EPIC (Eliot Play. Innovate. Create)

The Eliot created EPIC across all grade levels.  Eliot Play. Innovate. Create (EPIC) Eliot Play. methodology provides an experience for students, staff, and the community that ensures the cognitive development of children through equitable and accessible hands-on learning opportunities. E.P.I.C. is motivated to continue a true sense of exploration through the principles of Play. Create. Innovate. These principles allow all grade levels to simultaneously connect what students learn, while exploring the demands and challenges of 21st century work. As we improve and iterate our powerful learning journey, we will continue offering EPIC everyday for every Eliot learner. Developing more holistically-educated students who are empowered with the skills and passion to pursue their dreams is at the forefront of our mission at the Eliot. 

Accelerated Learning

The Eliot’s instruction is driven through data and ongoing assessments that measure students’ aptitudes and progress. Students benefit from receiving lessons and enrichment planned in response to their changing needs based on continuous data collection. Eliot teachers have the freedom to go beyond the packaged curriculum to effectively engage all the diverse learners within their classrooms, ensuring every student makes successful academic progress. The curriculum also is dynamic in that it allows teachers to provide students with authentic reading and writing opportunities across all content areas, such as English, science and social studies.

Teacher and Student Engagement

At the Eliot, both teacher and student engagement is viewed as essential, since engaged teachers create engaged and successful students. Teacher professional development is strongly encouraged, supported and funded at the Eliot, and instructors enjoy immense freedom in lesson and curriculum planning. In the classroom, teachers ensure student engagement through use of the workshop model, where instruction is given in small groups of students at similar skill levels. Another technique used to increase engagement in reading and writing is permitting students to choose books of interest to them. Both engagement methods bring learning down to a personal level, as students enjoy intimate discussions of material of interest to them. Not only does this engagement increase academic results, but it also creates life long readers and writers.

Visual and Media Arts

Students have the opportunity to participate in the visual arts and media arts program, either during their daily enrichment block or during EPIC.  

The Visual Arts program partners with Artists for Humanity (AFH) and allows Eliot more opportunities to find the most authentic and engaging ways to teach Students. AFH gives many different resources to Students to work with and also gives them a chance to explore art more creatively.  

Media Arts is offered to Students that builds their fundamental art exposure and skills by incorporating the technological advances of the contemporary world with emerging skills sets. Eliot Students cultivate both artistic abilities and a technological aptitude in media arts, and utilize a fundamental understanding of the mediums of analog and digital media to integrate digital technologies with traditional forms of artistic expression using tools that include digital cameras, and a variety of online applications that support photo editing and graphic design. 

Music 

At the Eliot, Students have the opportunity to participate in the music program. The Eliot partners with North End Music and Performing Arts Center (NEMPAC) to ensure that we are meeting all of the national music standards including singing and playing at least one instrument. Students have the opportunity to learn how to play different instruments and also chances to sing with the ensemble.  Performances are scheduled to provide the school, Families and Community members to watch what the Students can do.

Theater

At the Eliot theater program, Students are taught how to become actors and also how to really appreciate the art, whether as an actor or as an audience member. The main goal of the theater program is to instill a love of theater in all of the Students. Eliot partners with the Boston Conservatory to bring special guests and actors to work with the Students. Each year, the Eliot has at least one performance. 

Italian Language

With the Eliot’s location in the historic North End of Boston, students are easily immersed into the Italian culture. Through the Italian language curriculum, students learn not only to speak Italian, but also about Italy’s history and culture. Students experience hands-on learning through field trips to local businesses, such as Italian pastry and coffee shops, as well as other North End restaurants and cultural attractions.

Health & Physical Education

The Eliot is committed to providing physical education to its students, believing there is a direct correlation between physical health and a student’s ability to learn. Physical activity and instruction not only nurtures a healthy body, but also boosts student’s energy, stamina, concentration and self-confidence promoting better academic performance and success at school.

Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (STEM), Computer Science, Robotics

At the Eliot, Students are provided with a 21st Century STEM curriculum across the disciplines of Computer Science, STEM and Robotics. Students will engage in cross-curricular projects with the real-world applicability, that will develop skills based on the Framework for 21st century learning; specifically Global Citizenship, Critical Thinking, Adaptability, Communication and Learner’s Mindset.  Students will develop and apply their knowledge in project-based problem solving challenges and utilize the Design Process (Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create, Test and Improve, and Share) to approach each problem. Students will model the solution to real-world problems, with developmentally appropriate materials and platforms, including Bee-Bots, KIBOs, Scratch Jr., Hopscotch, LEGO based products and everyday maker materials.

Inclusion Model Guiding Principles

The Eliot uses an inclusion model for special education instruction. In this model, in grade levels of more than one classroom, one classroom is an inclusion classroom, in which Students with disabilities learn in collaboration with, and alongside, Students without disabilities. In the inclusion classroom, qualified, certified teachers differentiate instruction based on Students’ individual needs, including needs related to disabilities. The Eliot inclusion model also includes a separate strand for Students with speech and language learning disabilities which qualify them for placement in a substantially separate classroom.