Columbus Magnet School 46 Concord St, Norwalk, CT 06854 Phone: (203) 899-2840

Columbus Magnet School is committed to educational excellence where the learning experience combines traditional academics with an individualized approach to learning based on the child's physical, intellectual, social, and emotional needs.

This reflects the importance of building a community where the process of learning is as valuable as the product, where all members of the learning community, including students, staff, parents/guardians are accountable to achieve our goals. We accomplish this through a curriculum where all disciplines are valued equally by the Bank Street and H.O.T (Higher Order Thinking) approaches to learning.

We believe that these goals can only be achieved through the emphasis of an equitable environment for learning that incorporates the democratic process. Through community building each child is given a voice and children learn to respect and value different cultures and perspectives that relate to their world.

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GOAL 1: To promote a spirit of self-worth and respect for others within a diverse environment.

Objectives: The school community will:

1. Honor differences by affording students the opportunity to make responsible choices while respecting peers, staff and community.
2. Enhance the Columbus Magnet School curriculum by addressing the diverse needs and learning styles of the students. 
3. Recognize and showcase the special abilities and talents of the entire school community in an arts-energized environment.

GOAL 2: To foster a love for learning and a sense of self worth through an environment that encourages cooperation and trust.

Objectives: The school community will:

1. Plan curriculum based on the needs and interests of the children in an effort to actively engage them in the process of exploration and inquiry.
2. Create an atmosphere with minimal competition that encourages students to work cooperatively toward a common objective or goal.
3. Promote the use of democratic practice, facilitating the opportunity for each child's voice to be heard, appreciated, and valued.
4. Integrate the arts and the multiple intelligences into the curriculum to meet the various learning styles.
5. Encourage students to explore and share their individual strengths in a safe and open environment.

GOAL 3: To develop an integrated curriculum that ties together all subject areas.

Objectives: The school community will:
a) Plan units of study that are connected to the social studies core, and integrate the arts into the learning.
b) Ensure continuity of curriculum from grade to grade building on prior knowledge.
c) Foster methods of differentiated instruction that encourage learning through the arts.
d) Draw on the resources of the school system as well as the parents and the community.

GOAL 4: To develop a program that provides for individual differences in learning style, rate of learning, and developmental level, while taking into account the multiple intelligences.

Objectives: The school community will:
a) Provide students opportunities to take ownership in the decision-making process by creating learning units based on student interests, individual strengths, and weaknesses.
b) Include the student in the learning process by providing activities from a wide range of artistic resources and by using a variety of assessments to encourage individual learning styles.
c) Create opportunities for students to express themselves artistically within the academic curriculum.

GOAL 5: To develop open communication, mutual respect, and support among families, staff and administration in an effort to facilitate a productive working relationship for the entire school community.

Objectives: The school community will:
a) Utilize the strengths and talents of staff, family members and administrators to plan programs of interest and concern, and strengthen arts integration.
b) Ensure that students, staff, parents, and administrators have a voice in developing the prosperity and the welfare of the school through the pursuit of democratic practice.
c) Create and promote school-wide activities that foster family, staff and administrator interest and participation.

GOAL 6: To improve communications with the City of Norwalk, especially South Norwalk district. As a school community, we need to continually reach out and educate the community about the mission and philosophy of Columbus Magnet School.

Objectives: The school community will:
a) Extend democratic practice throughout the larger Columbus community.
b) Establish an ongoing awareness of Columbus Magnet School and its mission among community groups, such as the Norwalk Board of Realtors, community agencies and organizations, preschools, and the Norwalk Board of Education.
c) Improve timeliness of media coverage.
d) Encourage local community members to volunteer their talents and participate in school projects.
e) Maintain a parent coordinator to facilitate communication between the school and the community.

GOAL 7: To actively encourage parental involvement to support the school philosophies and practices.

Objectives: The school community will:
a) Clearly communicate the importance of parental involvement as an integral piece of our program.
b) Include a parent coordinator as a parent/school liaison. A family room will be provided to support and facilitate parent participation.
c) Educate parents on Bank Street philosophy and H.O.T. School initiatives including democratic practice, arts integration, and multiple intelligence theory.
d) Create a welcoming atmosphere that encourages parental participation by providing varied opportunities for involvement through classroom, school-wide, and parent activities.