Radians School NEW ACADEMIC YEAR KICKS OFF WITH ENTHUSIASTIC

STUDENTS Tell me and I'll forget. Show me, and I may not remember.

Involve me, and I'll understand.

~Native American Saying

In PBL (Project-Based Learning), students are active, not passive; a project engages their hearts and minds, and provides real-world

relevance for learning.

As we begin this new academic year, we

see the bright and enthusiastic faces of

our students yearning for knowledge.

Exceptional students require exceptional

teaching. As a school offering non-

traditional education, we allow our

students to experience their education in

a very different manner… as active

participants.

Radians School students learn by having

direct experiences in the classroom.

Project-based learning is a dynamic

classroom approach in which students

actively explore real-world problems and

challenges and also acquire a deeper

knowledge.

Studies demonstrate that PBL students

remember learned content for longer

periods of time. PBL students view

themselves as better prepared in

problem-solving and perform better in

tasks that emphasize understanding and

application of knowledge.

In the 21st century workplace, success

requires more than basic knowledge and

skills. In PBL, students not only

understand content more deeply but also

learn how to take responsibility and

build confidence, solve problems, work

collaboratively, communicate ideas, and

be creative innovators.

Photos above and below, Middle school and High School

students actively engaged in “flipped classroom”

science learning activities.

ISSUE 1 SEPTEMBER, 2014

A VIRTUES-BASED COMMUNITY

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard

battle. ~Plato

Article by Shaya Kass, PhD

I just read a fascinating article about some

research about being kind. I had never really

thought of it, but the authors make a good point

that kindness is the “other side of the coin” of

gratitude.

In their words, they said “Whereas gratitude results

when people receive kindness from other people,

kindness entails enacting kind behavior toward

other people.” Having said this, it is no surprise that

kindness makes people happy since we already know

that gratitude makes people happier.

And being kind will make your child feel good. There

is actually a release of endorphins in your body

when you are kind. Endorphins are similar to mor-

phine. You actually feel good when you are kind. I

wonder if our kids can become addicted to being kind?

What a great addiction that would be! And you sure

wouldn't need any anti-depressants with that kind of

addiction!

The researchers measured kindness in a few different

ways. One way was to ask the participants how often

they thought others were kind to them, how often they

were motivated to be kind to others and how often

they actually were kind to others. I think that first

question is probably the step before gratitude. Once

we recognize that someone has been kind to us, we

can be grateful for it.

The researchers also gave the participants a happiness

measure. Not surprisingly, those people who were

happier were kinder. Or is it that those people who

were kinder were happier?

Either way, we can learn an important lesson. There is

a connection between kindness and happiness. So

as with most other areas of happiness, we get to “kill

two birds with one stone!” Those things that bring

happiness are generally good things to do like being

grateful, being kind and being self-compassionate.

Kindness can be toward friends or strangers. We can

help our kids be kind to family members and teachers.

Kindness toward any of these will help make us

happy.

Happy people scored high in all three areas of

happiness. They wanted to be kind, they recognized

kindness more than unhappy people, and they

have more kind behaviors.

So what are some ideas for kind acts? How about a

smile? Let's teach our kids to give passersby a smile.

And we can give store-clerks a smile. Our kids can

even smile to the driver in the car next to us. Or

perhaps we can do a simple loving-kindness

meditation.

Even a small act like this can help your child to

have a better day and make them happier. This

happiness can spread throughout your family and

improve all the relationships and interactions. How

great would that be!

Why We ShouldTeach Our Kids To Be Kind

SOURCE: http://positiveparentplus.com/teach-kindness/ This article is included here

because it is in accordance with the our virtues-based community philosophy.

STUDENTS IN ACTION

RADIANS SCHOOL The Smart Choice for

YOUR Child’s Future

Success!!

“A quality education has

the power to transform

societies in a single

generation, provide

children with the protection

they need from the

hazards of poverty, labor

exploitation and disease,

and given them the

knowledge, skills, and

confidence to reach their

full potential.”

~ Audrey Hepburn

The FIRST and still

the ONLY school in

Puerto Rico

recognized as a

NATIONAL

SCHOOL of

CHARACTER

Two-Time Recipient of the

National Blue Ribbon Award From the U. S. Dept. of Education for Excellence as a a

model school (elementary and secondary levels)

RADIANS SCHOOL Of Math, Science, and Technology

Carr 735 Km 0.4

Cayey, Puerto Rico 00736

www.radiansschool.org

(787) 738-4822

ERCSA Agricultural Program Ready for

Research and Investigation Projects

Last year our ERCSA Agricultural Project took off with the implemen-

tation of a hydroponic system which produced untold amounts of let-

tuce which was sold to the public. “This year, the hydroponics system

will be expanded to produce even more lettuce and many other types of

produce,” said Prof. Jose Caballero.

As always, students participate actively in the ERCSA program via the

elective course offered by Prof. Luz Burgos. Students, young and old,

are encouraged to pursue research in the center under the auspices of

their science teachers. This program has been featured in El Nuevo

Día and Univision; it has received grants from both Walden

University and the Private Schools Association of Puerto Rico. We

will continue to grow and we look forward to great things this year.

Radians School Promotes Community Service as an

Important Part of an Integral Education

“Why is community service such an important quality and trait for a person to possess?” Without community service people would not know the meaning of charity and giving back. Community service can be defined as a service that is per-formed for the benefit of the public. Commu-nity service is not a responsibility or an obli-gation; it is a commitment. A person must want to do it with good intentions and not because they are being forced to do so. Basi-cally, community service is a way for a person to give back to a community in which they live.

School Cafeteria Pay-For-It Program

A quick reminder for parents that they can use the Pay-For-It

system to allow their children to purchase lunch at the school

cafeteria. You can check the menu for the week online at our

school website. You can also deposit to the account at the

school’s Pay Office (in the Administration Building).