As an International Baccalaureate World School, your child will be exposed to an atmosphere. that is unique to Black Elk.

1. Student-centered

Classroom learning is based on what your students are inquiring about and allows more choice and discovery. 

2.  Units of Inquiry

Each unit is several weeks long. The unit’s central idea is immersed throughout the school day, including specials, to obtain a deeper understanding of the presented content. 

Out 6 Unit planners are:

1. Who We Are - An Inquiry into personal, physical, mental, social, and spiritual health; rights and responsibilities.

2. Where We Are In Place and Time - An inquiry into homes and journeys.

3. How We Organize Ourselves - An inquiry into the interconnectedness of human-made systems and communities.

4. How We Express Ourselves - An inquiry into the ways in which we discover and express ideas, feelings, nature, culture, beliefs, and values.

5. Sharing The Planet - An inquiry into communities and the relationships within and between them.

6. How The World Works - An inquiry into how humans use their understanding of scientific principles.

3. Common Language

Your child will be exposed to a common language of attributes and attitudes we see in a global citizen. This ensures an understanding of how we properly treat others.  

4.  Foreign Language

Your child will have Spanish twice a week, 30 minutes each time. 

5. Skill Development

We develop the intellectual, personal, emotional, and social skills needed to live, learn, and work in a rapidly globalizing world.  

BIST is an acronym that stands for Behavior Intervention Support Team. BIST is a system of tracking and managing student behavior, which is based on: 

1. Grace- unconditional acceptance of students, but not negative behavior. 

2. Accountability-allowing students to accept responsibility for themselves and their actions. 

BIST works with students to cultivate three very important life skills: 

1. I can be okay even when others are not. 

2. I can be angry or upset without getting into trouble. 

3. I can do what is asked of me, even when I don’t want to. 

If students are having difficulty with one of these life skills the following steps will be taken: 

1. Students will be given a warning. 

2. Students will be sent to the “safe seat” in the classroom where he/she will be asked to reflect on which life skill he/she needs to improve upon. He/She will be asked to process (conference within 48 hours) with the teacher before he/she may return to their regular seat. 

3. If the student does not follow the rules in the “safe seat” he/she will be escorted to a “buddy room” and will be required to process (conference within 48 hours) with his/her teacher before he/she may return to his/her regular classroom. The teacher will contact you if your student is moved to the buddy room. 

4. If the student does not process or does not follow the rules in the “buddy room,” he/she will be escorted to the office. 

Students who are successful will be able to: 

1. Accept responsibility for their actions. “I did it.” 

2. Apologize. “ I’m sorry.” 

3. Admit. “ It is part of a problem in my life.” 

4. Accept Consequences. “I will follow the consequences that result from my actions.” 

5. Accept Help. “I will listen to, and try my best to follow the advice that I am given.”