Opening in January 2011, Blair Athol North Birth-Year 7 school is a new child-centred, technology-rich, 21st Century school that caters for 450 children. We are a growing community rich in many different cultures – there are 40 different languages spoken amongst our children and in 2011 we had five New Arrivals classes. Our school values underpin our vision and core business – Respect, Responsibility, Honesty, Health and Confidence. ‘Belonging, Being and Becoming’ are central themes to everything we do. We challenge traditional thinking about school and the learning environment, and collaborative planning and teaching is at the heart of everything we do. Our teachers are called ‘Learning Advisors’, our buildings are known as ‘Neighbourhoods’ and our classrooms are ‘Studios’. Our vision and philosophy has been inspired by Reggio Emilia from birth to Year 7. Our specialist programs are music, visual arts and physical education. We believe in 21st Century learning that connects children with real-world experiences to improve their literacy and numeracy, for example we established a TV studio, a radio station, wetlands and forest area and a kitchen/garden. Our Children’s Centre is a place of engagement, learning and care for children and families from birth to eight years. It is also an outreach for the Learning Together program. We have a community development coordinator and family services coordinator that work with our Children’s Centre team to develop programs and services in response to community needs and aspirations. We have three pillars that drive all of the work we do: Capabilities and dispositions we want for our children; Principles for effective learning in the 21st Century; and Pedagogies and practices. We want our children to have the following capabilities and dispositions: critical thinking and problem solving; communication; collaboration, creativity and innovation; care for our self, others and our planet; cultural understanding; curiosity and inquiry; risk taking;..