Calm and Flexible Spaces – Creating a Positive Environment for Learning

Along with our academic priorities in Spanish and English bilingual literacy and numeracy, at Escuela Eugene Coste, we take the time to learn about and create spaces within each of our classrooms and around the school to promote student well- being for learning. This is manifested in a variety of ways.

In the classroom teachers:

Provide visual schedules, so students know what is coming next. This helps to calm anxiety for some of our learners as well as set clear expectations for the group

Create calming corners, available to all students. We all need a break sometimes. This allows children to take a moment to practice mindfulness strategies that work for them.

Offer a range of flexible seating. Sitting in one place is challenging for many children and adults! We have options available to all students such as wiggle chairs, standing desks or being able to sit on the floor. We understand that a one-size fits all approach is not supportive of our diverse student community.

Around the school we offer:

Additional breakout spaces for small-group adult led learning support or for quiet time away from the classroom. Our wonderful EA team led by Sra. Angie and Sra. Monica have created a fantastic environment in room 25. Our offices are also designed as welcoming spaces for children who need a quiet spot to work or connect with an adult.
Opportunities for movement breaks. Have you noticed our spin bikes in each of our hallways? Do you see the agility courses created with floor tape in the gym and the learning commons hallways? Has your child’s teacher talked to you about scheduled movement breaks in class? These opportunities are integrated throughout our day and can be offered to students as a planned break or when students need it.
Targeted beginning of day movement, SPARK, is provided to a multi-age cohort of students that benefit from a 15 minute energizer/energy burner. This is led by Srta.Jenn and offered to students through collaborative conversations with teachers, admin and families.

We have curated a selection of images to help you to see how this lives across our classrooms and in common areas in the school. Enjoy the gallery walk of our supportive learning environments!