A member of Team USA’s Paralympic swimming team made a triumphant return to his former school in Merced Friday morning.  Tye Dutcher shared his powerful story of perseverance with students at Peterson Elementary and encouraged them to always rise above challenges in their own lives.

Tye was a 5^th grader at Peterson in 2008 when he lost his foot and part of his leg in a lawnmower accident.  After the initial shock and fear, he soon made the decision not to let his injury limit his life.  He went on to become a successful swimmer and water polo player at Merced High School before moving with his family to Washington. 

Tye’s talent in the pool then caught the eye of coaches who invited him to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, and his hard work paid off when he qualified for the Paralympics in Rio De Janeiro in five different swimming events.  Although he did not medal, the 19 year old already has his sights set on the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo.

Tye says he would not change what happened during his childhood because it has given him a greater purpose and an opportunity to inspire others.  He was excited to share his story with Peterson students and staff, including some of his former teachers and administrators.  Tye’s family also joined him for the presentation, which supports the Merced City School District’s Character Counts program.

The Merced City School District broke ground Wednesday morning on a cutting edge STEAM Center next to Ada Givens Elementary.  STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics.  This facility will be a place where preschool through eighth grade students from across our district can enjoy modern, hands-on learning in those subjects.

The STEAM Center will allow for greater collaboration with community partners such as UC Merced and Merced College by providing one convenient location to share 21st century learning opportunities with students from multiple schools.  Experts in various fields will be able to visit the center to share educational programs and projects with our students.  The facility will also be used as a training space for our teachers so they can continue to expand their own horizons and bring that knowledge back to their classrooms and makerspaces at our 18 school sites.

The image below is a rendering of the 5460 square foot building.  It will have space for a lab classroom and two “flex” classrooms, along with a lobby/breakout space.  Construction of the STEAM Center is being paid for through funding identified in our Local Control Accountability Plan.  It is designed to serve all of our students, including those who are English learners, socio-economically disadvantaged, and/or foster youth.

This facility is one exciting piece of our district’s comprehensive STEAM program.  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.  It is supported by our 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.

A collaborative planning process is still underway to support the opening of the STEAM Center in May and ensure its efficacy and sustainability well into the future.  That process involves gathering additional input from all stakeholders, including teachers, parents, higher education representatives, and other community partners.  We look forward to working with all of those groups and individuals to create the best possible learning environment for our students.