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Medina Middle School Focusing on Whole-Child Learning This Summer
June 22, 2021 -- At first glance, the boxes of thousands of differently shaped gray, blue and black pieces may look like fun and games if you are a curious child into Legos, but at Medina Middle School, these plastic parts have a purpose.
“Together, you have to create a robot,” teacher Kristina Newman told the class of sixth-graders. “One person is responsible for reading the directions, another puts the robot together, and someone else troubleshoots.”
Troubleshooting is essential since Newman is an English teacher during the school year.
“I’m up for the challenge. We will figure it out together,” she enthusiastically told her summer students with a big grin on her face.
Fellow Medina Middle School Teacher Brittany Crews isn’t intimidated by all the parts or the challenge. Mrs. Crews is in another classroom across the hall, working with the second set of sixth-grade students who also registered for Robotics, a unique innovative program the District is offering middle school students.
“I’m kind of a techie person,” said Crews, a Medina Middle School science teacher. “These robots are fun, and the kids are learning, so it doesn’t really seem like work to the students.”
Medina Middle School is one of two Summer Experience sites offering Robotics this summer. “I didn’t even know my mom signed me up,” shared one student, who added, “I’m glad she did since I love robots.” Another student shared he was there because it was something to do this summer.
Not only do the students have to assemble the robots, but in six weeks, by the end of the CCS Summer Experience on July 23, the students have to program the robots so they can operate. That takes math, science, and language arts skills.
“The added bonus is students learn the importance of collaboration since everyone works in a team,” said Kelly Simmons, Medina Middle School Summer Experience Coordinator. Simmons teaches eighth-grade Algebra and Science and is the STEM/Robotics coordinator at Medina during the school year. “I was determined to learn and use the technology. Our students have to have these skills too to get jobs once they graduate.”
Robots zipping across the tile floor in these two classrooms is not the only thing happening at Medina Middle School from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday through Thursday. In several other classrooms, you will find other students working with a teacher or independently on basic math operations; addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and fractions.
Ms. Simmons looked over one student’s laptop and gave him a thumbs up. Then, Simmons called out another student by name and offered up that the online math platform these students are using also offers competitions where students can compete against themselves.
While this Summer Experience is a first of a kind for the District this year, Simmons said there is one similarity that she would put in place year-round if she has anything to do with it.
“Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports or PBIS,” said Simmons. “If you’re in school at Medina, students are expected to be safe, responsible, respectful, and productive whether Medina is their home school or not.”
That message of expectation was loud and clear in Mrs. Stephanie Reid-Taylor’s classroom. On the wall in the front of the classroom was a giant poster-sized sign with three messages. “No phones after breakfast; respect and pay attention.”
Those are what Mrs. Reid-Taylor calls her “non-negotiables” when it comes to summer learning.