From the Desk of Mrs. Debbie Hamburg, Elementary School Principal

When we think back on our childhood, we realize that we were in a constant state of curiosity. Curiosity led us to questions. This inquiry was our desire to know the how, why, when,what, and how of everything around us. 

In our school, we are surrounded by children. Children come into this world with a drive to understand how the world works. They are born eager to learn and you can't stop them from exploring as they try to comprehend their environment.  As children investigate, these experiences fuel their emotional, social, intellectual and physical development. As children grow, curiosity propels them to enjoy broader and more complex encounters. 

In our elementary division, we help children learn to satisfy their curiosity through meaningful, engaging, creative and thought provoking activities. Curiosity promotes creativity, a process of having original ideas that have value. When teachers encourage students to think creatively, they are looking for many different kinds of detailed ideas that may not have been previously thought of. In our Novel Engineering curriculum, we present students with stories that have some ordinary and some unique problems. We ask questions that encourage critical and creative thinking. Students are encouraged to use divergent thinking to generate many, varied, and unusual solutions and ideas. Our teachers, facilitators of learning, turn everyday events and happenings into teachable moments. These moments provide revolutionary ideas that are a result of a child’s intellectual curiosity.

Curiosity is the engine that drives learning and achievement. It provides motivation to invest time and energy in the pursuit of knowledge.

Researchers have determined that dopamine, the brain’s reward chemical, is directly linked to the brain’s curiosity state. When curiosity is explored and then satisfied, the brain is flooded with dopamine and it makes us feel satisfied and even feel happier.

To quote Walt Disney, ”We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things because we are curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” Curiosity is a feeling of mystery, adventure, novelty, anticipation, hope and possibility. May we continue to be curious no matter how old we are.

Debbie Hamburg
Elementary School Principal