STEM.tas.tic

STEM-a-Palooza Training

Over the Summer some dedicated STEM loving teachers attended a two day STEM training provided by Cobb County School District. By attending this training not only did these teachers receive some fun and innovative ways to include STEM into their everyday instruction, but they also received some AWESOME prizes for our students! King Springs as a whole won 3 Spheros for the students to practice their coding skills!

The teachers who attended are:

K-Mary Beth Trulove
2nd-Nina Delk
3rd-Sara Hersch & Emily Atkins
4th- Lily Denny(Parkinson)
5th-Patricia Calvin-Thomas
STEM Teacher 92-5 campus)- Joannah Shoushtarian

More KSE Teachers Benefit from Touring STEM Certified School

We are sending another round of teachers to Ford Elementary to observe their STEM program.  The date is Friday, December 16^th, and it will be for the full day.  The teachers attending are:

Katie Messinger

Alana Owens

Toshie Condon

Michele Bice

Roslyn Anderson

Michelle Templeton

Picking up STEAM

First there was the garden and wildlife initiative.  Then our first STEM teacher, Joannah Shoushtarian, arrived.  Project Based Learning was the focus of staff development and then an entire cohort formed around the idea of being a school where students learn through discovery as engaged and directed learners.  The cohort benefitted from CCSD's new STEM Innovation Academy.  Last year's participants include:

Mandy Dixon, 1st Grade
Ashley Bellamy, 2nd grade
Jennifer Ford, 3rd grade
Ronnell Mathews, 4th grade
Lily Parkinson, 4th grade
​Chelsea Whitesell, 5th grade
Janeen Lewis, STEM K-1 Campus
Joannah Shoushtarian, STEM Lab 2-5

This year we are receiving additional on-sight direction from CCSD's Science Supervisor, Dr. Thomas Brown.  After hosting STEM events at our school, more classroom teachers are benefitting from the opportunity to tour other schools in our district and benefit from their experiences. 

A group of teachers recently toured Tritt Elementary as they received their STEM Certification and the following teachers will be able to spend an entire day at Ford Elementary to see their extensive program in action:

Katie Messinger, kindergarten

Abby Cheaves, 1st grade

Nina Delk, 2nd grade

Jessica Barber, 3rd grade

Melissa Gottschalk, 4th grade

Shay Grice, 5th grade

So, much like the snowball that picks up speed and mass as it rolls down the hill, more teachers are wanting the opportunity to hone their skills and incorporate STEM integrated learning opportunities for their students. These teachers have been submitted for the STEM Innovation Academy this year:

MaryBeth Trulove, kindergarten

Sarah Heller, 1st grade

Danielle Martin, 2nd grade

Emily Atkins, 3rd grade

Heather Hodge, 4th grade

Patricia Calvin-Thomas, 5th grade

3 Teachers Earn Science Endorsement

  We are celebrating three of our teachers who just completed their Science endorsement from Kennesaw State University. 

The MSP (Math Science Partnership) Grant is a federally funded grant designed to provide in-service teachers with educational experiences that will encourage them to grow in their ability to serve their students effectively. Kennesaw State partnered with several neighboring school districts, including Cobb County and was awarded a new grant.  The endorsement program is a 2 year process that involves designing and implementing science lessons that are engaging and that involve the STEM process.  Teachers also spent time in classes learning about the science standards K-12 in order to see the continuum of learning that is expected for students in those grade levels.  Teachers are given the opportunity to go to various science and STEM related conferences to gain more information and to get new ideas and resources to implement in the classroom.