We are committed to providing rich experiences to promote cognitive, social, and emotional development and ensure students have a solid foundation needed for lifelong learning. With a student-centered approach, students are active participants in their own learning. Activities are designed to allow students to explore and discover.

What is a student-centered approach to learning?

A student-centered approach to learning is focused on each student’s needs, abilities, interests, and learning styles. Students are active participants in their learning. Lessons and activities are designed to allow students to choose how they will learn. Research shows that personal involvement, intrinsic motivation, personal commitment, confidence in one’s abilities to succeed, and a perception of control over learning lead to more learning and higher achievement in school (Alexander, P. & Murphy, P. (2000). The research base for APA’s learner-centered psychological principles).

A student-centered classroom:

• Strengthens student motivation
• Promotes peer communication
• Reduces disruptive behavior
• Builds student-teacher relationships
• Supports discovery/active learning
• Encourages responsibility for one’s own learning

Core Values

• Learning is fun, school should be too.
• Children should feel safe and welcome at school. The environment should be clean, organized, warm, and ready for a day of learning, playing, laughing and excitement.
• Choice should be built in through the day. Children should have the opportunity to choose between developmentally appropriate activities.
• Respect should be modeled and taught. Pipster Prep teachers and staff will show respect for each other, and for all Pipster Prep children and families.
Teachers and staff will model and teach students to be respectful to others.