Killarney Mini School
Congratulations to our new roster of Mini School Students for 2013-2014! We look forward to seeing you in September.
The Killarney Mini School offers an enriched academic program for students in Grades 8-10. The program covers the same curriculum as regular courses with additional enrichment activities throughout the year to broaden the topics covered in each class.
KILLARNEY MINI SCHOOL BROCHURE - 2012-2013
KILLARNEY MINI SCHOOL APPLICATION 2012-2013
(Please ensure that you SAVE your application with your name at the beginning of the file before you send.)
Example: John Smith Mini Application - 2013.pdf
Application Instructions - Step by Step
Killarney Mini School Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/KillarneyMinischool
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General Information
Program Goal
The goal of the Mini School is to provide an enriched and academically challenging program to support students in achieving their full potential. Activities will be learner centred, incorporating ethics, social justice and citizenship into academic studies. Students will have opportunities to integrate learning across the curriculum and focus on in-depth enrichment.
Course Overview
Grade 8: English, Socials, Science, Project Innovation 8
Grade 9: English, Socials, Science
Grade 10: English, Socials, Science
Student Attributes
The Killarney Mini School is a District Program open to all students in Vancouver. Demonstrated initiative, independence in learning, and involvement outside the classroom are behavioral characteristics of students most likely to achieve success in the Mini School. Our students should have an interested in the outdoors and an enthusiasm for challenging themselves in the wilderness of BC.
All candidates must be willing to learn cooperatively as well as independently and to explore a wide range of media to express their learning both in and outside of the school.
Expectations
Students who accept a placement in the Killarney Mini will have the opportunity to participate in planned activities in the classroom, on field studies and extended outdoor education trips. Mini School students are encouraged to become involved in Killarney school activities such as fine arts, clubs, athletics, student government and service. In addition, students will seek out opportunities for community volunteering in areas of personal interest or group concern.
Continued enrolment in the Killarney Mini School program will be contingent upon satisfactory ongoing performance.
Involvement
Parent support is expected through the Mini School Parent Association to extend student and family opportunities for group activities.
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Project Based Learning
Killarney Mini School includes a course called Project Innovation. This course allows students to further explore the curricular material of their school year in a series of rigorous cross curricular student led projects. The philosophy of this course, and project based learning as a whole, is that student engagement and learning is improved through increasing student choice and accountability. Our goal is to allow students to develop the skills needed to be motivated an enthusiastic learners.
Trips
Although classes are important, students will also explore a wide range of media to express their learning both in and outside of the school. Some of the Mini School trips are listed below.
Bard on the Beach
At the beginning of the year, all Mini School will attend a Shakespearian play held at Stanley Park. This allows the students not only to learn about Shakespeare, but to experience it too.
Outdoor Education Day Trips
Throughout each year of Mini School, students will go on a series of outdoor education daytrips. These trips allow students to enrich their classroom curricular learning with real life experiences, and to improve their understanding of the natural world we live in. They will be given opportunities to push themselves to overcome obstacles and learn to work as part of a team. These trips vary year to year, but could include kayaking, cross country skiing, a fish hatchery trip, snowshoeing, hiking, UBC ropes course, rock climbing, volunteering at the giving tree farm, canoeing, and many more.
Strathcona
This camping trip lasts 5 days. Students get a chance to live in huge cabins while being apart of many daily activities. Such activities include a night trip, hiking, mountain climbing, and canoeing.
Barkerville / Hat Creek Ranch
East of Vancouver towards the interior, the Barkerville historic town trip gives students an opportunity to immerse themselves in the history of British Columbia, while challenging their wilderness skills in overnight camping.