The Promontory School of Expeditionary Learning located in Perry is celebrating a new calendar year after officially opening its doors in September of 2012. On January 24, 2013, trustees, a teacher, and three students were present at a Board Meeting. The meeting, beginning with a thought and a prayer, discussed the Design Principles that have been adopted at the school.
The Design Principles that were adopted at the meeting include:
1. The primacy of self-discovery which teaches students to discover their abilities, values, passions, and responsibilities with tasks that promote fitness, craftsmanship, imagination, self-discipline and significant achievement.
2. The having of wonderful ideas fosters curiosity and creates learning situations that develop thinking, time to experiment and time to make sense of what is observed.
3. The Responsibility for Learning allows students the process of personal discovery and social activity with group activities. Students take charge of directing their learning.
4. Empathy and Caring are bywords to promote respect and mutual trust. Older students mentor younger ones.
5. Success and Failure -- students learn that success builds confidence and failures are turned into opportunities to persevere through hard times.
6. Collaboration and competition is encouraged for individual and group development integration. Students compete with themselves and not against another.
7. Diversity and inclusion invite creative ideas, problem solving and respect. Students learn about their own histories and talents and that of each other.
8. The Natural World -- students learn respect of the world they live in and preparing for future generations.
9. Solitude and Reflection -- Students are encouraged to spend time alone to explore their own thoughts, connections and ideas and to share those reflections with others.
10. Service and compassion -- students are encouraged to serve others and learn from and be of service.
