Springmill STEM Elementary
Dear Springmill STEM Parents and Families,
Good evening STEM family! I really hope that you and your STEM students had a nice break and enjoyed time with family. The transition back to school can be rough for students - we often have different rules and expectations than you have at home and it takes a while for them to remember them. I'm sure many had plenty of time on their electronic devices. Scientists have learned a lot about how it affects children's brains. It will take a while for their brains to go through the dopamine withdrawal from the extra time they spent in front of screens. This can cause students to be disruptive, unfocused, tired, and defiant.
At STEM, students only use their chromebooks (screens) for required projects and iReady practice (total of 90 minutes per week). We are following the most recent research that suggests that students learn best from paper and pencil tasks, from actual teachers, and from interacting with classmates much better than they do by playing "educational games" as part of their schoolwork. So, going from spending quite a bit of time throughout the day on break in front of screens back to having limited screen time during school, there will be physical and emotional consequences. We are prepared to work with the kids through this time. It would help us a lot if you would also remind them that we are going back to "school mode"!
Yours,
Principal Cara Will
2nd Grade Visits High School CTE Program
Our 2nd graders took an unforgettable trip to Mansfield Senior HS's CTE program last month. They learned about how STEM is integrated into the fields they study. Students came back excited about the careers they learned about, and the "big kids" they met that helped them that day.
Local Artist
6th Grader Caitlyn Kegley shows some of her work this year as an aspiring artist. Nice job Caitlyn!