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Tomorrow's Child
By Steve Kelly
TALKCalgary.com
A student at Banbury Crossroads
School recently told me that "Banbury is the kind of school that
children dream about attending". The child in question was a
young 8th grade student intent on attending veterinary school
after graduating from Banbury Crossroads. It was a dream she had
been fostering since she was 4 years old. For the teachers and
staff at Banbury Crossroads however this was no dream. It was a
goal to be planned for and worked towards. Lisa, the student in
question, was not only encouraged in her quest, but provided
with a road map outlining her academic route to becoming a
veterinary surgeon. In short, she was given a goal and blueprint
showing how to turn her dream into a reality.
 The
above is just one example of what sets Banbury Crossroads apart
from other schools. At Banbury, their entire teaching agenda
appears to be radically different from that of today's
mainstream education system. One example of this is the small
student to teacher ratios. At Banbury no class is allocated more
than 10 students per teacher. This allows for children
to work at their own pace and at different levels, until they
have successfully mastered and understood the subject matter.
Teachers at Banbury claim this approach allows time for children
to develop critical thinking skills through constructive
participation as all interaction is nurtured and reinforced by a
positive learning environment.
 Another
thing that is noticeable at Banbury Crossroads School is a total
lack of bullying of any kind. In fact, perhaps owing to the
family atmosphere created by the small class sizes, older
students can frequently be observed helping younger students.
It would be nice to
think that someday all schools will follow in the footsteps of
Banbury Crossroads. However for now, it's comforting to
know that here in Calgary at least, tomorrow's child can grow up
knowing that the ideal learning environment has already been put
in place today.
For those wishing to learn more
about the unique learning environments provided at Banbury
Crossroads School or arrange a personal tour of the facilities,
they can be contacted at the address below:
Banbury
Crossroads Private School
2451 Dieppe Avenue S.W.
Calgary, Alberta Canada T3E 7K1
Tel: (403) 270-7787
Fax: (403) 270-7486
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