Free flu shot clinics will be held at five different district sites from November 13-17. They are available to all MCSD employees, retirees, and dependents. Please see the flyer below for all of the details:
Are you a local scientist or engineer? Do you enjoy sharing your knowledge and inspiring future generations? Then the Merced City School District would love to collaborate with you!
Our district is expanding our award-winning STEAM (science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math) program, which includes integrated lessons in the classroom as well as educational excursions and hands-on learning in our new state of the art STEAM Center. We are also in the process of planning our second annual districtwide science fair. All of these offerings create more opportunities to partner with experts from our community and to show our children the types of careers they can aspire to attain.
We are currently seeking volunteers for three different areas. The first is a series of “Ask a Scientist” nights. Participants will help students prepare for the district science fair by hosting a table and discussing topics such as hypotheses, variables, procedures, and conclusions. The main requirement is a general understanding of those elements as well as the science fair process. These gatherings will take place at 5 p.m. on October 17, November 7, and December 7. Volunteers can sign up for as many of those sessions as they would like.
We are also looking for judges for the science fair, which will take place on January 19 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. This is a great chance to see the incredible work our students are doing and to help determine which of them will go on to the countywide STEM fair hosted by the Merced County Office of Education in March. Last year, our students swept the top three spots at that event and went on to compete in the California State Science Fair in Los Angeles. Go MCSD!
Finally, we have several opportunities for scientists and engineers to speak to fourth, fifth, or sixth grade students at our STEAM Center throughout this school year. Each presenter will have about 30 to 40 minutes, including time for a question and answer session. The topic for fourth graders is wave energy, so we’re especially interested in volunteers who can share their knowledge of earthquakes. The children will be using maps to identify patterns of where earthquakes occur, developing models that demonstrate the shaking, and designing structures that can withstand such temblors. Presenters for our fifth graders will be asked to speak about the properties of matter as students prepare to observe various materials and describe their differences, investigate how materials change when they are mixed together, recognize chemical reactions, and develop models of matter. The topic for sixth graders is thermal energy. Guest speakers would be asked to give an introduction to the idea that temperature measures the average kinetic energy of the particles that make up matter, as well as the transfer of energy from hot to cold materials, and the factors that impact how much an object’s temperature will change.
We are thankful to already have several experts from UC Merced on board for these events, but there are still plenty of openings. Anyone who is interested in volunteering can contact our Public Information Officer, Sara Sandrik at: ssandrikgoins@mcsd.k12.ca.us. We know this community is filled with bright, caring, and generous individuals, and we look forward to working with many more of you as we continue to our mission to help all students succeed.
A Merced City School District dream became reality this week, when the first groups of students began using our new cutting edge STEAM Center after years of planning and months of construction. The facility provides a modern space for hands-on lessons that integrate science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics, while allowing teachers to collaborate alongside their students. It was designed to help prepare our children for bright futures in high demand fields.
Approximately 150 sixth graders from Ada Givens and Charles Wright elementary schools were the first to begin using the 5460 square foot center, which is located next to Givens. They learned about thermal energy by developing hypotheses, conducting experiments, making modifications, and sharing their conclusions. One of the activities focused on conduction. The students placed small pieces of wax at different distances on a metal rod and touched the tip to a hot surface. They made predictions and recorded how long it took for each piece to melt. Meanwhile, another group of students was outside taking part in a thermal energy “scavenger hunt.” It involved determining the temperatures of various surfaces using a non-contact digital laser infrared thermometer and analyzing the factors that contributed to each one being higher or lower than the air temperature.
Our Coordinator of STEAM Education, Adrienne Nau, says, “It is so exciting to see the kids using the STEAM Center the way we intended as we designed this space over the past few years. The students are really enjoying the hands-on experience, and the flexible collaborative spaces encourage them to share ideas and knowledge with one another.”
All of our students will get to enjoy the STEAM Center, but the experiences vary by grade level. Fourth, fifth, and sixth graders will spend three consecutive days at the facility tackling the toughest physical science concepts in addition to corresponding lessons at their school sites before and after their visits. Our other grade levels will get to visit the center for STEAM-based workshops, interactive presentations, and special events. The facility was thoughtfully designed for this type of learning, from the folding glass write-on walls to the 21st century audio-visual technology to the outdoor amphitheater. It represents an exciting expansion of our award-winning STEAM program, which also includes educational excursions to places such as Yosemite National Park, Farm 2U, and local performing arts programs.
As we continue to develop and improve that program, we truly value our partnerships with all of our stakeholders. We held the first of three parent/community nights at the STEAM Center on August 24th and are planning two more from 6-7 p.m. on September 28 and January 25. We would also like to invite everyone to a dedication ceremony on October 25 at 10:30 a.m. The address for the STEAM Center is 2900 Green Street. We look forward to showcasing this facility and sharing more about how we can all work together to help our students succeed.
This is an exciting time for the Merced School District, as we kick off the 2017-2018 school year and look forward to all of the opportunities that lie ahead for our students and staff. One of those opportunities came on Monday, when students had a chance to observe the great American eclipse. They enjoyed the phenomenon in a variety of safe ways, including approved glasses and pinhole viewers. It was an exciting and powerful learning experience for all grade levels.
As we look ahead, another highlight this year will be further development of our award-winning STEAM program. STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics. The goal of the program is to prepare all of our students for bright futures in high demand fields through critical thinking and experiential learning. We utilize a combination of classroom curriculum and educational excursions to places such as Yosemite National Park, Farm 2U, and local arts performances. The California School Boards Association recognized our program with a Golden Bell Award last year, and now we are ready to take it to the next level. That includes opening our new cutting edge STEAM Center, which will host students for the first time on August 28. The 5460 square foot facility is located next to Ada Givens Elementary and will provide hands-on learning experiences in a modern, flexible setting. It features a lab classroom and two collaboration rooms, along with a lobby/breakout space and a large outdoor amphitheater. The entire design allows for interactive lessons that can be tailored to various age groups and class sizes. The rooms are separated by glass doors that also function as visual display boards, along with audio-visual technology, and magnetic “wall-talker” surfaces that can be used as projection screens and dry erase boards simultaneously. This center will not only give our students access to a state of the art facility right here at home, but it will also allow groups of teachers to work together and receive valuable support and training so they can take that knowledge back to their classrooms, labs, and makerspaces.
The social and emotional well-being of students is also a top priority, which is why we are expanding our Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports to all 18 campuses. PBIS is a research-based, nationally recognized framework that promotes a positive culture of making good choices on school campuses. It includes clear expectations for the students as well as incentives and intervention plans. This system is part of the district’s effort to reduce suspension and expulsion rates in a safe and sustainable way. We have been implementing PBIS in phases, and this year is the first time it will be in place at all of our sites.
We are also taking additional steps to support our English learners and their families. This year, we will pilot the use of simultaneous interpretation equipment at large events and during Board of Education meetings. In the past, our community outreach specialists who are fluent in Spanish, Hmong, and Mien, have worked directly with families who request their services at those meetings. Now, they will use a new audio booth and headsets to help ensure parents can access information that is important to their children’s education. This is an idea that came directly from our Local Control Accountability Plan community forums, and we are happy to see it come to fruition!
Those are just some of the many highlights as we begin this school year, and we look forward to sharing many more in the months to come. We will be posting photos, videos, and helpful information on our website, Twitter account, Facebook and Instagram pages, as well as our YouTube channel throughout the year. You’ll also notice the hashtag #WeAreMCSD, which represents the collaborative effort between students, staff, parents, and our entire community. Together, we can make 2017-2018 a year filled with success stories.
Parents and community members who would like to learn more about the Merced City School District's S.T.E.A.M. Center are invited to attend informational meetings on September 28 and January 25 from 6-7 p.m.
The first meeting took place on August 24 and focused specifically on the experiences for students in grades 4, 5, and 6.
The S.T.E.A.M. Center is located at 2900 Green Street, next to Ada Givens Elementary. It is a cutting edge facility where TK-8th grade students from throughout the district will have an opportunity to experience 21st century, hands-on learning in the subjects of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics. It also allows groups of teachers to work together and receive support and training so they can continue to expand their own horizons and bring that knowledge back to our 18 school sites.
The center includes a lab classroom and two “flex” classrooms, along with a lobby/breakout space and a large outdoor amphitheater. The entire design is intended to allow for engaging, interactive lessons that can be tailored to various age groups and class sizes.
This facility is one exciting piece of the district’s comprehensive S.T.E.A.M. program, which was honored with a Golden Bell Award by the California School Boards Association in 2016. The goal of the program is to prepare all of MCSD students for bright futures in high demand fields through critical thinking and experiential learning. It is supported by classroom teachers as well as several teacher librarians and teachers on special assignment, known as TSA’s. Students are provided STEAM learning opportunities throughout the school year as part of their daily coursework and through extended day opportunities after school. They have the chance to perform a play, learn a new instrument, compose music, build and program robots, create art galleries, work with 3D printers, grow plants, build electric circuits, and much more.
Staff members look forward to sharing much more about the experiences students will have at the center during the upcoming parent/community nights.
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