Skyview Elementary School of STEM is located in Windsor, Colorado. Windsor has the population of around 22,000 people, so it is still a smaller town, but continues to grow each year. Windsor High school boundaries include the towns of Windsor, Severance, and west Greeley.
There are about 365 students in the school with average class sizes with 22 students. The math scores for students here average at about 82% proficient, as well as reading scores at 82%. The students population is 74% white, 18% hispanic, and 3% multicultural. There are 43% females and 56% male students. 27.2% of students are on free or reduced lunch.
Culture & Community
The first week I was at Skyview Elementary School, I felt extremely welcome. Everyone at the school is very supportive and inviting. As I began to get to know the students, it was exciting to see the differences in their interests and personalities. Though the art room could get chaotic at time, students were respectful of the space and of each other.
Since Skyview is a STEM school, there is a lot of focus on technology and engineering. many students are involved in after school programs relating to STEM and getting to work with technology like 3-D printers and such. There are also other clubs after school such as choir, enrich, art club, ABC, and others. Though the school is STEM, all contents are valued by teachers, administration, and parents.
One event I got to be a part of was "Math Night". The literacy teachers transformed the entire school into a campground and provided math games for students and their families to partake in. Each year, the theme changes, allowing for many contents to be the focus. This was a great way to see the community of Skyview. Parents, teachers, and students were all very involved with the process and many came to play games and spend time with each other. It was great to see that so many families came to the event and that students could have fun while learning.
Those are some examples of how supportive the community is. Staff, parents, and students are all very involved and the focus is to meet all the specific needs of each learner.
Classroom Environment
The classroom space at both schools are very large. There are large tables that seat four or five students each class. All of the materials are in a spot that is easy for students to access and all labeled. In both schools, there is a lot of counter space and room for storage. At Skyview, there is a large supply closet that contains materials such as tag board, a kiln, clay storage, class storage, and tons of found objects. Both classes have a Promethean Board that teachers and students can interact with. "The Beach" is an area where students can take time to think about their actions and is decorated with a beach scene to remain a neutral space. The class always has student work on the walls, usually from an entire grade level. Though students work with many materials, the classroom organization helps to maintain a clean and safe workspace.
Support Structure
There are various programs at Skyview to ensure that students are reaching their full potential both academically and behaviorally. The first is the PST (Problem Solving Team). The PST is a committee made up of a literacy teacher, a couple classroom teachers, a special needs teacher, and my cooperating teacher. If there are any students who are falling behind in their reading, writing, or math scores, the homeroom teacher of the student accumulates data over several months. From there the literacy or math teacher assess and analyze the documentation. After the data is assessed, there is a meeting with the parents of the student, the homeroom teacher, any previous teachers the student may have had, and the committee. The meeting helps to develop strategies to get the student reach an average level so they don't fall behind. This helps the teachers and parents get on the same page and really discuss the best action for the individual students.
Furthermore, the "High Five" program is a positive reinforcement for exemplary behavior that any student can receive. If teachers or staff notice a student going above and beyond in their classes, students will receive a high five sticker. Also,SOAR (Self-worth, Opportunity, Accountability, Relationship) focuses on students with special accommodations, working first in their own space, but slowly integrating them into a group classroom setting. Students have point sheets and are evaluated each day in each content and with behavior.
There are also resources for students to receive extra help in reading, writing, or math if they are falling behind in their classes. Overall, there is a lot of support for students of all ranges. I was lucky to get to experience them first hand and see how students develop throughout the semester.