At Saint Boniface School we teach the skills that all teachers hope to see their students develop.  But we don’t just hope for it, we have specific lessons designed to bring out the best in every student. All students learn about Top 20 concepts each week.  These classes develop their thinking, learning and communication skills for 7 years.  The result is amazing!

There are nine topics in all. This curriculum is designed for students to learn one topic for each month of a nine-month school year.

1. Creating a Culture of Learning: Our #1 job is to help others succeed. Students will learn how to show others they matter, own problems, and develop important listening skills.

2. The Line: The Line is a metaphor for understanding our state of mind, moods, or attitudes. Students will learn to recognize when their thinking is serving them well (Above the Line) or is not serving them well (Below the Line) and become aware of the choices they make.

3. Mistakes: Students will understand the importance of learning from mistakes, identify their comfort zones, and celebrate confusion as a natural and necessary step in the learning process.

4. The Frame: We can look at the same situation in more than one way. Students will learn to reframe situations in order to see them differently and get better results.

5. EQ and Star Qualities: EQ (emotional intelligence) is essential to becoming a successful person. Students will learn about IQ and EQ and how to build upon their Star Qualities or personal strengths.

6. Other People's Opinions (OPOs): Students will discuss True Self, define OPOs, and learn how to respond to others' opinions.

7. Eliminating Negativity: Students will learn how to eliminate negativity in their thinking (Thought Circles) and in their communication with others (Tornadoes).

8. Conflict Resolution: Students will learn how to respond to conflict in a positive way in order to achieve what is beneficial for others and themselves.

9. Know-How We're Smart: Students will recognize that people are smart at different things and learn how to respond if they aren't good at something.