MISSION & VISION AND CORE BELIEFS
Our mission is to develop our students’ social-emotional, academic, and leadership skills to become
successful global citizens through collaboration, project-based curriculum, and experiential learning
opportunities that will emphasize both Spanish and English language development. Our community is
committed to creating an environment that values students’ cultures, native languages, and individual
differences, while preparing them to successfully navigate, self-advocate, and adapt to a changing
world.
successful global citizens through collaboration, project-based curriculum, and experiential learning
opportunities that will emphasize both Spanish and English language development. Our community is
committed to creating an environment that values students’ cultures, native languages, and individual
differences, while preparing them to successfully navigate, self-advocate, and adapt to a changing
world.
English Language Learners (ELLs) need to understand, speak, read, and write English proficiently in order to realize their full potential within an English-speaking society.
- In an increasingly interdependent and globalized world, fluency in English, mastery in one’s first language, and knowledge of other foreign languages are vital resources for the students, the school, and society
- English and native language proficiency are most effectively developed within a content-based and collaborative instructional approach across the curriculum.
- Technological literacy and the use of technology in a collaborative and experiential learning
environment are essential for the PAIHS community in their learning and their language
development.
- Experiential learning, both inside and out of the classroom, (such as project-based activities,
internships, and community service) provides students with language-rich opportunities, in English and Spanish, connecting classroom learning with real-world experiences, and promoting personal growth and leadership skills.
- Students enter the school with different knowledge and skills, learn at different rates and in
different manners. Therefore, teachers must use a variety of approaches to make content and language accessible to students. Students must have multiple ways in which to demonstrate their learning, and assessment should encompass a variety of means including formative, authentic, performance-based (portfolios, exhibitions), and standardized (classroom tests, Regents).
- Successful learning communities emphasize high expectations and support students and their families in realizing these goals.
- As an integral part of the broader community, the school and its partners collaborate and share responsibility with teachers, students, and parents to achieve academic and social-emotional success.
- A successful school governance model emphasizes collaboration in which faculty participate in the school decision-making process, not only in the areas of instructional program design, curriculum development, and materials selection, but also in committee work, peer selection, support, and evaluation.
