We are the IPS/Butler University Laboratory School, located at the building formerly known as William A. Bell School 60. Our school is inspired by the teachings of Reggio Emilia Italy. We are a project based school and build our curriculum with our children’s interests. Often we engage in long-term projects that intertwine into all aspects of the day. Our school uses the workshop method for teaching reading, writing, and math, which means that once the students are taught a lesson in that subject area, they are then released to work throughout the room. Children are encouraged to communicate and ask questions of one another during these times, and we often have them work in pairs and groups to encourage communication and problem solving strategies. One of the first things a visitor may notice in our building is our environment. In practicing the Reggio Emilia philosophy of teaching and learning, we believe that the environment is the third teacher. Often, things are displayed in a way that allows children to explore and interact with their surroundings.
Being The IPS/Butler Laboratory School means that we have a partnership with Butler University. Most of our teachers are graduates from Butler University, including Mr. Smith, our principal. We also work closely in mentoring Butler University College of Education students, most often during their Block A experience. This experience happens each semester and allows us to have 3-4 pre-service teachers supporting us and our students in the classroom once a week. We also partner with Butler in hosting student teachers and partnering with several other College of Education classes.