《声音》启明星专刊 VOICES for Daystar Academy VOICES Fall/Winter Edition 2018 | Page 21

DS BEIGAO MS
students to engage in self-driven inquiry through Genius
Time. That’s not something you see in a ton of schools.
Shawna: This year we have a lot of plans in place to
make it even better. To really get the students to take
initiative, and come out in the end and they can say
“this is what I accomplished”. If a student is really
passionate about one area, they have several years
throughout our program, or they can change. So, the
students really have an opportunity to explore what
they want.
class also sets us apart across the board. Our students
are supported in terms of different levels, and it just
reflects our philosophy that our students can engage in
the higher-order thinking that is required in language
and literature through both languages, that you don’t
see at some of the other big, IB MYP schools in Beijing.
What is the Learner Profile for a Daystar MYP
graduate/student?
Last academic year we developed school-wide learner
outcomes, and there are five school-wide leader
outcomes. We looked at the IB Learner profile, we
looked at the WASC global competencies, we looked
at Daystar’s Core Values, we looked at Daystar’s Vision
and Mission statement. And we took all of these inputs
and we developed these five learner outcomes, they
embody everything. And everything that Daystar stands
for.
And how do we know that they have achieved that?
Jessica: I would say that another thing that really sets
us apart is that we really do look at the whole program
as a continuum. We don’t have a separate Elementary
program, separate Middle School or separate High
school program. It’s a continuum from K-8 right now,
and eventually from K-12. Our students have this
seamless transition in what they are learning.
What are some of your final thoughts?
Shawna: I think it speaks a lot that we started from
basically nothing, and yet were able to build a program
and get MYP authorization in just under two years. Now
it’s a matter of taking every component of our program
and trying to improve it every year. And it will just be a
continual process of improvement and growing for the
Middle school.
Jessica: And that is what makes our school so great, and
why I would choose Daystar over other schools, because
of how reflective we are in the practices. And how we
are willing to revise, and refine to make sure that the
students are getting the most out of their education
that we can possibly provide.
The strategic pillars for the TLI (Teaching Learning &
Innovation team) are all in line with the school-wide
learner outcome. All the decisions that we are making
as an academic team are focused on developing these
school-wide learner outcomes.
There are so many school options available now, why
should a parent send their child to our Middle/High
school?
Jessica: For me, as a parent, it comes down to the
blending of the two-that relevance and that rigor. It’s
critically important for me to make sure that my child
is challenged every step along the way. And I think with
that integrational standards it’s something that we have
really ramped up. The challenge, and the rigor that our
students are engaged in at Daystar in all of their content
areas. It’s also the way that we are integrating. It’s
not just academics, but also providing opportunities for
19