Festival Objectives


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TEACHING AND LEARNING OBJECTIVES OF THE FESTIVAL


The English Festival Committee strongly believes that in this course:

  • Reading, writing and artistic expression are activities that in themselves provide pleasure and satisfaction for young people.

  • reading, writing, and the arts can help young people discover themselves and the world.

  • reading, writing, and art are activities for everyone, and that all students – not just the very best – should be encouraged to develop in creative ways.

  • reading, writing, and the arts, while both intensely personal, are effectively learned in social contexts, in the interaction of student with student and student with teacher.

  • integrated curricular experiences in the humanities are critical to personal development, expression, and identity formation, as well as, nurturing of Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligences.

Therefore, the Committee’s purpose in this course is to:

  • provide an exciting and stimulating setting for enjoyable and worthwhile reading, writing, and artistic activities.

  • support teachers who emphasize integrated reading, writing, and the arts in the classroom.

  • offer models for effective classroom activities.

  • involve the whole community in fostering good reading, writing, and artistic skills.

  • recognize and reward distinctive writing and artistic projects.

  • introduce students to a wide variety of superior books and materials of broad interest.

  • encourage parents to help their children obtain Festival books, read the books, discuss them with the students, and provide materials for artistic expression.

  • build through the Festival Booklists a common body of shared reading experiences.

  • help students become lifelong learners.

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