Media

Full STEAM ahead for W. Richland’s new middle schoolLeona Marshall Libby Middle School emphasizes science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. The building features new science labs, makers spaces and computers for each student.

"Construction crews are putting the final touches on the $35 million school. The 108,000-square-foot building on Belmont Boulevard in West Richland is the district’s fourth middle school. The school is the district’s first middle school constructed with a STEAM curriculum in mind. "

"Along with makers spaces, students will have access to a production studio, where they can film and produce videos. Richard Krasner, the executive director of support services, said the design was developed after looking at Carmichael Middle School."

“The kids are going to be making things in here. They’re going to be making robots ... lots of different things,” said Todd Baddley, the assistant superintendent of instruction and secondary schools. “They’ll test it on the computer, and then there’s some space where they can test to get it right.”

-Tri-City Herald: Cameron Probert

Libby Middle School opening doors in Richland in AugustThe Richland School Board decided to name the city’s newest middle school after the physicist.

"The Richland School Board unanimously voted at Tuesday night’s meeting to name its new middle school after physicist Leona Marshall Libby.

Libby was the youngest member of the team responsible for building the world’s first nuclear reactor, and helped oversee the development of Hanford’s reactors.

“She was on hand when the B Reactor shut down after being ‘poisoned’ by Xenon-135, and worked with the rest of the reactor team to resolve the problem,” according to the Atomic Heritage Foundation."

-Tri-City Herald: Cameron Probert

Tackling Concussions: middle school football team uses new, innovative tackling systemWEST RICHLAND, Wash. -- Leona Libby Middle School's football team is the first school in the Tri-Cities to practice with a new, innovative piece equipment professional teams are using around the country.“That's your number one concern as a parent with foot

"Leona Libby Middle School's football team is the first school in the Tri-Cities to practice with a new, innovative piece equipment professional teams are using around the country.

Dr. Bruce Robertson said he sees concussion symptoms in some of his patients, and with his son being a seventh grader on the Leona Libby football team, he felt he should do something to help.

The Shadowman tackling system is designed to prevent concussions. Robertson donated two Shadowman tackling dummies to the school. They are air-filled dummies that resemble people.

“It minimizes head on head collisions,” said John Cowen, Leona Libby football coach. “So any collision in our tackling drills is on something soft.” Coach Cowen said the team is excited to have a new tool for practice."

-Alex Burch: KEPR

Students start new school year in new Leona Libby Middle SchoolStudents in the Tri-Cities went back to school Tuesday, but while many returned to familiar settings, some kids stepped into brand new schools, including Leona Libby Middle School in West Richland.Students spent the day piling their supplies in lockers, as

"Students in the Tri-Cities went back to school Tuesday, but while many returned to familiar settings, some kids stepped into brand new schools, including Leona Libby Middle School in West Richland.

"It was cool to finally see it come to action and have it actually be finished and to see these kids walking around in their new school,” says 8th grader Lexi Franklin.

Her classmate Ernest Tumanyan, also in 8th grade, agrees with her: "After months of looking at what the school would like, what the inside would look like, we finally get to go inside and it is wonderful. It looks even better in real life"

-Cody Proctor: KEPR

Class time becomes screen time in more Tri-City schoolsRichland and Pasco school districts are moving toward providing each student a computer when they start class. The move is aimed at allowing teachers to personalize education and students to access information and resources on the internet.

"Imagine students accessing the breadth of information on any subject, at any time — without using a smartphone.

They can collaborate on a single shared document, record audio or video, all while experiencing a classroom that even five years ago might have seemed out of reach.

For the students at West Richland’s Leona Libby Middle School, that future is now. The district handed out 680 Google Chromebook laptops to students Monday in the first phase of a program to provide every student a netbook computer during the school year."

-Cameron Probert: Tri-City Herald