Teachers speak out about new school curriculum

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By Emily Florez

Summary

The new elementary will use more of what's called an inquiry-based curriculum where learning will be more active. Also, this school will be focused primarily on math and sciences.

Story Published: Jul 27, 2010 at 7:32 PM MDT

Story Updated: Jul 27, 2010 at 7:34 PM MDT

Teachers speak out about new school curriculum
AMMON - An innovative approach to educating your children and it's coming to one local school. We've been talking about the Mountain Valley Elementary School in Ammon almost since construction began. But now we're only a month away from the first day of school.

The new elementary will use more of what's called an inquiry-based curriculum where learning will be more active. Also, this school will be focused primarily on math and sciences.

Mountain Valley Elementary School is just over 30 days away from opening its doors and new curriculum to the nearly 400 students.

It has what you'd expect a gym, computer lab, and playground, but this school won't be your typical elementary.

"Rather than sitting down and explaining 'these are Newton's laws of motion,' we will take them outside and build rocket launchers. So that they can see how an object in motion stays in the same line of motion until it's acted upon by gravity. And we can come in and we can say 'Okay what did you notice, what did you see?" explained Kari Augustus, a 4th grade teacher at Mountain Valley Elementary.

"Another big part of the learning at this school is the kids collaborating and working with eachother, and talking about their ideas, using the skills that they'll learn with reading and writing and communicating that during a science experiment," said Jerom Judy, a 3rd grade teacher at Mountain Valley Elementary.

One teacher at the school explained that administrators are working to get a 'ride while reading room' in the school, where students will cycle while reading or while the teacher is teaching.

"We're taking all of your core subjects and just doing them a different way. We are letting kids learn the way they naturally learn," said Augustus.

"They still have to know the big ideas, but then they discover it themselves. They experience it themselves and they use hands on experiments themselves, to really make it life long learning and not just something they forget the next day," explained Judy.

The school's curriculum is a break from the traditional teaching approach used in most schools. Administrators hope to see this teaching approach spread someday to other schools in the district.

"I really want to just get to it, I want to start teaching this way, I want to see how excited the kids really get," said Judy.

There are still openings if you are interested in enrolling your child. Just call District 93's offices at 208-525-4400 or visit http://www3.d93.k12.id.us/

Eating healthier

Several local school districts have changed their cafeteria menus to healthier fare. What about you? Are you eating healthier than you used to?

  • Yes. I've made big changes in my diet. More fruits and veggies and less fried foods. I feel much better as a result.
  • Sort of. I made changes in my diet for awhile, but it never seemed to do much good. I've gone back to the way I used to eat.
  • I haven't made any changes, but I've always eaten a very healthy diet.
  • No. I eat what I want to eat and I don't worry about it.