The first thing I have to say after our visit to the Pacific School of Innovation and Inquiry (PSII), can I please go back in time and redo my high school education?

Jeff Hopkins, founder of the school, provided us with a great introduction of the school, were given time to ask many questions, and allowed to freely explore the building. He spent some time going over how they communicate and work with their students to ensure that all students get what they need from their school experience. He also gave a great rundown on how the students and staff use Trello to communicate and track learning. They lay out their card orders as follows:

I really like that they encourage students to write down all the questions that they have around their learning, even if they aren’t going to explore them right away.

One room that I did not get to enter but interested me was the Sensory Room. The room was created by a student as an inquiry project, there is a sign in whiteboard, and people can choose if they are willing to share the sensory room or use it by themselves. There was also a quiet library work area, which means that they are allowing their students to choose the kind of environment they feel they would work best in.

I did not have the chance to speak to any students but it appeared that all the students I saw were working hard and collaborating together. I hope to have another opportunity to learn more about this forward thinking school.