Columbus Magnet School

46 Concord St, Norwalk, CT 06854 ● Phone: (203) 899-2840

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WHAT'S H.O.T.?

The Connecticut Commission on the Arts named Columbus Magnet School a H.O.T. School in 2000. H.O.T. (Higher Order Thinking) Schools use learning in, about, and through the arts as a key pathway to developing higher order thinking skills in students. The HOT Schools Program provides each of its 24 schools throughout Connecticut with resident artists, curriculum development grants, technical assistance, workshops, Principals' Retreats, peer sessions, and an annual, week long Summer Institute.

The HOT Schools Mission

"As communities of students, parents, educators, and artists, Connecticut Commission on the Arts HOT Schools commit themselves to creating school cultures in which learning in, about, and through the arts, in a democratic setting, enables each child's voice to be heard and celebrated. Through arts-infused curricular innovations, HOT Schools promote intellectual, psycho-social, and academic growth. The HOT Schools model allows each school to work continuously towards its own unique potential."

HOT Strategies

The "Magical Mailbox," placed in a prominent location in the school, serves as a repository and distribution point for student writing.
Student Editorial Boards, under faculty supervision, review materials deposited in the "Magical Mailbox" and distribute to various expressive outlets. A student's poem may be read at the weekly assembly, published in the annual literary magazine, sent to a national competition, or made into a song. A dance, in turn, might be set to the new song. HOT Schools celebrate and validate student writing at every opportunity.
Town Meetings (All School Meetings) provide regular assemblies for the entire school community to celebrate children's work.
ECHOES (Enhanced Curricular HOT Opportunities) outwardly resemble student "clubs," but provide structured educational opportunities tied to the ongoing curriculum. Many ECHOES are arts-related.
Democracy. HOT Schools enjoy the presence of empowered student government. Students propose, legislate, and execute laws governing student behavior in the school.
Empowered Parents. HOT Schools actively involve parents in the process of their children's education. Parents work in the classroom, assist with or run ECHOES, and attend training sessions and conferences with teachers.
Communities of Teachers Learning. The HOT Schools program believes that learning as a life-long process includes educators. Communities of Teachers Learning provides a regular opportunity for teachers to discuss classroom issues, methods, and curriculum in a supportive, voluntary peer environment.

The HOT Schools philosophy and strategies have attracted attention throughout the United States as a powerful and effective model for educational transformation, generating a movement of schools exploring the creation of child-centered learning communities.