Highlands Elementary’s mission is to educate children in a safe, cooperative, and innovative environment while building long-term, collaborative relationships with families. Highlands believes in giving all children the opportunity to develop the social and collaboration skills that will allow them to work with others, as well as solve conflicts. Teachers use a cooperative learning model. Restitution Self-Discipline, to help students develop the important skills of internal control and intrinsic motivation. Highlands Elementary nurtures students and adults’ strengths or “sparks” by maintaining a child-centered learning community that stresses relationships and collaboration.
Peter Hodne
Change Leader and Principal Peter Hodne has been in education his whole life. He views children as leaders of today and the future, so schools must develop their broad range of talents. Despite the pressure on public schools to narrow their focus on math and literacy, Peter made sure that his staff feel the freedom to consider what skills students need to be innovators. He has worked in seven different schools in three districts over the course of his career, and he has found Highlands to be the best match for his commitment to empowering children as innovators. Hodne is very inspired by Tony Wagner, Peter Bensen, and Ken Robinson.