Home › Forums › West Seattle Schools › K-5 STEM at Boren will have Singapore Math!
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May 11, 2012 at 5:06 am #603211
evergreenMemberJust voted in tonight. The school will apply for a waiver from the district. Very excited.
Additionally, will have Engineering is Elementary, a music program, and some kind of art program. They will use the standard district science curriculum w/ supplementation. A literacy/writing program will be chosen in the next 1-2 weeks. They envision eventually sharing the EIE curricula with any other interested schools (so that more kits can be purchased, saving costs for all). The school will be hands-on and incorporate problem-based learning as much as possible. The principal is absolutely wonderful.
Tracy Libros stated tonight that another K/1 split classroom could be opened if enough people sign up for the waitlist. There are NO guarantees, but if someone is interested in STEM and feels that their chances would be better on our waitlist rather than Pathfinder or Schmitz Park, please check us out! We currently have no waitlist for 2nd and 5th.
May 11, 2012 at 2:42 pm #757968
hollyplaceParticipantDo you know if they will move the school to another building next year?
May 11, 2012 at 3:46 pm #757969
evergreenMemberProbably not next year, but likely the year after. Could be earlier if the Levy passes, who knows. The building is used as an interim site for various school programs (ie. it was used for Sealth prior to K-5) while other buildings are refurbished to become permanent locations. If you have read about the Levy, you will see that SPS plans to use the Boren building for several other schools in the next few years as their permanent buildings are built or refurbished.
They are currently remodeling the inside, and will start on the inside towards the end of the month or June (per DT meeting last night). The parents & DT just weeded the planters last weekend, and SPS will beautify the grounds. There will be 2 sets of playground equipment moved in, though one set will be for the preschool kids on site. The entire building will not be used for K-5, since the program is not yet big enough. We will have use of the science labs for both science and engineering projects, though. This is all I know about the building thus far…
May 11, 2012 at 6:09 pm #757970
SPSMOMMemberAnd we can sign up/enroll for the school up until class starts in September?
May 11, 2012 at 6:28 pm #757971
BonnieParticipantSPSMOM, I think it would be best to sign up/enroll earlier because they plan staff, etc. by the numbers they have earlier than September. They will probably determine if they will add extra classes earlier than September and if people wait until the last minute it might be too late.
May 11, 2012 at 8:29 pm #757972
StringCheeseParticipantIt was an amazing meeting. I continue to be encouraged and excited about this amazing new program! Just a side note to anyone reading this that hasn’t joined our Yahoo group…
groups.yahoo.com/group/k5stem
…that we are meeting at the Southwest Library on May 17th at 6:30pm to discuss the formation of our PTA/PTO. The community is pumped and waiting to dive right in! Join us!
May 11, 2012 at 8:59 pm #757973
juliewMemberHI everyone. My daughter is on the waiting list for Kindergarten at STEM or the blended K-1st grade they have discussed. They will open another classroom if enough children are on the waiting list. The principal and program seem terrific and so I hope parents with children on some of the other waiting lists in West seattle will consider moving their child to the STEM waiting list. The sooner the better so they can announce the opening of the new class, hire teachers, etc. If people wait to switch until almost September, there may not be enough time to open a new classroom.
My daughter was on the Pathfinder waitlist, but that list has dozens of children on it and very little movement and she would not have gotten in. So I decided to move her to the STEM waiting list, and after hearing more about the program I actually think STEM would end up being a better fit ( or at least as good) for her than Pathfinder would have been. I really hope more parents apply so they can open another classroom.
Julie
May 12, 2012 at 2:41 am #757974
StringCheeseParticipantGreat points juliew. I have a feeling that there will be many changes to the configuration of classes before all is said and done.
May 12, 2012 at 2:09 pm #757975
kootchmanMemberSounds exciting.. with a new superintendent coming…. we need lots of incubators for new ideas and new ways to teach. I hope SPS has enough curriculum diversity to make school assignment obsolete. Parents have more choices.
May 12, 2012 at 4:11 pm #757976
HMC RichParticipantThe Design Team is carefully and successfully working to come up with a tremendous curriculum. The progress they have made has been fantastic.
We were skeptical at first but now we are fully on board. If others are on a wait list that is deep at other schools, they should get on the STEM list. Especially Kindergarten and First Graders. Another class will be opened up when more kid’s parents put their children on the list. Our child is on the waiting list and with the announcement of Singapore Math, plus Art, and the other outstanding choices for the curriculum, we are hoping to be part of this wonderful school.
May 13, 2012 at 9:11 pm #757977
evergreenMemberKootchman, we want this school to succeed in part so that it changes the way education is done in surrounding public schools. For example, some ways this could happen is in sharing the EIE kits (Engineering is Elementary), and exploring best practices for project-based, hands-on learning. All kids deserve a well-rounded, child focused, inspiring school experience.
I really appreciate the influences of Schmitz Park and Pathfinder (and others), and hope that SPS and/or the community brainstorms ways to extend the positives of each program to other schools. There is clearly a N/S disparity in our WS schools. The problem is always funding, but perhaps there is a way that schools can join up to solicit donor money and grants?? The budget cuts hurt those schools without a strong PTSA. I’m sure K-5 STEM will have great enthusiasm and funding from the parent community (ie. option schools usually do b/c they are specifically chosen by parents), but maybe there is a way for us to collaborate with other schools? Perhaps we could all open our doors to the wider student population so that kids in all schools have exposure to robotics/technology, geography, gardening, nature, art, music, etc… Each school offers something that is not found at a neighboring school.
We the community need to think about ways in which we can improve education for all students in West Seattle. How can we make this happen?
May 14, 2012 at 2:10 am #757978
StringCheeseParticipantOne of the great things that was happening at the STEM elem. that I visited in Houston was that in the summer they put on STEM focused workshops/classes for anyone in the community who was interested. Not only did it open up more science opportunities in the greater community, it gave the teachers a chance to test out new projects and ideas.
I can totally see our STEM program offering something during the summer (whether it is a day, week-long camp, etc) that is open to the whole community for little or no cost. Maybe a Saturday community program once per quarter? I’m sure we could find grants or private sponsorship for such events.
May 14, 2012 at 2:03 pm #757979
bsmommaParticipantI put STEM as our choice school out of a leap of faith. I am more and more glad I did!! Our daughter will be in the 1st grade at STEM next school year. :) Thanks to everyone who’s worked/working on this!!
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