Columbia: Standing the Test of Time!

The other day I was listening to a speaker and he told a story about a pot.  As he held up the old commercial steel pot, he said that although it was over 20 years old, it was still in good condition and would last many more years producing great meals at the soup kitchen.  He asked us to think about how many things had been cooked in the pot and how it had fed many people over the years.  Then he talked about the quality of the pot.  This pot was a top quality commercial pot, built to last.  As he continued his talk, he mentioned that while we may purchase pots and pans that may seem more glitzy or appear to be a great deal, if they were made of low quality, of sub-par materials, or of poor craftsmanship, they will eventually bend and break.

Similar to the quality pot, Columbia School District is built on quality.  Columbia School District has many excellent highly qualified teachers teaching our children.  Science teachers Karen Libeau and Kendon Smith have teamed up to upgrade the junior high science program, both virtually and in person. When you think about teaching students, some of whom are in person, with the balance being distance learners, you can imagine the various strategies you may have to use to keep everyone engaged.

Together they have worked on a digital bitmoji classroom that aligns with the new Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).  In the updated science curriculum, students use digital notebooks and Google slides.  They are also using the Kesler Lab program, which they say is a game changer!  This program has breathed so much life into daily lessons. Kesler is updated to NGSS and includes a lot of great strategies and techniques for our students.  This program is especially essential if we have to return to all remote learning, because the lessons are tailored to distance learning.

Mrs. Libeau and Mr. Smith talked about the fact that their activities are student-centered and fun!  These resources and activities are specially focused for middle school science students.  Mr. Smith mentioned that this year is so different due to the new resources from the Kesler Lab.  He mentioned that, “With the Kesler information, we give kids more interesting science projects.”  He went on to say that it has been fun to collaborate with Mrs. Libeau and learn from her vast knowledge.  Another aspect of the quality education Columbia students receive is the opportunity to experience using technology.  Mr. Smith and Mrs. Libeau work closely with their students through technology. 

Together the highly qualified teachers at Columbia make a difference in the lives of our children each and every day.  Columbia has stood the test of time, being an impressive successful educational learning environment filled with quality employees: amazing teachers, and many fabulous instructional aides, staff members, and administrators.  Just like the top quality pot, lasting the test of time, Columbia will continue providing excellence in education for years to come.  If you are interested in learning more about Columbia, email me at Pamela.Campbell@myeagles.org or call 5175926641.