Philosophy of Teaching and Learning
Sunset was founded with the purpose of providing students from East Hartford and the Greater Hartford Area with a rigorous, broad education that meets international standards. As an International Baccalaureate World School®, Sunset follows the IB model by developing students' intellectual, personal, emotional and social skills needed to live, learn and work in a rapidly globalizing world. Sunset Academy's philosophy of teaching and learning aligns with the approaches supported by recent research on best practices in international education, as well as the standards and practices advocated by the International Baccalaureate.
As an International Baccalaureate World School© authorized to offer the Middle Years Programme (grades 6, 7, & 8), Sunset believes that students can achieve at a high level through collaboration with their classmates and teachers using a demanding course of study involving all academic areas that allows them to construct meaning and make sense of the world. Subjects within the eight (MYP) groups are studied concurrently and include both the humanities and the sciences. Students at Sunset are highly motivated to succeed and are encouraged to develop themselves as inquiring, knowledgeable, principled and caring people who want to make a difference in the world through a broad understanding of global issues, intercultural understanding and respect.
Teaching and learning at Sunset are centered on the student's exploration of the world around them through the various disciplines and through interdisciplinary study. The International Baccalaureate approach weaves together depth of content understanding with conceptual study through real world connections, defined as "global contexts." Students not only develop academic skills, but they work on their social, emotional and metacognitive skills through explicit practice in communication, social, self-management, research, and thinking. Sunset's mission is to empower students as caring, ethical young people with a passion for learning and a well-developed sense of international mindedness.