hands a hundred thoughts a hundred ways of thinking of playing, of speaking. A hundred, always a hundred ways of listening of marveling, of loving a hundred joys for singing and understanding a hundred worlds to discover a hundred worlds to invent a hundred worlds to dream. The child has a hundred languages (and a hundred hundred hundred more) but they steal ninety-nine. The school and the culture separate the head from the body. They tell the child to think without hands to do without head to listen and not to speak to understand without joy to love and to marvel only at Easter and Christmas. They tell the child to discover the world already there and of the hundred they steal ninety-nine. They tell the child that work and play reality and fantasy science and imagination sky and earth reason and dream are things that do not belong together. And thus they tell the child that the hundred is not there. The child says No way The hundred is there. Loris Malaguzzi Excellence. Scholarship. Respect. Courage. IPS/Butler University Laboratory School 3330 N Pennsylvania Avenue Indianapolis, IN (317) Magnet & Options Program A Reggio Inspired, Project-Based Learning Environment I made my leaf with all colors of wire because the leaves on the tree are all colors right now. Talajah

25 IPS/Butler University Laboratory School Children are naturally curious about the world, and they have many ways to express what they know. They have questions of their own that should be taken seriously by the adults who surround them. At the IPS/Butler University Laboratory School, students gain math, science, language and social studies skills through learning projects on topics of interest as they discover the answers to their own questions. A special emphasis is placed on problem solving and on the arts and sciences as forms of communicating, expressing ideas and demonstrating learning. With the support of a creative staff and the Butler University College of Education, students will be prepared for a successful middle school and high school career and for successful lifelong learning beyond high school. School highlights include: Butler University Laboratory School Multiage classrooms Inquiry approach to learning Emphasis on the arts and science for communicating learning A belief that ALL students are capable, creative and curious The Butler University College of Education The College of Education believes we must prepare our students for schools as they should be, not simply perpetuating schools as they currently exist. Upon graduation, College of Education students dare to imagine and create schools that reach high standards and promote excellence in education. These schools focus not only on student achievement, but also on the development of thoughtful citizens in a democratic society. At the IPS/Butler University Laboratory School, with the support of the faculty of Butler University and the Butler trained teaching staff, we will create a learning environment where students learn with what bestselling author Daniel Pink refers to as, three essential elements: (1) Autonomy the desire to direct our own lives; (2) Mastery the urge to get better and better at something that matters; and (3) Purpose the yearning to do what we do in the service of something larger than ourselves. A Reggio Inspired School There is a small city in North Central Italy called Reggio Emilia. This beautiful city has become famous over the last 50 years for developing the finest schools for young children in the entire world. In Reggio, democracy is not something that is simply talked about, but democracy is actually lived by the children, the parents and the teachers within the schools. Children as young as three, and their parents, truly have a voice in what is learned and how learning takes place. Reggio Emilia and its schools are the inspiration for the IPS/Butler University Laboratory School. Butler University has a rich history of Reggio Inspired practice. The Butler College of Education, in collaboration with the Warren Early Childhood Center, St. Mary s Child Center and the Lawrence Early Learning Centers, created the Indianapolis Reggio Collaborative in The Indianapolis Reggio Collaborative has gained national and international recognition for excellence and the IPS/Butler University Laboratory School, the newest member of the Indianapolis Reggio Collaborative, is staffed with teachers who are members of the collaborative and/or Butler University College of Education graduates. School Features Multi-age Classrooms A Collaborative School Grade level structure will include K-2 and 3-5 classrooms by the year Educational research has shown that strong relationships among teachers and students are essential to high levels of achievement; therefore students beginning in Kindergarten will remain with the same teacher for three years before moving to another classroom. Inquiry Approach to Learning The Project Approach is our primary approach to developing curricula. Projects are in-depth investigations of topics of keen interest to children and provide rich and meaningful contextual curricula for teachers to teach. Small group and whole class projects not only engage the students, but also offer rich opportunities for teachers to help students master essential skills. Emphasis on Arts and Science Student learning becomes more complex, more rigorous and more memorable when disciplines of knowledge are woven together into a rich tapestry of experiences. Learning opportunities in different subject matter are not divided and separated from one another at the IPS/Butler University Laboratory School. Art and science are ways for children to interpret the world around them. Children use science to investigate their environment and use art as a language to represent their theories and understandings. The Butler University College of Education and Indianapolis Public Schools have long dreamed of creating a Reggio Inspired Project-Based Learning School. Our school is a place where children s own interests and questions are taken seriously because curriculum can begin with the children s curiosity, and all of the skills, concepts and knowledge that children need to succeed in the world will arise naturally from the rigor of their work and from the guidance and support of the teachers and parents around them. Our school is also a place where parents and community members will be invited to engage with students and staff in meaningful ways that contribute to our collaborative learning experiences. Please consider joining our learning community by enrolling your child in the IPS/Butler University Laboratory School where learning is engaging, purposeful and full of joy.