Focused on Learning at Columbia!

As I gazed up at the evening sky the other evening, I was amazed at the beautiful moon.  It was so beautiful I wanted to take a picture.  Initially I took a picture that included the trees and the horizon,but it did not do the moon justice, so I focused closer and took a picture of the just the moon.  When I focused at the moon itself, it was more strikingly special and vibrant.

At Columbia Schools our teachers and administrators look for the special things about our students and focus on their skills and talents.  Last week over 150 Columbia Central High School students were honored for their academic achievement over the past year.  These students are not only intelligent, but they are hard-working and possess vibrant skills that have been nurtured and encouraged by their teachers. 

These top students and others like them have given Columbia Central High School top rankings for the past three years, being named as Silver and Bronze Medallion Award recipients from U.S. News and World Report, along with earning the distinction of a Reward School from the State of Michigan.  On Friday we were notified that this year’s senior class received top scores in the county on their State Assessment (the ACT) last spring.  Congratulations to our students for their diligence in studying for the assessment and to their teachers for their exceptional direction and focus on academic excellence.

The positive academic focus at Columbia begins with our youngest students.  Last week I spent some time at our elementary school watching and talking to our teachers and students.  Similarly to how the focus on the crescent moon revealed positive results, my visit to the classrooms found teachers who use planned focused activities to increase their students’ academic level.  In many of the classrooms the teachers were focusing on increasing their students’ proficiency in literacy.  Children were reading and working together on literacy skill building activities.  In other classrooms students were collaborating and learning together.  In one of the kindergarten classes students were involved in various activities, with some children laying on small carpets reading, others working on math concepts using play dough, while others were using iPads to improve their educational abilities.  All of the children were focused on learning.

Columbia teachers and students are focused on learning and excellence in academics.  In much the same way as I focused on the moon, the teachers keep excellence in their viewfinder to improve the skills and abilities of their students.  If you are interested in learning more about the great programs at Columbia School District, please email me at pamela.campbell@myeagles.org or call 5175926641.