By Kerry Rahm
krahm@wbcowqel.com
Even though school is out, students and their families gathered at the Bucyrus City Schools Board of Education meeting Thursday evening to celebrate artistic and scholastic achievements.
The night also included a special presentation from some of the students in the Bucyrus Elementary School’s Gifted Program.
Teacher Michelle Vance spoke about how the program places a strong emphasis on computer science. This year, the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students focused on three main areas: coding, robots, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) learning.
Program students in attendance were Ella Hoover, Lillian Neumann, Layla Ellis, and Madalyn Kimmel.
Vance, passionate about introducing her students to coding, explained how this section of computer programming is heavily math based, and requires strong math skills. She was impressed by how they became fascinated with a website called “Scratch.” She challenged the students to create algorithms to program animations to move and even create sounds.
Vance moved on to robots, and noted how her classes studied different kinds of industrial robots such as those used at RAMTEC and Honda, and personal robots which families could use in their homes. She noted that this was the type of exposure that kids would normally only get at a high school level.
Hoover and Kimmel introduced Dash and Dot, two tiny blue robots covered in sensors, and gave a demonstration of how they wrote code to make the robots perform. Dash and Dot stole the show, as their instructions resulted in some entertaining maneuvers, much to the delight of all in attendance.
STEM learning has grown in popularity, Vance said, so much so that there are STEM schools and STEM labs across the country. STEM learning is hands on and collaborative, and Vance gave projects with time limits and no instructions. The students had 10 minutes to build a boat out of a sheet of tin foil and which was capable of holding 50 pennies while afloat, the goal being that students had to find creative ways to solve problems.
Presentation stations showing the three themes had been set up around the room, and time was then allotted for the students to “show and tell” what they accomplished in the classroom this past school year.
Artwork by Bucyrus students will grace the halls of the board office, a practice that is not new. The idea started a few years ago, and student artwork rotates out every few months. Awardees were given certificates for having their work selected. Damen Parsell, Keegan Sims, Raegan Poth, and Christina Johnson were just some of the honored students.
Bucyrus Rotary members Virginia Hammontree and Terry Gernert presented a check totaling $13,912.93 to the Bucyrus band parents.
Parents Kim Kent and Michelle Ashley thanked the Rotary and the group’s supporters for the gift which will go toward new percussion instruments.
Press release
The Bucyrus City School District Board of Education started their regular monthly meeting with student recognitions and three presentations May 26.
The first order of business was to award commendations to recognize students whose artwork has been on display in the Lincoln Administrative Center. Students receiving commendations included; Sidney Stevens, Kaitlyn Wells, Lillian Neumann, Reece Zeigler, Rachael Ely, Damen Parsell, Keegan Sims, Alyssa Lawrence, Mason Ricker, Christina Johnson, Raegan Poth and Alexis Adams.
The board then heard a presentation from students and teachers from the Elementary School Gifted Program. The focus of the presentation was to show the board members the new additions to the gifted curriculum. Students presenting to the board included; Madalyn Kimmel, Adacyn Rister, Ella Hoover, Layla Ellis and Lillian Neumann. The students were joined by gifted coordinator Carrie Wood and gifted teacher Michelle Vance.
Students demonstrated the computer programming skills they’ve learned through the use of SCRATCH, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) projects completed by the students and the robotics unit the students completed during the 2015-2016 school year.
“Coding, STEM, and Robotics will continue to be part of the gifted curriculum,” Vance said. “Next year, another branch of technology will be added to further expand the curriculum.”
The next presentation involved the Bucyrus Rotary and Bucyrus High School Band. Specifically, the Rotary donated over $13,000 to the High School band to purchase new percussion equipment as a result of the club’s annual auction fundraiser.
“We greatly appreciate the support from the Bucyrus Rotary Club for our High School band,” Superintendent Kevin Kimmel said. “These new instruments will be put to good use when the new school year starts in August.”
The final presentation of the evening was from Educational Options Director Mr. Marty Schuster regarding the Educational Options program and Virtual Learning Academy. The board moved to the business portion of the meeting and approved all items as presented, including new teacher and administrator contracts. The members recessed to executive session with no additional action taken.
The next meeting of the board of education will be a work session at 5:00 p.m. Thursday, June 16. The next regular meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m. in the Lincoln Administrative Center Thursday, June 23.