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Struthers presents state of schools
struthers
President Barack Obama had nothing on Struthers schools administrators Tuesday night.
The president asserted a strong state of the union in a speech before the nation, but earlier, school administrators worked just as hard to show the school board at its meeting that the state of the schools is strong, and plans are continuing for innovations next year.
In curriculum, all the schools are focusing on their STEM initiatives — science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
At the elementary-school level, kindergartners are starting out by learning about trees, said school Principal Dennis Hynes.
In first grade, they “push, pull and go;” in second, they learn about air and weather; and in third, water.
“Next year, we want to expand those modules,” said Hynes.
In the middle school, explained Principal Pete Pirone, the focus centers on engineering. Fifth- and sixth-graders learn the forces of motion. Seventh-graders move on to civil engineering, and eighth-graders go on to mechanical engineering.
Students begin to use a 3-D printer in fifth grade, he said, and eventually, they learn to make a wrench.
The high-school curriculum, said Principal Roger Day, includes environmental science and a trip to Yellow Creek for water-testing; advanced-placement psychology; and dual-credit English classes.
Pirone said fine arts has taken off: The school has a jazz band, and it is looking to improve career- and technical-education next year.
He also said the school will explore how to prepare students for college.
Day said the high school revamped its technology classes.
Next year, he said, no more early releases will be allowed under a new law. “We want to increase offerings without adding bodies,” he said.
He said the school is “looking at PE and upper-level PE classes.”
The school also is looking at digital media and “bringing things into the building mathwise for upper-level kids.”
The school is testing twice a year to identify gifted students, said Amanda McNinch, coordinator of special services for the district.
Next year, she said, the district wants more teachers and more parents to refer more students to the gifted program.
Professional development for teachers and tutorials for parents on how to prepare children for tests also are upcoming, she said.
Student enrichment last year included a student-choir performance at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and a French IV trip to the Benedum Theatre in Pittsburgh to see a performance of “The Nutcracker.”