SEM Accomplishments for 2010-2011
Each year, we establish goals for SEM at Laurel Mountain. Many of the goals are simply restating the foundations of the program, while others may extend previous successes to new areas in the curriculum. We are excited to share the accomplishments of the Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM) at Laurel Mountain for the 2010-2011 school year.
- Teachers and student utilized the Renzulli Learning System (RLS) within the classroom by creating projects and assignments completed by students. This school year, there were over 230 different assignments created by teachers for students on RLS. Teachers shared over 740 favorite sites with students using RLS. Students have created almost 90 self-created projects and have visited over 50,500 different sites and logged on a total of 17,916 days this school year!
- Teachers utilized the Renzulli Differentiation Engine on RLS to help meet the needs of all learners. This program on RLS allows for unique differentiated activities in curriculum areas, engaging interested based resources and assessment questions for the students so they can reflect on the work they have completed. This year, there were almost 70 different lessons created on the Differentiation Engine to help meet the needs of all of our students in the classroom during the school day.
- 5th graders will use the Renzulli Personal Success Plan (PSP) to set academic and personal goals throughout the school year. The PSP was designed to help young people to think critically about their interests, heroes and career aspirations - and then create tangible goals and plans for achieving those dreams. This academic year, 65 fifth grade students started and completed a PSP.
- Independent Investigative Method (IIM) of research continued to be used in all grade levels K-5. There were IIM project that related to the regular classroom curriculum. For example, in kindergarten classes the students did an IIM project on butterflies. In first grade, the students focused on winter animals. In second grade, the students did IIM projects on famous people in history. There were also numerous IIM projects that were students chose their own topics of research. These happened in several grade levels, including third, fourth and fifth grades.
- Built and utilized each child's Total Talent Portfolio (TTP) and communicate contents with parents. The TTP were shared with parents during conferences.
- LEGO Educational lessons were taught in all grades, K-5. This year, the kindergarten students had the opportunity to work with LEGOS during the enrichment clusters. In first and second grade, the students worked with the WeDo LEGO system during class time. In third grade, the students concentrated on pulleys, gears, wheels and axels using the LEGO Educational Kits. In fourth grade, the students worked with the LEGO Simple Machine kits and worked with levers and pulleys. Finally, in fifth grade, the students worked with the LEGO NXT Mindstorm kit, which adds in the programmable aspect using the NXT software on the computer.
- Teachers used the training learned during from Cathy Berger Kaye training in August on Service Learning in the classroom:
3rd grade:Each class did trick or treating for UNICEF during Halloween. The entire 3rd grade collected over $1,500!
Mrs. Jackson's 3rd Grade Class:During some E-slots the children made cards for a classmate's new adoptive sister coming from China. They also made tie blankets for orphanage.
Mrs. Castro's 5th Grade Class:Planning, organizing and gathering everything for the Laurel Mountain 25th Anniversary Time Capsule.
Ms. Schuster's 3rd Grade Class:Creating a Wildflower Garden in a plot in the Preserve. The garden will provide food for the native birds.
Mrs. Watson's 4th Grade TAG Class:In Mrs. Watson's TAG math class, students have been using their research and calculation skills to compare the costs of eating out to eating at home to the cost of feeding a child in Uganda. Their discovery moved them to compassion and action to help the children in Uganda. The students raised $198.06 and bought stuffed animal prizes filled with incentives to encourage the children to read. One 4th grader stated, "If we just buy food for them, then they will eat it and need help again, but if we encourage them to read, then they can study and learn how to feed themselves and their community." Taking it to the next step - that seems to be the wonderful result of a service learning project!
Mrs. Davies' 3rd Grade Class:Organized a clothing drive to help foster children - collected over 2,200 articles of clothing in two weeks!
Mrs. Hieronymus' 3rd Grade Class:These 3rd graders are teaching LME kindergarteners about their garden. They helped the kinder students draw a pumpkin seed, watermelon seed, and sunflower seed in their science logs; and actually planted the seeds in the garden, learning to plant the seed under 1 inch of soil. The Hieronymus Longhorns also taught the Lee Lizards about butterflies, including the life cycle of a butterfly, its eggs, caterpillar, and chrysalis. The discussed other important facts including how butterflies eat with their feet, different butterflies are on different flowers, and host plants have different caterpillars.
Mrs. Schuster's 3rd grade class:The Superstars complete community service projects upon earning 100 compliments, and this time they chose to do a campus trash pick-up. The Superstars donned plastic gloves and picked up four trash bags full of trash from the campus grounds.
- Mrs. Levitan continued to teach Primary Education Thinking Skills (PETS) lessons in grades 1 and 2. These lessons teach the students about the different types of thinking that we use to solve problems.
- Mrs. Levitan worked with 4th grade students on compacting math enrichment throughout the school year. When students demonstrated a level of proficiency on a pre-test in a specific math concept they were allowed to exchange instructional time for accelerated and/or enriched work relating to the math concept bring taught in class.
- Mrs. Levitan, along with a group of parents, developed the Philanthropy Mentoring Program. This program provides a student, teacher and/or class with a Philanthropy Mentor who can lead him or her through a project that focuses on the giving of one's time, talent or treasure for the sake of another, or for the common good.
- Mrs. Levitan, our Enrichment Coordinator, continued to collaborate with teachers in a variety of areas, such as using the Renzulli Learning System, IIM, service learning, enrichment clusters, enrichment slot activities, Philanthropy Mentoring Program, compacting math enrichment, PETS lessons and many others. This allows LME to reach all of our diverse learners.
- In grades K-5, students participated in an Enrichment Clusters for 6-8 weeks. There were a total of 44 different enrichment cluster offered in a variety of topics this school year.
- Students participated in Enrichment Cluster Showcases to highlight their journey during the enrichment clusters, along with the product and services that the students worked on during the 6 to 8 weeks.
- This year we had 59 student helpers from fifth grade who helped facilitate the 2/3 and K/1 enrichment clusters.
- This year we had over 90 parent and/or community members assist with enrichment, enrichment clusters or Enrichment slots (E-slots) taking place in the classroom.
- We offered eight enrichment cluster tours to about 50 parents this year. These tours allow our parents to witness enrichment clusters in action.
We continued to make Service Learning a focus within our enrichment clusters and E-slot activities:
4th and 5th grade "Remarkable Reptile" Enrichment Cluster: Designed and made snake habitats in the Preserve for the native snakes living there.
4th and 5th grade "LME Got Talent" Enrichment Cluster: Visited Heartland Healthcare Center and shared their talents with the residents.
4th and 5th grade "Sports Fitness" Enrichment Cluster: Sponsored a 1 mile "Fun Run for Food" for all 4th and 5th grade students. They planned every aspect: course/course map, advertising, registration, volunteers, snacks, awards, set-up and take down. On December 3, 2010 approximately 60 students participated in the Fun Run and they collected 131 canned goods for the Capital Area Food Bank.
4th and 5th grade "SWAT Team" Enrichment Cluster: Created a display to share with others about the water conservation and distributed water saving reminder stickers to each student at LME.
2nd and 3rd grade "Cooking for Cats, Dining for Dogs" Enrichment Cluster: The students in this enrichment cluster bake dog and cat treats. They decided to donate the dog and cat treats to an animal shelter. The student will individually bag the treats and write a thank-you note as a gift to the people adopting the pets. They will also include the yummy recipe.
2nd - 5th grade "Clay Creations" Enrichment Clusters: Student participated in the Empty Bowl Festival and contributed their handmade bowls to the event. The Empty Bowls Festival raised $10,221!
2nd and 3rd grade "Rainforest Heroes" Enrichment Cluster: Students created valentines to send to an agribusiness company that cuts down trees in the rainforest. The valentines asked the company to have a heart for the world's rainforests.
2nd and 3rd grade "Friendship Bracelet Fun" Enrichment Cluster: These caring students created bracelets for new LME students. They worked hard and have many bracelets and welcoming notes to help new LME students feel excited about joining our school community.
2nd and 3rd grade "Creative Kids" Enrichment Cluster: The Creative Kids had a craft sale featuring water globes with glow-in-the-dark aliens, beautiful watercolor paintings, pipe cleaner creations, and many origami animals. It was a very successful sale with the support of many students, teachers and staff. The students raised $55.05 for Crafting Comfort, a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide comfort to those in need through gifts of handcrafted items.
4th Grade E-slot Elective: Juli Berwald visited the Ban the Bags E-slot Elective on Friday, January 21. Ms. Berwald is the author of Mermaids' Tears, a story about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and its effects on the environment. This group's service project will focus on the amount of plastic bags being used and how we can reduce that amount.
4th Grade E-slot Elective: Teachers read the book Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch to the students. They discussed how even a small, anonymous gesture can make a positive difference in people's lives. The students hope to brighten someone's day by delivering a painted flowerpot and a note to say "thank you".
4th Grade E-slot Elective: Taken from the "I Live Here, I Give Here" campaign, 4th graders are creating paper-mache' piggy banks to send home with students. The idea is for the students to fill the piggy banks with their loose change over the year. Once the bank is full, the students decide which non-profit or philanthropy organization to donate to.
