MISSION SKILLS
 CURIOSITYCuriosity looks like this. It is an eagerness to learn that if nurtured early on can last a lifetime. |  ETHICSEthics is caring for each other and the world around us. |  CREATIVITYCreativity is seeing it a different way, finding a new solution, building it from scratch. |
|---|---|---|
 TIME MANAGEMENTShows up prepared to learn, Pays attention and resists distraction, Gets to work rather than procrastinates, Maintains a system to complete work and prioritize tasks. |  RESILIENCEBrushes off those knees, Tries hard even after experiencing failure, Works diligently and independently, Sees setbacks as temporary. |  TEAMWORKFinds solutions during conflicts, Demonstrates respect for feelings or others and listens well, Knows when and how to include others, Adapts effectively to different group situations. |
Mission Skills are tools we give our students at The Lexington School that take them beyond the test and well into life. Power skills like teamwork, creativity, ethics, resilience, curiosity, and time management, taught as every part of every lesson provide a unique springboard for our students. They are character traits all humans need, and they are essential to fulfilling the overall mission of The Lexington School.
Why We Teach It
What if a test could answer this important question: Does The Lexington School fulfill its Mission and Philosophy Statement? Math and vocabulary skills are more concrete, and standardized tests have fairly successfully measured them through the years. Yet the life skills and character traits that The Lexington School and many other independent schools value such as perseverance, work ethic, integrity, lifelong learning, and teamwork are much more difficult to measure and assess.
What It Is
A history lesson: The Lexington School, along with fellow schools from the Elementary Schools Research Collaborative (ESRC), a national benchmarking group, made a groundbreaking shift in the focus on assessment in our schools. The Mission Skills Assessment (MSA) was developed with the sole intent of measuring what many in education call "21st-century skills."
The Lexington School is proud to have led the way in designing an interdisciplinary curriculum that engages these important character skills. While we continue to use the ERB assessment tool for standardized testing in grades 3-8, the Mission Skill approach to teaching and learning has helped us prepare our students for jobs of the future we can't even imagine. Mission skills are a springboard to a lifelong love of learning and a leg up when it is time to be an adult.