Blue Sky School

When our family first visited Blue Sky School in November of 2017, we were just looking for something  different, not life-changing. Quite unexpectedly, we got both. Our 11-year-old son was struggling in the public system, unable to focus and falling far behind. Jay’s  teachers did everything they could within the parameters of the system, but a typical classroom setting  simply wasn’t meeting his needs. The kid who used to beg me to go school, even when sick, had grown to dread and avoid it. Once the  happiest and funniest of our children, he grew sad, angry and withdrawn. Once a kid favoured by his  teachers, he was getting in trouble nearly every day. Once a social and well-liked child, he was regularly  bullied. His peers laughed at him for not understanding the work and resented him for disrupting the  class. “I used to hate math; I wouldn’t even talk about it. I was so embarrassed because I couldn’t do it. Blue  Sky made me find my lov...

We are excited to share this article written by  Helen Daniels , published in Queen's University's Faculty of Education magazine, Knowledge Forum. The theme of "Education and the Public Good" means so much to us. We are on a mission to improve education for all. Our experimental prototype is a space to test progressive ideas in learning, as a model for a new system. Article is on page 6 of Knowledge Forum, fall 2018 . Blue Sky School: This Learning centre is on a Learning Journey by Helen Daniels It is a typical morning this spring day at Blue Sky School: students trickle in, greet each other amicably, and quietly gather around a large table in the middle of the open classroom. Each grabs a Chromebook to complete the daily “how do you feel” survey and then they begin planning their day and digging into independent projects. A coach is available to support them as they work. One student is practicing her keyboarding, one  dancing in the Health Lab...