STUDENT-CENTERED

The educational project and the objectives of the BMSB are built starting from the student who learns by considering himself as an individual as well as belonging to a group. The student is the protagonist, he is at the heart of the educational plan in all its aspects: cognitive, affective, relational, ethical. Teachers are therefore required to plan and implement their teaching activities not for abstract individuals, but for people who live in the here and now, and who raise specific existential questions. The school thus becomes a welcoming place and the teachers a point of reference for their students and families.

Feeling good at school guarantees the serenity of all those involved in the educational process and contributes to the construction of a solid life plan.

SLD CONTACT PERSON

The inclusion and educational success of all our students is the main purpose of the BMSB school. To address all educational needs, therefore also disability, SLD and Special Educational Needs, the school has, within its staff, a specialist teacher responsible for welcoming and taking care of students. This person works in liaison and in close collaboration with the Teaching Coordinator, teachers, parents and with the relevant institutions.

Furthermore, our school implements a targeted SLD screening activity, carried out, with the consent of the parents, on the students of the first incoming classes. The teachers, for their part, participate in the training initiatives promoted internally at the school and in those proposed at the provincial and regional level.

MOTHER TONGUE TEACHERS

They offer an important contribution to the bilingualism project both for their language skills and because they work closely with the class teachers and share objectives, tools and methodologies with the Department of Languages.

EDUCATIONAL  IPAD

It supports, but does not replace, the chosen class textbooks, with the exception of the texts of Technology and Art and Design which are digital and written in Italian and English. The use of the iPad, owned by families, is strictly and exclusively regulated by the teachers.

SCHOOL UNIFORM

There are three reasons behind the choice of the uniform. The first is to cultivate and instill a sense of belonging to the school; the second is to ensure appropriate clothing for the educational environment; the third is linked to the practical aspect of comfort and order.

SHORT WEEK

The choice of the short week stems from family needs. First of all, a high percentage of families live outside Brescia and for whom the transfer times represent a “constraint” for the organization of the study programme.

Secondly because the five-day lessons correspond more to the students’ needs for extended learning times. The third satisfies the natural “necessity” for families to be able to count on time to be dedicated to being together and to the extra-curricular activities of their children.

HOMEWORK

The BMSB school pays a lot of attention to the delicate issue of homework considered the essential tool for acquiring specific and transversal skills and for learning to organize study times. Our homework space takes place in the afternoon, from 2.30 pm to 4.10 pm and involves Italian, Mathematics and English. The students are divided according to the class they belong to and each group (three in total) is entrusted to a teacher competent in the subject. Teachers, whether they are part of the school staff or chosen by the Teaching Coordinator, have the opportunity to access the register to check the assigned homework and periodically participate in meetings chaired by the Teaching Coordinator to share observations and plan teaching. The “homework package” lasts bimonthly and each family is free to change or maintain their choice during the school year, naturally respecting the two-month period.

STUDY METHOD

In the first days of school, the timetable includes a few hours dedicated to the acquisition of the study method. An expert teacher on the subject, offers students methods and tools that will then be taken up and used by teachers during the school year. Acquiring a personal and productive study method is in fact one of the main objectives and a fundamental competence of the middle school.

WELCOME PROJECT FOR FOREIGN STUDENTS

The BMSB welcomes foreign students to facilitate their entry into the school system and to guarantee them a serene and attentive educational atmosphere.

In particular, the BMSB school entrusts the literacy language course to qualified teachers who possess more than one requirement, namely:

• Educational training and experience;
• Knowledge of the English language which often represents the first vehicle for communication;
• Knowledge of other languages, for example Chinese.

The project thus allows our students to acquire a certain command of Italian which is essential not only for profitable learning, but also for building meaningful relationships with peers.

The GLI (Working Group for Inclusion):

• Prepares the phase of reception, knowledge and monitoring of linguistic-cultural pre-requisites;
• Conducts an interview with the family in which information is collected on the student’s family, school and linguistic situation;
• Provides information on the organization of the school;
• Proposes assignment to the class, taking into account the age and course of studies in the country of origin;
• Activates the language literacy course

TRANSFER DURING THE YEAR

In addition to the merely regulatory aspect, reported below, the school, aware of how delicate a transfer is, welcomes and accompanies the student in the first days of class.

The teachers of the individual subjects take care to verify the syllabus carried out in the school of origin and to integrate any aspects by providing the necessary material and scheduling its acquisition.

The teachers of the individual subjects take care to verify the syllabus carried out in the school of origin and to integrate any aspects by providing the necessary material and scheduling its acquisition.

The class coordinator also monitors the learning and social aspects and contacts the family to share initial feedback.

With a view to inclusion and in compliance with the School Board’s resolution regarding the maximum number of students per class, the BMSB school welcomes students who, for different and motivated needs, request a transfer during the year.

According to current legislation, the transfer path includes:

•  A meeting with the Teaching Coordinator and the Manager together with the family to find out the reasons for the transfer request;
• A Meeting with the student;
• Convocation of the class teachers’ council which, having assessed the reasons, is responsible for the decision on the transfer.