School Narrative:

The “story” of Kelly Mill is one that, at first glance, seems like any other story of opening any new school. But the reality of KME’s story is different because we intentionally chose to do things differently. It was a conscious choice made by all of us to live out the possibility that ‘if we’ve ever wanted to do things differently, that KME was the place and then was the time.’ We committed to putting these words into actionable steps. The challenge had been made, and a zealous staff undauntingly accepted it. Prompting them with guiding questions such as “How can we authentically engage all learners without running this through a machine?’ enabled them to collaborate and create hands-on and inquiry-based learning experiences.

From the first time that the staff had gathered prior to the opening of Kelly Mill, it was evident that the group of educators enthusiastically relished the opportunity to take risks, explore their own perspectives, and open themselves to new adventures for themselves and their Colts.

As a leader, the joy evident on their faces spoke to the need to do things differently. It was as if they suddenly found the greatest treasure they could imagine, and they had, as expressed by Glenda in The Wizard of Oz "You've always had the power, my dear, you just had to learn it for yourself." (Frank L Baum)

But energy and enthusiasm can only take an organization so far. We knew that bringing talented educators together required that we work on a Growth Mindset, encouraging teachers to take risks requiring them to create learning experiences that would deeply engage the learner. One theme evident in each year, in each intentional Professional Development, across each shared experience, has been one of encouraging all Colts to ‘take risks.’ These risks take place in an environment that vocalizes and celebrates any step forward. A consistent message to the staff regarding this non-negotiable is to ‘Start.’ Wherever that starting point is, it's OK, but you have to start. We used every opportunity to allow staff to share what they had learned and implemented with their learners.

Since those beginnings, we have had the opportunity to be visited by GPEE (Georgia Partnership for the Excellence in Education), hosted on-site technology-centered conferences for educators across the state of Georgia, instituted ‘No Paper Days,’ host other schools’ leadership teams for on-site visits, and held various collaborations around technology and science.

And our journey continues during this tenth year of existence; we continue to challenge ourselves and others to ‘make the atypical…typical.’

We ask the question, “How can I authentically engage the learner without running this through a machine?” Teachers understand they are the experts; they decide the most effective instructional practice and tool(s) needed to meet their students where they are while also being held accountable for choosing other hands-on ways to engage every student.

We see STEM as a venue for continuous development of the learner’s access to an authentic way to intake, process, and analyze thinking at levels that build and literally change the brain. The work of psychologists like Dr. Carol Dweck and neuroscientists like Dr. Maryann Wolfe indicates that the brain continually changes as new input and experiences are brought to the learner - child or adult. It is our collective perspective at Kelly Mill that those experiences which place a higher level of cognitive demand on the part of the learner will result in increased capacity, deeper levels of creativity, and the ability to face real problem-solving skills through STEM-based learning.

We also realize that we can strengthen our STEM experiences in a streamlined and systemic approach. We can collect data, foster student-initiated experiences, and intentionally use STEM as a common approach to incorporate the 4C’s of collaboration, communication, creative and critical thinking, and problem-solving.

We do not view STEM Certification as an end, nor to create only Scientists, Technologists, Engineers, or Mathematicians. Instead, we use STEM to develop learners who can identify problems and provide alternative solutions within environments that promote risk-taking, recalibration of thought processes, and diverse perspectives.

Ron McAllister, Principal