School News and Views
![New Year, New You: Open-Mindedness]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1579035008/denver/xind3lrt3kmef5nkwcyl/open-mind-png-mind-clipart-ba96ccaefbc9c25f.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1579035008/denver/xind3lrt3kmef5nkwcyl/open-mind-png-mind-clipart-ba96ccaefbc9c25f.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1579035008/denver/xind3lrt3kmef5nkwcyl/open-mind-png-mind-clipart-ba96ccaefbc9c25f.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1579035008/denver/xind3lrt3kmef5nkwcyl/open-mind-png-mind-clipart-ba96ccaefbc9c25f.png","width":862}])
Here at ISDenver, we are using this month to open our minds to new ideas and new people. In order to even begin the process of opening one’s mind to change, we first have to acknowledge that it is okay to have some bias, it is okay to be apprehensive, and it is okay to not understand why you think the way you do.
![Bienvenidos a ISDenver: G3 and G4 Students Thrive in Welcome Class]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1574803578/denver/o5wopgzr6motlfpvhqtm/ScreenShot2019-11-26at22517PM.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1574803578/denver/o5wopgzr6motlfpvhqtm/ScreenShot2019-11-26at22517PM.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1574803578/denver/o5wopgzr6motlfpvhqtm/ScreenShot2019-11-26at22517PM.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1574803578/denver/o5wopgzr6motlfpvhqtm/ScreenShot2019-11-26at22517PM.png","width":1003}])
No hablas Español? No hay problema! The Welcome Class is a brand new offering at ISDenver--a small-group learning environment for novice Spanish-language learners entering 3rd to 5th grades. This is an mazing immersive language experience for new students with absolutely no prior Spanish language knowledge. Learn more!
![5th Graders Thrive Abroad]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1574113404/denver/eutvhsdyyaavlanywbqs/France.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1574113404/denver/eutvhsdyyaavlanywbqs/France.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1574113404/denver/eutvhsdyyaavlanywbqs/France.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1574113404/denver/eutvhsdyyaavlanywbqs/France.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1574113404/denver/eutvhsdyyaavlanywbqs/France.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_6/v1574113404/denver/eutvhsdyyaavlanywbqs/France.jpg","width":2200}])
On our 5th grade students recently returned from their travels to the countries of their target languages (France, Spain, and China), a highlight of their bilingual, bi-cultural studies. They spent two incredible weeks immersed in the cultures and classrooms abroad, taking part in service activities and culturally relevant projects, and touring the regions!
![Critical Thinking: What It Means and How to Foster it in Your Children]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1573586656/denver/jurvcihxpwetxqk35ftk/learnerprofile.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1573586656/denver/jurvcihxpwetxqk35ftk/learnerprofile.png","width":300}])
The qualities of being an IB Thinker go beyond the classroom. They are skills to use in your relationships with friends, in planning a summer vacation, or deciding how to complete weekend chores. These are the skills we challenge our learners with in all of their classes, by connecting critical thinking to having a growth mindset. So how do we foster critical thinking in our children?
![Outdoor Campus Spaces: To Learn and To Play!]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1573162169/denver/e2ocgkjquodtdgg8ej5e/IMG-0135.jpg","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1573162169/denver/e2ocgkjquodtdgg8ej5e/IMG-0135.jpg","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1573162169/denver/e2ocgkjquodtdgg8ej5e/IMG-0135.jpg","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_4/v1573162169/denver/e2ocgkjquodtdgg8ej5e/IMG-0135.jpg","width":1200},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_5/v1573162169/denver/e2ocgkjquodtdgg8ej5e/IMG-0135.jpg","width":1600},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_6/v1573162169/denver/e2ocgkjquodtdgg8ej5e/IMG-0135.jpg","width":2200}])
Beautiful outdoor weather is one of the pleasures of living in Colorado, so why not learn outdoors also? Our new Outdoor Learning Spaces bring the classroom into nature!
![The Productive Struggle]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1571944419/denver/nxx4bwjgkmiwxgyutpso/productivestruggle.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1571944419/denver/nxx4bwjgkmiwxgyutpso/productivestruggle.png","width":500}])
Healthy childhood development needs exposure to adversity -sometimes referred to as “Productive Struggle.” Students need to be exposed to challenges and then work through them. This builds independence, confidence, agency, and helps students to be less prone to crippling frustration.