Columbia's Music Program Plays the Right Note!

As we listen to music it affects each one of us differently.  The band leader hears the music up close with a trained ear.  The clarinet player hears the whole band, but hears those closest to him clearer.  The percussion players hear the music, but may actually feel the beat to a greater degree that those around them.  While some say the audience members have the ultimate experience enjoying the music.

This past week the Columbia Central Jr – Sr band concert was held in the auditorium.  The band members were all students who put in an amazing amount of effort learning and perfecting each piece of music.  Not only do they play in the band, many of the musicians also take Advanced Placement courses, which focus on college level curriculum for high school students.  These students must not only put a great deal of time and effort into their music, but complete hours of homework and research to be successful in the Advanced Placement course.

Other students who play in the band compete in athletics.  Combining music and athletics is challenging even for the best of students.  These student musicians must put in hours and hours afterschool practicing their sport, go home do their homework, then practice their music.  These students are incredibly dedicated to giving their best in music, academics and athletics. 

Students who are band members who enjoy athletics and academics value the benefits of music, along with many in the community.  Columbia School District values music education for our students.  Leading up to band in the high school, even elementary students have the opportunity to enjoy music class.  Students in kindergarten through sixth grade participate in general music, which includes vocal and instrumental music.  Our sixth grade students may choose to enjoy beginning band.  Once students enter seventh grade, there is junior high band and choir.  Our senior high school students may play in the band and enjoy choir class.  In addition, marching band includes after school practices and many students sing in our musicals.

The strong music program at Columbia has lasting benefits for our students including making memories, and new friends.  Not only is it rewarding to have a great music program, studies have shown that music reduces stress, increases happiness and improves health.  If you are interested in coming and enjoying our music performances, stay tuned to the Columbia School District calendar on our home page at myeagles.org.  If you have questions about your child attending Columbia and participating in music or other programs, email me at pamela.campbell@myeagles.org or call 5175926641.

During spring break my husband and I visited some friends who live in the south.  During our visit, I was picking up sticks in their backyard, and saw a chameleon darting up the side of their house and under the siding. Watching him quickly leave the green grass and scurry up the tan siding, I was amazed at how rapidly he began to change his color based upon his surroundings. 

This type of teachable moment scenario may be used as a basis for a science lesson at Columbia School District for students in grades kindergarten through 12^th.  How does a teacher know what to teach in science?  It has always seemed logical for high school teachers, because students select biology, anatomy, physics or chemistry, but what tips the scales for teachers in kindergarten through eighth grade? 

Columbia School District has always had a science curriculum, but now we have additional updated input from the State.  Last November the State of Michigan released the new science standards for our children.  One of the goals of the new document was to promote the ideology that science, technology, and engineering saturate nearly every facet of our lives.  In addition, the new standards underscore the fact that science, technology, and engineering are integral to defining and solving many current and future global concerns and challenges.

The new science standards give our teachers the parameters with which to lay out the curriculum for each grade level and help them get our students prepared for State Assessments, such as the MSTEP (that was initially given in the spring of 2015). Now in its second year, the MSTEP assesses English language arts and mathematics for children in grades three through eight, science in grades four and seven, and social studies in grades five and eight.  From this list, it almost looks like we only need to teach science in fourth and seventh grade, however each grade is provided with State of Michigan science standards.  In fourth grade, children are assessed on the standards and information they learned in not only grade four, but in kindergarten through third grade. 

In order to assist our teachers with the huge impact of giving our students the base of understanding for science, technology, and engineering, the standards are organized around seven concepts*: (1) Patterns, (2) Cause and Effect, (3) Scale, Proportion, and Quantity, (4) Systems and

System Models, (5) Energy and Matter in Systems, (6) Structure and Function, and (7) Stability and Change of Systems.  These concepts provide a cross disciplinary framework for our students and their teachers.  Within the framework there are eight different practices that are to be used when investigating a concept.  The practices that our teachers are using are*: (a) Asking questions and defining problems, (b) Developing and using models, (c) Planning and carrying out investigations, (d) Analyzing and interpreting data, (e) Using mathematics and computational thinking, (f) Constructing explanations and designing solutions, (g) Engaging in argument from evidence, and (h) Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information.  Combined, the concepts and practices give our students a powerful ability to build a knowledge base from which to become life-long learners in the area of science, technology, and engineering.

If you are interested in learning more about Columbia School District and our focus on science, technology, and engineering, email me at pamela.campbell@myeagles.org or call 5175926641.

                                                                                                        

(*) The information regarding the State of Michigan K-12 Science Standards is taken from http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/K-12_Science_Performance_Expectations_v5_496901_7.pdf

Columbia STEM Investigations!

Columbia School District students experience STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) on a daily basis.  At Columbia Central High School Mrs. VanWagnen's Forensic Science class uses scientific techniques to build their analytical skills.  During one session they focused on the physics of blood stain and spatter analysis to learn how to solve a crime. They learned that the bloodstain pattern depends on both the force used to propel the blood and the type of surface the spatter lands upon.

Columbia Central High School teacher Mr. Dickens gave his Advanced Placement Biology class the opportunity to experience the fascinating world of DNA investigation. Upon arrival at Camp McGregor for their DNA experiment, they put on their safety goggles and lab coats and became acquainted with the high-tech equipment.  The real-world technique the students used was DNA fingerprinting, which is sometimes called DNA profiling.   The science is often used on television crime dramas and by police detectives to identify a perpetrator by their DNA.  

In the Upper Elementary students are taking advantage of the new science classroom to increase their proficiency in STEM areas.  Recently, Mrs. Adams used a hands-on lesson about force and motion.  The students learned how things moved using spinning tops.  They evaluated the force and motion by measuring distance, time, and speed.  In all of the elementary STEM classes, students collect data and reflect on their experiments and assessments in qualitative and quantitative terms. The curriculum also has students illustrate and graph their results.

At Columbia Central Junior High School, science teacher Mrs. Libeau has been teaching her students about electricity and energy. The investigation into energy uses research into the effects of light energy, solar energy, and water energy. The students use the hands on experiments and investigations, combined with reflection to gain an improved understanding of the world around them.

As the science in the world around us gets more and more complex, our students must get a firm foundation in STEM.  Columbia School District has a focus on giving our students a base of understanding in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.  If you are interested in registering your child at Columbia, please email me at pamela.campbell@myeagles.org or call 5175926641.

Columbia School District STEM Programs!

As we approach Spring Break it is time for us to celebrate a wonderful first six months of the 2015-16 school year!  By working closely together our community has improved learning opportunities in Columbia Schools.  Many of our positive improvements reside under the umbrella of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).  Teachers in grades four through eight have increased their hands-on science teaching by using new activities and strategies gained from work with the Battle Creek Math and Science Center curriculum.  These new activities give students an opportunity to investigate, learn and reflect on science concepts.  Our students understanding of science will also receive a boost during our Cranbrook family science night and through the Science Fair this spring.  Students will have the opportunity to learn through participating in fun and interesting hands-on science experiments.

Our Columbia teachers have diligently worked together to improve math education by spending time aligning our curriculum, developing innovative teaching strategies and integrating new math techniques and skills.  They also have participated in a unique opportunity to study math through a collegial professional learning community book study on “Number Talks: Helping Children Build Mental Math.”

Our students from grades three through eight have benefited by these advanced strategies and techniques.  One of the opportunities to engage students through innovative strategies is the Michigan League of Academic Games program (MLAG).  Columbia students have been working and learning math games that focus on computation, problem solving and set theory.  Some of the participants attended the annual MLAG State Tournament and gained positive experience working competing against students from across the state.

Aligning with the STEM focus at Columbia School District, Columbia Upper Elementary has a Robotics Team through which students has an opportunity to use the engineering and math concepts they learn in the classroom and apply it to building a functioning robot.  The students in robotics are given a challenge, so they build, program and operate their robot to complete the challenge.  Under the guidance of Mrs. Eastman, students at Columbia Central Junior High School have enjoyed participating in an engineering class that integrates technology, math, and physics into the curriculum.  Students have also enjoyed the STEM applications through our partnership with the Shop Rat Foundation and Consumers Energy. 

To support our students in this very important area of STEM, our teachers have participated in afterschool programs K – 12.  Columbia Central Junior High School teachers tutor students across the curriculum in their after school program and Columbia Central High School teachers support their students by providing expert assistance afterschool.  Again this summer, we will offer programs focused on remediation at the high school level, team building for fifth through eighth grade students, accelerated math for students in seventh and eighth grade, and math games for third through eighth grade students.  New this coming summer, Columbia Elementary students in grades K through 6 will have the option to participate in the Book Club or Robotics program!

This is an exciting time at Columbia School District!  Our terrific teachers and staff members have partnered with our parents and community to provide all of these and many more excellent educational opportunities for our students.  If you are interested in learning more about Columbia School District and our positive STEM programs, email me at pamela.campbell@myeagles.org or call 5175926641.

Join Columbia for an Evening of Fun!

Get ready for fun at the Golden Ticket Cash Bash on February 27^th at the Gene Davis Banquet Center!  Last spring the Columbia School District Family came together to raise over $17,000 for Senior Scholarships and Mini Grants for Academics, Arts and Athletics.  Tickets for the Cash Bash are available for $80 for two people.  You may obtain a ticket from any of the Columbia School District principals. 

At the end of this month Columbia School District supporters will again experience fun and fellowship while raising even more funds for the students of our district.  To learn more about how the funds from the Silent Auction portion of the Cash Bash were dedicate to our students and provided some terrific new innovative educational additions read the following paragraphs.  

Columbia Elementary School first grade teachers Mrs. Hawkins and Mrs. Jenness received funds for their classrooms.  Mrs. Hawkins’ $1,000 mini grant was for a new educational game system called Osmo.  This system uses an iPad with an interactive interface and provides the users with fine motor activities using manipulatives.  This truly innovative device and app gives the children problem solving activities with visual feedback for the students.   Mrs. Hawkins’ students are very thankful for the generosity of those who donated to the silent auction at the cash bash and to those who purchased the items.

Mrs. Jenness received $309 for a classroom learning center for her classroom.  In her grant application, she cited the many benefits to having a listening center in a classroom.  She wrote that it helps to “build sight word vocabulary, exposes students to a variety of story structures (genres), provides access to higher level texts, fosters independence, models phrasing and fluency, compliments and supplements curriculum, and students don’t always have someone at home to read them books.”  Her students were very excited to hear about their new listening center.

At Columbia Upper Elementary School, Principal Mrs. O’Neil and third grade teacher Mrs. Wright, worked with teachers to reorganize the Media Center and evaluated all of the books.  Their mini grant application was titled, “Loving the Library at Columbia Upper Elementary.”  They received $1,000 for books and posters for the new literature.  In addition, I was able to set up a donation from School Specialty Company for some great brightly colored “marsh mellow” chairs and triangle tables.  The students love their new books and furniture!

Columbia Central Junior – Senior High School had four successful grant applications.  Mrs. Eastman

teaches math, coding and robotics at Columbia Central Junior High School.  She applied for a mini grant for her coding and robotics class.  In her grant application she wrote that, “the critical need the program will address is the need for students to problem solve, communicate and prepare for future careers.  Students will have the opportunity to construct knowledge and build theories through robotics, thus strengthening their understanding of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in collaborative settings.  Problem solving and communication are life-long skills that can be applied to every aspect of a student’s life.  Robotics also helps to prepare and introduce students for many high demand careers in the STEM fields.”     Her students are very pleased to have $1,000 worth of new robotics parts and pieces to use in their classroom due to the generosity of community members.

Spanish teacher Mrs. Daniels wrote a grant for $150 for a cross curricular program that features a little bit of art and a lot of Spanish culture.  The goal of the cultural learning experience was to have students learn about the significance and history of the piñata, along with creating amazing piñatas.  After they are completed, the students will take them home to share with their families

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At Columbia Central High School Mrs. VanWagnen and Ms. Samson were granted funds for their classrooms.  Mrs. VanWagnen’s Sports Medicine class was initially created in the fall 2014 and the students wanted to have a greater effect on their peers and teachers.  The goal of the grant was to serve additional students at Columbia Central High School through a student-led health and wellness program.  The new wellness program received funding in the amount of $1000 to provide an initial amount of funds for the students to initiate the program.  Ms. Samson teaches science and received a mini grant for science equipment that teaches her students about flight.  Her innovative STEM program using hands-on activities teaches the scientific properties of flight.  If you are interested in learning how your child could attend Columbia School District, call 5175926641 or email me at pamela.campbell@myeagles.org .

Sadie's Big Adventure!

The other day a friend posted a video on Facebook.  Although I usually do not watch videos, this one started when I scrolled by.  It was very funny and I could hardly stop laughing!  After I stopped laughing, I began thinking about how enjoyment can enhance every aspect of our lives.  In general, people participate in activities they enjoy. 

At Columbia School District our teachers use learning strategies that use enjoyment to enhance academic goals and objectives.  Our students benefit from receiving instruction from individuals who are creative and use positive experiences to boost the end result of their classroom activities.  Earlier in the school year Mrs. Wright challenged her class to read enough books and earn scores of at least 1,000 points in the Accelerated Reader program.  If her entire class could achieve the 1,000 goal, their reward would be having Sadie, Mrs. Wright’s dog, come in for a visit. 

The big day when Sadie came to visit happened last week.  Not only did the students enjoy having Sadie visit, they used their improved reading skills to read with her.  They also used their math abilities to graph which students had dogs at their home and told funny dog jokes, such as, “Why did the dog not talk back to his foot?  Answer: Because it’s disrespectful to talk back to your Paw!” 

During Sadie’s visit the students had an opportunity to take her for a walk in the cool fresh air.  In addition they collaborated with a service learning project happening at Columbia Upper Elementary School and did an advertisement for the Cascades Humane Society.  Their experience learning and working with Sadie helped make the school service project of collecting supplies for the Cascades Humane society a reality.  Mrs. Wright’s students had a great time and they smiled all day during their enjoyable, fun-filled experience!

 At Columbia, our teachers work with their students to tie enjoyable activities to academic skill building experiences that lead to success.  If you are interested in learning how your students could participate in Columbia’s great educational environment, email me at pamela.campbell@myeagles.org or call 5175926641.

A Successful Foundation for a Bright Future!

As I looked out the window and saw the snowflakes falling, I walked outside to catch some of the light, fluffy, cold snowflakes in my hand.  The snowflakes seemed quite similar, although I know that no two snowflakes are alike.  Looking at the snowflakes it made me think about how our students are similar in age and size, even in temperament, although each child is unique.  Similarly to the way that the complex shapes of the snowflakes are molded and formed by the different environments they pass through, our students bring with them different experiences that give them differing and unique capabilities and strengths.

In the Columbia School District our teachers work with students and use approaches that focus on the students’ various strengths.  Our preschool and kindergarten teachers use strategies to bring out the best in our youngest students.  During their classroom experience, our kindergartners get an opportunity to experience strategies that bring out the best in each child.   The teachers use hands-on manipulatives and activities designed specifically to give our kindergartners a firm foundation for their educational success.

Our upper elementary school students experience activities that give them a path to academic success.  Not only does Columbia provide great academic opportunities during the school day, but this year many of our upper elementary students have participated in the Magic Choir, Robotics Club, Robotics Team, Academic Games and various athletic programs during the after school hours. 

At Columbia Central our teachers provide success oriented activities designed to give our students positive experiences.  Just like we do at all levels at Columbia we address the various differences in our students by offering classes especially designed to give them academic success. Our Advanced Placement courses give students a taste of college level academics while still in high school.  In addition to their basic academic core subjects, students have an opportunity to take Calculus, Physics, Chemistry, Engineering, Robotics, Spanish, French, Senior Transitions, band, choir, physical fitness and Psychology.  We also have many athletic teams for our students, along with musicals and plays.

As each and every one of our students transform into the unique individual people they are to become, it is our responsibility to nurture and educate them. Similarly to the way we appreciate the unique differences in snowflakes, Columbia School District teachers from preschool through high school work with their students to educate them with strategies designed to give them a positive foundation for a bright future.  If you are interested in learning more about Columbia School District and our programs, email me at pamela.campbell@myeagles.org or call 5175926641.