SEM Accomplishments for 2011-2012
Written by Nicole Levitan, LME Enrichment Coordinator
Schoolwide Enrichment is more than just what takes place on Fridays at Laurel Mountain. It is the philosophy that drives our instruction and the way that we teach. It is how your child’s teacher looks at the strengths and interests of the class and creates various learning opportunities that allow them to further explore those interests. It is the freedom that our teachers and students have to think outside the box and try something new. Thanks to your support and generosity, we have been able to continue to grow and excel with SEM.
Each year, we establish goals for SEM at Laurel Mountain. Many of the goals are simply restating the foundations of the program, while others may extend previous successes to new areas in the curriculum. We are excited to share the accomplishments of the Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM) at Laurel Mountain for the 2011-2012 school year.
Renzulli Learning System: Teachers and student utilized the Renzulli Learning System (RLS) within the classroom by creating projects and assignments completed by students. This year, students visited a total of 13,370 sites and teachers visited a total of 469 sites!
In addition, teachers utilized the Renzulli Differentiation Engine on RLS to help meet the needs of all learners. This program on RLS allows for unique differentiated activities in curriculum areas, engaging interest based resources and assessment questions for the students so they can reflect on the work they have completed.
Total Talent Portfolios: Built and utilized each child's Total Talent Portfolio (TTP) and communicate contents with parents. The TTP were shared with parents during conferences.
Independent Investigative Method (IIM): IIM of continued to be used in all grade levels K-5. There were IIM project that related to the regular classroom curriculum. For example, in kindergarten classes the students did an IIM project on butterflies. In first grade, the students focused on winter animals. In second grade, the students did IIM projects on famous people in history and another IIM on animals. There were also numerous IIM projects where students chose their own topics of research. These happened in several grade levels, including third, fourth and fifth grades.
LEGO Educational Lessons: Lego Educational lessons were taught in all grades, 1-5. In first and second grade, the students worked with the WeDo LEGO system during class time. In third grade, the students concentrated on gears using the LEGO Educational Kits. In fourth grade, some students worked with the LEGO Simple Machine kits and worked with levers and pulleys. Finally, in fifth grade, all students worked with the LEGO NXT Mindstorm kit, which adds in the programmable aspect using the NXT software on the computer.
Service Learning: Teachers and students created Service Learning opportunities in the classroom:
Kindergarten: Our kindergarten students created festive turkey centerpieces for the HEB Feast of Caring that took place in November 2011.
Each year, we establish goals for SEM at Laurel Mountain. Many of the goals are simply restating the foundations of the program, while others may extend previous successes to new areas in the curriculum. We are excited to share the accomplishments of the Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM) at Laurel Mountain for the 2011-2012 school year.
Renzulli Learning System: Teachers and student utilized the Renzulli Learning System (RLS) within the classroom by creating projects and assignments completed by students. This year, students visited a total of 13,370 sites and teachers visited a total of 469 sites!
In addition, teachers utilized the Renzulli Differentiation Engine on RLS to help meet the needs of all learners. This program on RLS allows for unique differentiated activities in curriculum areas, engaging interest based resources and assessment questions for the students so they can reflect on the work they have completed.
Total Talent Portfolios: Built and utilized each child's Total Talent Portfolio (TTP) and communicate contents with parents. The TTP were shared with parents during conferences.
Independent Investigative Method (IIM): IIM of continued to be used in all grade levels K-5. There were IIM project that related to the regular classroom curriculum. For example, in kindergarten classes the students did an IIM project on butterflies. In first grade, the students focused on winter animals. In second grade, the students did IIM projects on famous people in history and another IIM on animals. There were also numerous IIM projects where students chose their own topics of research. These happened in several grade levels, including third, fourth and fifth grades.
LEGO Educational Lessons: Lego Educational lessons were taught in all grades, 1-5. In first and second grade, the students worked with the WeDo LEGO system during class time. In third grade, the students concentrated on gears using the LEGO Educational Kits. In fourth grade, some students worked with the LEGO Simple Machine kits and worked with levers and pulleys. Finally, in fifth grade, all students worked with the LEGO NXT Mindstorm kit, which adds in the programmable aspect using the NXT software on the computer.
Service Learning: Teachers and students created Service Learning opportunities in the classroom:
Kindergarten: Our kindergarten students created festive turkey centerpieces for the HEB Feast of Caring that took place in November 2011.
Ms. Rumpf's 2nd grade class: To thank the U.S. military in Afghanistan, students in Ms. Rumpf’s class collected 87 pounds of snacks, food items, books and games for a care package that were sent to United States Airmen. Also included in the care package were letters, jokes and poems written by the 2nd grade students.
Ms. Rumpf's 2nd grade class: In class, the students had a discussion about hunger and what it means to be hungry. They looked at causes of hunger and how the students could help. Students discovered that there is a fun way to help those that are hungry. They logged on to freerice.com and answered questions on different subjects. For each answer they got right, 10 grains of rice are donated to World Food Programme. Since May 6, 2012, the Respectful Bats have donated 112,460 grains of rice. The students learned that it is an easy and fun way to help end hunger.
3rd grade: Each class did trick or treating for UNICEF during Halloween. The entire 3rd grade collected over $1,100!
Mrs. Schuster’s 3rd grade class: The Superstars complete community service projects upon earning 100 compliments, and they chose to do a campus trash pick-up.
5th grade students: 5th grade students who worked in the Edible Garden harvested lettuce and sent it home with students at Anderson Mill Elementary. These 5th graders also served their fresh produce in the cafeteria to other students.
Schoolwide: During Red Ribbon Week 2011, the school collected 342 pounds of food during the “I Can, You Can, We Can All Be Drug Free” Canned Food Drive. The food was donated to the Capital Area Food Bank, which serves our local Central Texas hunger needs. 342 pounds of donated food equates to 273 meals.
Schoolwide: This year, the Read-a-thon raised $7,131.80 for Libraries of Love and Berkman Elementary in Round Rock ISD.
Lionheart Leadership Team: After a successful Read-a-thon, the Lionheart Leadership Team planned and executed a school wide food drive for students at Berkman Elementary. They collected 1,755 different food items for Berkman. The food was boxed and brought over to the school, where it was distributed to students who needed meals over spring break.
Primary Education Thinking Skills (PETS): Mrs. Levitan, our Enrichment Coordinator, continued to teach PETS lessons in grades 1 and 2 this school year and she added grade 3. This was the first year that the PETS lessons were taught in 3rd grade. These lessons teach the students about the different types of thinking (convergent, divergent, visual and evaluative) that people use to solve problems.
Math Compacting: Mrs. Levitan provided math compacting services for 2nd and 3rd grade students throughout the school year. Compacting is a type of differentiation that allows the different needs of students to be met within the school day. When students demonstrated a level of proficiency on a pre-test in a specific math concept they were allowed to exchange instructional time for accelerated and/or enriched work relating to the math concept being taught in class.
Teacher Collaboration and Resource: Mrs. Levitan continued to collaborate with teachers in a variety of areas, such as using the Renzulli Learning System, IIM, service learning, enrichment clusters, enrichment slot activities, Philanthropy Mentoring Program, compacting math enrichment, PETS lessons and many others. This allows LME to reach all of our diverse learners.
Visitors from Around the State: In addition to our Parent Tours, we offered Enrichment tours to several groups this school year. We had faculty and staff from Austin Elementary in Coppell ISD visit LME twice during the school year. We had staff from DeSoto ISD visit us during our 2nd and 3rd grade enrichment clusters. We had members of Renzulli Learning Systems and Compass Learning take a tour of our 4th and 5th grade enrichment clusters. From Round Rock ISD, we had friends from Pond Springs come and tour our 4th and 5th grade Enrichment Cluster Showcase. Finally, we had the pleasure of having Dr. Matt Matthys, who is the Assistant Superintendent with Instructional Support, tour our 2nd and 3rd grade enrichment clusters.
Professional Development for Staff: This summer, nine of our staff members will be attending Confratute at the University of Connecticut. Confratute was started 35 years ago by Dr. Joseph Renzulli and Dr. Sally Reis, who wanted to host a summer conference that focused on Enrichment Teaching and Learning. Confratute is geared toward providing educators with research-based practical strategies for engagement and enrichment learning for all students. The staff members attending are Principal Jan Richards, Assistant Principal Johanna Kelley, 5th grade teachers Lucy Castro and Melissa Hein, 4th grade teacher Trevor Hance, 3rd grade teacher Kate Fredrickson, 2nd grade teacher Jessica Lofaro, Interventionist Charlotte Justice and Enrichment Coordinator Nicole Levitan. We are excited to come back to LME and share our new knowledge with fellow staff members.
Enrichment Clusters: In grades K-5, students participated in an Enrichment Clusters for 6-8 weeks. There were a total of 50 different enrichment cluster offered in a variety of topics this school year. This is an increase from last year when we offered 44 different enrichment clusters.
Service Learning within Enrichment Clusters and E-slot: We continued to make Service Learning a focus within our enrichment clusters and E-slot activities:
2nd – 5th grade “Clay Creations” Enrichment Clusters: Students participated in the Empty Bowl Festival and contributed their handmade bowls to the event. The Empty Bowls Festival raised $10,221!
2nd and 3rd grade “Rainforest Heroes” Enrichment Cluster:
Students created valentines to send to an agribusiness company that cuts down trees in the rainforest. The valentines asked the company to have a heart for the world’s rainforests.
2nd and 3rd grade “Friendship Bracelet Fanatics” Enrichment Cluster: The students worked hard to make bracelets for children who are currently hospitalized due to illness or other medical reasons. Each bracelet has a handmade get well note attached signed by a member of the cluster.
2nd and 3rd grade “Card Making Extravaganza” Enrichment Cluster: The group enjoyed making cards for the Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast for our wonderful parents and “Welcome to Laurel Mountain” cards for new students.
4th and 5th grade “SEW…You Want to Save the World?” Enrichment Cluster: In this enrichment cluster, the students explored plastic bag recycling and how it affects our environment. They developed a plan to collect gently used t-shirts and turn them into washable, reusable bags, instead of using the bags that stores give out. They collected close to 100 T-shirts and turned them into bags. The students in this enrichment cluster delivered the bags to classroom teachers who thought they had a use for our bags. They also made a “How To” video to show people how simple it is to make reusable bags and reduce the use of plastic bags in Austin.
4th and 5th grade “Lionhearts Peer Mediation Team” Enrichment Cluster: Twenty-two 4th and 5th grade students completed the PAX UNITED training to become LME's first ever Laurel Mountain Lionhearts Peer Mediation Team. They learned that conflict is a normal part of life and that a caring and supportive mediator can help people find solutions to conflict.
4th grade “Watt Watchers Leadership Team” E-slot Elective: During this E-slot Elective, these students planned the Watt Watchers marketing campaign and trained other 4th grade Watt Watchers. The purpose of the Watt Watchers is to reduce energy usage and costs by reminding people to turn off the lights when they leave a room.
4th grade “Art from the Heart” E-slot Elective: This was an E-slot Elective art project dedicated to creating art. The art created by the E-slot elective were delivered to elderly and/or sick people. The hope is that the art created by the students will be inspiring and bring a smile to the faces of those who don't always have the most attention or who just might like a healthy dose of color in their life. The art created by students was delivered to nursing homes and assisted living homes in our community.
4th grade “Fuel Up to Play 60”E-slot Elective: “Fuel Up To Play 60” is sponsored by the NFL and the National Dairy Council. It is an in-school nutrition and physical activity program helping make wellness part of the game plan in more than 70,000 schools across the country. We had nineteen 4th grade student ambassadors who helped plan the Family Fitness night that took place in the spring.
Enrichment Cluster Showcase: Students participated in three different Enrichment Cluster Showcases to highlight their journey during the enrichment clusters, along with the product and services that the students worked on during the 6 to 8 weeks.
Student Facilitators: This year we had 64 student helpers from fifth grade who helped facilitate the 2/3 and K/1 enrichment clusters. This was an increase from last year when we had 59 student helpers.
Parent and Community Helpers: This year we had over 80 parent and/or community members assist with enrichment, enrichment clusters or Enrichment slots (E-slots) taking place in the classroom.
Enrichment Cluster Tours: We offered eight enrichment cluster tours to about 60 parents this year. These tours allow our parents to witness enrichment clusters in action.
Thank you to our Family and Community Enrichment Supporters!
Monica Araoz, LME parent and presenter to Dreamy Drawing, a 2nd and 3rd grade enrichment cluster.
Hazel Barbour, Rainforest Partnership Board Member and presenter on Rainforest Conservation to Rainforest Heroes, a 2nd and 3rd grade enrichment cluster.
Amy Brown, LME parent, owner of Cupprimo Cupcakery and presenter on entrepreneurs to 4th grade students during their economic unit.
Dr. Annetrea Cassens, Veterinarian and presenter to Vets and Pets, a Kindergarten and 1st grade enrichment cluster.
Seaton Collard, former LME student and presenter to Mrs. Miranda’s kindergarten class and their 4th grade buddies on water and water purification.
Eric Deal, LME parent, webmaster for our SEM website and enrichment cluster sorter for kindergarten and 1st grade students.
Liz Gardner, LME parent and presenter to Amazing Animals, a kindergarten and 1st grade enrichment cluster.
SueEllen Gawiser, LME parent and presenter to Mrs. Prentice’s kindergarten class on Hanukkah.
Carolyn Honish with therapy dog Lumpi, with Austin Dog Alliance who presented to Vets and Pets, a Kindergarten and 1st grade enrichment cluster.
Nick Hopkins, Graphic designer and presenter to Dreamy Drawing, a 2nd and 3rd grade enrichment cluster.
Cyndi Lessard with therapy dog Logan, with Austin Dog Alliance who presented to Vets and Pets, a Kindergarten and 1st grade enrichment cluster.
Ben McLellan, Professional Landscaper and presenter to Mrs. Sorrell’s 5th grade class on Xeriscaping.
Colleen Millian, LME parent and presenter to Mrs. Prentice’s kindergarten class on blood.
Rudy Millian, LME parent and presenter to Mrs. Prentice’s kindergarten class on a cultural holiday.
Chas Peacock, husband to Mrs. Peacock and presenter of instruments and rock music to Music Cluster, a kindergarten and 1st grade enrichment cluster.
Gilbert Sauceda, graphic artist, children’s book author, illustrator and presenter on drawing to Art from the Heart, a 4th grade E-slot Elective.
Jenny Shepherd, LME parent and helper in the Kindergarten and 1st grade Snappy Snapshots enrichment cluster.
Anne Webster, LME parent and helper in the Kindergarten and 1st grade Create a reading Garden enrichment cluster.
