Be curious.
It is the second of our four core values but the one, I sense, least discussed. Take Risks resonates strongly amidst the entrepreneurial spirit of Silicon Valley, and Be Kind is at the tip of many a parent’s and teacher’s tongue. As for Be Your Best, I always offer it as my parting shot at Flag, and it is easy to invoke when talking to children who are doing something especially well or, perhaps, acting in a way that doesn’t reflect their best selves.
Curiosity, however, sometimes seems to fall through the cracks. Its importance, however, should not be underestimated. After all, isn’t the root of problem solving, critical thinking, and creativity – indeed, all learning – curiosity?
The recent results of the Science Audit reaffirm the many strengths of our science program, while also providing some clear suggestions about how we can make our program even better. In the process, it also reminded me of the central role of curiosity in our program.
The Science Audit Committee, chaired by 7/8 science teacher Brian Ravizza and Director of Summer, After-School & CTE Programs Elizabeth Deitz, conducted a thorough review of our science program. The committee compared our approach and curriculum to programs in other top Bay Area schools (visiting Harker, Castilleja, Marin Country Day School and others), reviewed surveys from parents and alumni, consulted the National Science Standards, reached out to parent focus groups, and spent significant time reflecting as a group on how they could take a good program and make it even better.
One outcome of the process was the clear delineation of the skills and understanding we expect from a Hillbrook graduate: an understanding of the core concepts of science, the ability to apply the scientific method and write a formal lab report, an understanding of design thinking and its application, and a healthy degree of skepticism.
Survey responses from graduates of the Class of 2011 offers encouraging news about how well we are currently meeting these goals, with 100 percent of respondents saying that they strongly agree/agree that Hillbrook prepared them in understanding scientific concepts, and 95 percent of respondents saying that they strongly agree/agree that Hillbrook prepared them in designing and conducting independent experiments, understanding and using the scientific method, and producing a written lab report.
During the audit, other strengths of the program also became apparent. Hillbrook is one of the few schools in the Bay Area with a dedicated science lab and science specialists from the earliest grades, a robust garden program, and a burgeoning program in design thinking. Perhaps the greatest strength is how the school nurtures a genuine sense of inquiry, encouraging our children to be curious, ask good questions, and actively engage in the process of finding the answers.
The committee also identified several areas to focus that will help us strengthen our program. Key recommendations include:
- Further integrate physics, particularly engineering & Design Thinking, into our program
- Increase the amount of classtime dedicated to science in 5th grade
- Develop JK-4 and 5-8 science notebooks, which will allow students and teachers to capture the growth in scientific understanding and skills of our children as they move through the program
- Create new opportunities to highlight and support student engagement in science, including the creation of science showcases like an “Invention Convention” and increased participation in outside scientific competitions
- Collaborate with a landscape architect to enhance our outdoor learning spaces and further strengthen our garden and sustainability program
- Create a network through LinkedIn to help facilitate connections between our many parents in scientific fields and our teachers and students
As a school, we believe that these recommendations will help us take what is already a strong program and make it a showcase program in Silicon Valley. Furthermore, the strong support of the parent community at the auction will give us a running start on the implementation process. We are hugely grateful for the more than $85,000 we raised through the fund-a-need that will be used directly to support the science program.
Toward the end of the audit presentation at the most recent HSPC meeting, one of our parents observed that that the audit process itself was a wonderful model for what we hope to see our children doing. As a school, we have developed a way to look intensively at a program, analyze it from all directions, gather feedback from key stakeholders, explore how other schools are structuring their programs, reflect upon what we are seeing and learning, and then offer recommendations of what we can do to further strengthen the programs in the years ahead.
The process affirms the passion our faculty feel for what they do, their natural curiosity about what is happening at other good schools, their willingness to take risks and try new things, and their commitment to being the best they can be as individuals and as a school. It is gratifying to see the Hillbrook motto – especially the injunction to Be Curious – works for the entire community.