CURRICULUM I N AC T I O N In Mulgrave’s personalised, inquiry-based environment, our faculty embrace the craft of teaching and learning, getting to know their students and what sparks their interests. As Spanish teacher Christopher Baumunk puts it, “sometimes the best learning happens when students don’t even know it’s what they are doing; they are simply absorbing through an engaging activity.” Here are a few examples of curriculum in action at Mulgrave:
EARLY YEARS: GETTING CREATIVE WITH LOOSE PARTS PLAY Loose parts play uses a wide selection of everyday objects and materials to create, build, invent, experiment, and play to develop imagination, creativity, physical health, fine and gross motor skills, cooperation, communication, teamwork, and concentration. “Examples are replacing a dollhouse with the materials to create structures, or using loose lego pieces instead of a building kit,” explains Sydney Hill, Early Years Vice Principal. “It’s also a great way to recycle materials and show students that learning and play don’t require shiny new things.”
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JUNIOR SCHOOL: USING THE MAKERSPACE TO ENHANCE CLASSROOM LEARNING Grade 1 curriculum includes the Unit of Inquiry ‘How we organise ourselves’ which examines the importance of signs and symbols. For the first time, thanks to our new PYP Creative Makerspace, the entire grade collaborated on a learning experience. “Students used the construct of a town, brainstorming key services and buildings, then creating them out of cardboard,” shares Suzanne Finlayson, Grade 1 teacher. “They were challenged to think about the layout of roadways and placement of universal symbols as well as signs, created in various languages thanks to the involvement of French and Mandarin teachers. To create and learn at this scale has been a highlight of the year.”
