New Daily Schedule Supports Transformational Learning

It was just over a year ago that our Board of Directors approved Go Boldly, our strategic planand we are so proud of the progress we’ve made so far in implementing the bold vision. 

Students are engaging in transformational learning experiences both inside and outside the classroom. For example, a group of students just returned from DeLaSalle Blackfeet, a Lasalian school on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Browning, Montana. They worked side by side with the students, helping them with schoolwork, reading to them and making meaningful connections. This immersive experience provided time for reflection and prayer, which is at the heart of transformational learning. 

In the classroom, biology students recently finished their Big Mac meal project. Students were assigned to a country struggling with poverty. Their objective was to research the country and design a nutrient-rich bar based on organic compounds that would assist in addressing world hunger. It was an opportunity to apply their learning to a real-world problem, another hallmark of transformational learning. 

What I loved about this science project is that I saw students taking ownership of their learning. They engaged deeply in the research and collaboration and were provided the time, space and guidance needed to be creative in their work. 

Another key initiative in our strategic plan was to create a Daily Schedule that supports this type of transformational learning while meeting the needs of our students’ Mind-Body-Spirit, one of our core values. We’ve designed and developed a new Daily Schedule based on solid adolescent research. We built the schedule after connecting with educational thought leaders, some of the brightest minds in the country. 

What I appreciate most about this Daily Schedule is it’s not the latest fad; it’s not the educational flavor of the month. It’s grounded in research, it reflects input from faculty, staff and students and provides the appropriate amount of balance of structure and freedom. In the end, the new schedule preserves the strong tradition Hill-Murray has for academic excellence and continues to meet the needs of today’s students. 

I invite you to take a look at the key features of the new Daily Schedule, just one important component of what it takes to provide our students with the very best educational experience. We know we have much more work to do. But I can promise you we are up for the challenge. 

Go Boldly!