Radians News Letter, September 2014

1. RadSicahnoso l 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

2. 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.

3. STUDENTS IN ACTION

4. 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).