Drumming Up a Growth Mindset at St. George-German Public School
Having a growth mindset means believing in yourself and your ability to achieve. This has been the focus at St. George-German Public School in 2017-18, and recently, junior and intermediate students had a chance to explore what this means by unleashing their creativity during an African drumming workshop.
The hands-on workshop, led by Jim Arnold, founder of Folklore Music and Arts, invited participation from students, and applied growth-mindset concepts by providing an opportunity to explore and try something new within the structure of Arnold’s instruction.
By taking part in this workshop, students were given a chance to be creative and to experiment with something new,” said Tim Anderson, Grade 7/8 teacher at St. George-German Public School. “They realize that they don’t have to be perfect, and that mistakes can be a fun part of the process.”
A growth mindset applies across the curriculum, playing an important role in achievement and motivation. Grand Erie’s Multi-Year Plan includes Achievement as a key pillar, and focuses on increasing students understanding of effective learning strategies, and how to apply them to solve problems. This workshop provided a powerful way to engage through music, and to view trying something new as an opportunity rather than a challenge.
“Learning how to drum showed us what it’s like when you try to learn anything new,” said Hannah, a student in Grade 7. “You keep trying, and if you make a mistake, you just keep going.”
A number of arts-focused events have taken place this year, or are in the works, at St. George-German Public School, including the upcoming Family Arts and Wellness Night on March 22. The evening will feature visual art, music, workshops, and a focus on wellness including a presentation from the school’s public health nurse, Olivia Hubert.
EQAO data
2015 School Council Meetings are scheduled for the following dates:
Jan. 6th 2015
Feb. 3rd, 2015
Mar. 5th, 2015
Apr. 7th, 2015
May 5th, 2015
Jun. 2nd, 2015
All are welcome to attend!
Strong Start at St. George-German
If any parents, guardians or interested community members would like to volunteer in our excellent Strong Start Program to support early student literacy, please contact the school and you can receive further information from our Co-ordinator, Wendy Rose. Thank you! For more information follow this link,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF8O7VqalT8
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