Lab coats? Check!
Beakers and Solutions? Check!
Hands-on learning? Check!
A Day of Thoughtful Inquiry? Check!

As all teachers return across our Thompson district and prepare for the upcoming school year, today marked an occasion for the staff at Laurene Edmondson Elementary School to reflect upon the question, “What does it mean to be a STEM school?”

A National Effort

A national effort to dramatically improve education in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) is underway. Five schools in the Thompson School District have selected to fine-tune their their school mission and vision towards an emphasis in science, technology, engineering, and/or math. These schools are: Berthoud High School, Turner Middle School, Ivy Stockwell Elementary, Laurene Edmondson Elementary and Big Thompson Elementary. Conrad Ball Middle School is embarking on a comprehensive Technology focus, and Mountain View High School hosts our district’s largest pre-engineering course selections.

Last spring, the faculty and school accountability committee at Laurene Edmondson unanimously voted in favor of  becoming a STEM focus school. 

The Power of STEM

STEM education focus schools use science and math as core content throughout the school day. They endeavor to deliver enriched learning experiences that captivate the curious minds of learners through carefully planned units of inquiry.  Students are empowered to ask questions, solve problems, and seek innovative solutions.

STEM schools strive to create a culture of collaboration, confidence, and critical thinking.  The power of technology is harnessed to activate and explore 21st Century applications through data analysis, design process, and programming.

Local & Regional Collaboration

The faculty at Laurene Edmondson worked closely with their colleagues at Ivy Stockwell Elementary, as both schools are kicking off a STEM focus this year.  Together, these schools have sought to extend their knowledge by partnering with two schools in the Adams 12 Five Star Schools that began their STEM focus a year in advance. Through this regional collaboration, Thompson educators have learned strategies what pitfalls to avoid in the implementation process, and what strategies to prioritize.

Throughout the year we will be sharing information about our STEM focus schools to illuminate the power of STEM education and how it helps us reach our mission of empowering students to learn, challenging them to achieve, and inspiring them to excel.

For more information about Laurene Edmondson’s STEM focus, contact their principal, Trish Malik at 613-6300.

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