About Bennett
At Bennett Day School, we believe that every child is born wondering, and that fostering this innate curiosity leads to a lifelong love of learning. Inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach, our program is built upon the idea that children are naturally competent, curious, and capable individuals who are co-collaborators in their education.
Bennett is a place where big questions are asked, and little curiosities are explored. It is a place where students can get their hands dirty—both literally and figuratively—while guiding their own education through meaningful experiences and project-based learning. Bennett Day is a school where students are empowered with the tools, guidance, and freedom to grow into great thinkers, doers, and inventors of tomorrow.
We understand that learning is more than the bullet points and core standards determined by textbooks. Our students learn by doing—with an emphasis on problem-solving, critical thinking, and social acuity—to be ready for a life of learning in today’s world.
Our students learn by doing—with an emphasis on problem-solving, critical thinking, and social acuity—to be ready for a life of learning in today’s world.
Project-Based Learning (PBL)
A project-based learning (PBL) environment not only emphasizes subject-based skills, but also empowers learners to apply them across disciplines in a manner that mimics the skills necessary to be an effective citizen of the world.
PBL provides:
- Cross-Disciplinary Exploration
- Social Responsibility and Equity
- Real World Application
- Student Voice and Choice
Reggio Emilia-Inspired
Originating from Northern Italy, the schools of Reggio Emilia engage in a world-renowned approach that focuses on seeing each student with a growth-mindset—as capable and competent.
The instructor’s role is to observe and listen to students’ interests, then to provide guidance and opportunities to explore those topics in the classroom. Projects are not pre-planned by teachers, but driven by student ideas and teacher observations and provocations. With a strong emphasis on collaboration, we nurture our students’ ability to successfully work together with others, a critical skill in today’s world.
The Reggio approach places an emphasis on making learning visible through documentation. When teachers observe their students, they learn each of their learning styles, abilities, and interests. Documentation can take the form of photography, videos, transcribed conversations, drawings, or other visual mediums. Displaying documentation encourages students to become central to their own learning.
Authentic Assessment
In all of our PreK-12th Grade classrooms, teachers use a variety of methods to holistically assess student progress, including presentations, collaborative activities, discussions, project work, teacher observations, and public demonstrations. These assessments, unlike standardized tests or grades, allow us to understand each child’s unique strengths, challenges, and learning styles.
Social-Emotional Learning
At Bennett, we believe that social-emotional learning (SEL) is as important as academic learning. This emphasis on SEL empowers our students to understand, experience, express, and manage their emotions and develop meaningful relationships with others.
Bennett's expert educators are committed to creating a nurturing and inclusive environment where children can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.