CARROLLTON, GA – True to the Carrollton City Schools reputation of initiating innovative practices to further create exceptional learning experiences for all students, a new academies program will be launched for the 2017-2018 school year at Carrollton Elementary School.
Called the Academies of Carrollton Elementary School, the three-pronged approach creates enhanced instruction in three distinct areas – STEM, Performing Arts and Dual Language, says Karen Wild, CES principal.
“We are excited to offer even more unique opportunities to engage our students,” said Wild. “Our administrative team and teachers already are designing innovative ways to implement this program.”
While the three academies will operate within themed parameters, they also will continue to focus on the all-important basics – reading, writing, math, science and social studies, plus art, physical education, STEM and music, said Wild.
“We took a hard look at our school day to figure out how we could make this work,” said Wild. “Parents can rest assured that all Georgia Standards will be covered and that their children will not only meet or exceed these standards, but come away with a specific enrichment focus that engages them on a higher level.”
The academies will be implemented through a tiered approach, with the first year to begin with first grade only. The academies will be added to second grade in 2018-2019 and third grade in 2019-2020.
Below is a listing of the academics and a summary of each focus area:
STEM – The STEM Academy will provide additional opportunities to participate in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics enrichment experiences such as project-based learning, problem-based learning, computer coding, gardening and more. Additionally, teachers will work to integrate STEM into appropriate points in the current English/language arts, math and science frameworks.
Performing Arts – The Performing Arts Academy will offer drama, visual and choral performance opportunities to students. Parents will have quarterly invitations to observe performances from the work in this academy. In addition, teachers will incorporate music and movement along with Reader’s Theater into the current frameworks for ELA, math social studies and science.
Dual Language – The focus of the Dual Language Academy will be Spanish. Students will learn foundational Spanish such as counting, colors, days of the week, months of the year and basic conversational phrases. Teachers will develop opportunities for students to practice and apply the language in current frameworks for ELA, math, social studies and science as appropriate.
Wild said parents will have the opportunity to select the appropriate academies for their children and may request changes to different ones in subsequent years, if desired. She also noted the three academics will still continue to offer a gifted service model.
Carrollton City Schools Supt. Dr. Mark Albertus praised Wild and her team for coming up with a unique approach that is another testament to the innovative tradition of the district.
“We are constantly striving to find new ways to connect to students, to help them find their niche,” said Albertus. “By starting at such a young age, children have the opportunity to discover reasons to love school, reasons to thrive in a creative environment and reasons to focus on success as an individual.”
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