Fairforest Elementary's school-wide Design Process and common language set the stage for STEAM learning experiences at the start of each year. Shared grade-level design challenges led by the STEAM coordinator help students review/familiarize themselves with the process at the start of each school year. Our teachers and students consistently rely on the FES Design Process for project-based and inquiry-focused challenges. Students build on their level of understanding and expertise with each new design-based project.

Fairforest's science scope and sequence has evolved to include a school-wide common topic of study each quarter. Each nine weeks, all students investigate the same "wonder question" as a school, allowing students to focus on the over-arching science topic and engage in conversations across classrooms and grade levels. For this year, our four "wonder questions" are: 1) Where do we find energy in our world? 2) How is our world changing? 3) What is our world/universe made of? 4) Who lives in our world? These thematic "wonder questions" guide science instruction throughout the year, allowing students to grow in understanding of content knowledge as well as in STEM/STEAM expertise.

Kindergarten students have the unique opportunity to attend weekly STEAM Lab classes as part of their related arts schedule. These 30-minute sessions focus on inquiry-based learning through play, discussion and application of basic STEAM skills, and a focus on reading, writing, and learning like a scientist. This approach is utilized to support science content taught in the regular classroom and helps our youngest students build foundational skills in science and engineering practices.

Special school-wide events, such as Fairforest's annual Grinchmas Day , utilize the FES Design Process to build and reinforce essential STEM/STEAM knowledge and skills. The school also capitlaizes on opportunities to integrate authentic STEM/STEAM practices into school spirit day events and national holidays, such as our Farmers' Day Pumpkin Patch (above), D.E.A.R. Day, and Election Day.

FES collaborative planning starts with ELA and science standards as a guide for content and pacing. This instructional approach is utilized by all grade levels as teachers strive to create integrated and authentic STEAM units in which students read and write like scientists while building STEM/STEAM content and knowledge.

Through school-wide family engagement and educational events, Faiforest creates shared experiences that foster growth through real-world STEM/STEAM applications. Whether in-person or virtual, FES aspires to create STEAM-focused learning opportunities to build STEAM understanding and skills. These events not only provide insight for parents, but also strengthen families' excitement and ability to support their children at home with content knowledge taught during the school day. Click HERE for details on our most recent Family STEAM Night (pictured above) to see how we made STEAM content and learning accessible for the whole family! (Examples of past STEAM Nights: 1 and 2)

For kindergarteners, our first 9 weeks of science instruction is devoted to building enthusiasm for science and helping our youngest learners understand that they are scientists who are constantly learning about the world around them. We begin by discussing what scientists do, and practice each of the basic skills of asking questions, making observations, investigating, and writing. We also spend some time in productive play, always stopping to bring awareness to when we are actually "working" like scientists while having fun. Through weekly STEAM Lab classes for kindergarteners and on-going STEAM learning experiences in reguar classrooms, Fairforest builds a strong foundation of basic skills, as well as confidence and enthusiasm for science in their kindergarteners. (Examples: 1, 2 & 3)

With our schools' emphasis on literacy integration in all subject areas, students develop competencies in reading and writing like a scientist, as well as science and engineering process skills. Our students not only excel at investigating and designing, but they are constantly growing in their abilities to explain their findings and communicate them to others, just as real-world scientists do.

Fairforest students' recent science fair success is another example of our students' growing enthusiasm and motivation to go "above and beyond" in the area of science as well as their ability to utilize STEM/STEAM competencies and skills successfully. FES students have always been extremely eager to take on open-ended design challenges, but enthusiasm for the science fair (and experimentation using the Scientific Method) has traditionally been lacking. However, by consistently embedding these competencies into our science curriculum, the school has seen an increase in the quantity, as well as an improvement in the quality, of projects submitted for the sciene fair. Even when we expected science fair participation to suffer during the 2020-2021 school year due the Upstate Regional Science Fair being hosted in a digital format, FES had 45 students join our Science Fair Google Classroom with 15 of those submitting projects. We ended the year with 7 of our 13 regional participants receiving awards!

Our approach to integration also serves to build STEM/STEAM competencies in all subject areas. 5th Grade's Trench Warfare Simulation (building a to-scale model of a World War I trench in the classroom) seen above, exemplifies FES's integrated approach as students learned social studies content while relying on inquiry skills to research the dimensions and conditions of a typical trench and utilizing math skills to measure and construct their life-sized replicas. At Fairforest, we are always striving to help students understand how the skills they build in class can serve them in other content areas as well as in the real-world. Rather than practicing content skills and competencies in isolation, our students work to combine them to accomplish engaging and challenging tasks in all content areas.

Our strategic management has enabled us to communicate more clearly with our stakeholders outside of the building, as we now have a common goal and focus for the entire school during a given 9-week grading period. That consistency has been instrumental in helping our volunteers and families to understand our instructional program and how they can become involved in it. Stakeholders are able to discuss this with school leadership in detail during PTO, School Improvement Council, and Title I meetings.

Our collaborative, grade level planning meetings are a key component of our strategic management approach. Planning documents have evolved throughout the year, illustrating how grade level teams have adapted and made necessary changes based on the needs of their students. All planning documents are shared with grade level teachers, instructional coaches, and administration for continuous evaluation, feedback, and support.

In addition to grade-level planning, our science/STEAM team members frequently meet and work with the STEAM coordinator to brainstorm and plan lessons and activities in greater detail. This includes gathering resources, setting up a timeline of instruction, or planning for team-teaching or grade-level projects. This additional support, specific to our STEM/STEAM goals, helps us to create better-integrated and more rigorous activities for our students, and ensures that all teachers are equipped to provide high-quality STEAM learning opportunities for their students.

School-wide schedules for science-based field trips and special projects such as the school news ensure that all students have the opportunity to participate in STEM/STEAM enrichment opportunities. All grade levels are scheduled for a free visit to the Lincoln Science Center and Planetarium, and all homeroom classes (including our self-contained special education classes) are scheduled for a week-long experience of filming and producing the school news. Instead of offering these field trips to specific grade levels or taking volunteer classes to work on the news, these schedules are created and shared at the start of the school year, setting the clear expectation that all students will participate these opportunities.

Our strategic management approach enables us to carry out a focus of inquiry and project-based learning outside of the core curriculum. As part of their International Night celebration, students in ESOL classes have used STEAM and inquiry skills to create and share a variety of research and narrative projects with their school and families. When we truly share a vision as an entire school, students are able to develop and apply STEM/STEAM competencies in all areas of instruction. Our school-wide approach allows our students to view themselves as scientists and creators, even when they're working to master a new language.

Fairforest analyzes various data regarding our STEM/STEAM program to guide our strategic management, such as district and state assessment results, teacher input during Data Days, MTSS (multi-tierred system of supports) data for academics and social and emotional learning, student/parent/teacher event and activity participation, and various classroom assessments. Analyzation and of our data allows us to identify groups of students who are engaged and thriving in our current STEM/STEAM culture as well as students that may need more access or support. By idenifying areas of growth and need, we are better prepared to plan and take the necessary steps to ensure every student is involved, engaged, and learning through our instructional approaches.

Providing guidance and/or materials for FES families to utilize at home has increased our students' opportunities for engagement and success. Our Virtual Science Fair Night is an example of this. While classroom opportunities are equitable at our school, not all of our students are equally equipped to participate in enrichment activities, such as the science fair. Our at-home introduction (which began out of necessity during COVID but will continue to serve as a family resource) provided families with a picture book on the Scientific Method, resources for potential science project ideas, instructions on assembling display boards/posters, and information on who to contact for help.

SC PASS data for science has provided Fairforest with a snapshot of our students' success, as well as some specific areas to target for growth. With 4th grade students assessed on SC PASS each year, the statewide assessment provides a small data point for our school's STEM/STEAM instruction, but does help us pinpoint areas for improvement as well as assists us in setting goals for the year ahead. Our 2019 SC PASS scores were among the best in our district (56.6% of FES 4th graders scored "Met or Exceeds" compared to 42.2% for Spartanburg County School Distict and 49.1% for the state) and provided us with valuable insight on how our program had impacted student achievement in science since our accredidation in 2016. Like many schools, FES experienced a decline in students who met or exceeded the state standards for mastery in 2021 due to the COVID-19 crisis. As a result, we have collaborated with both internal and external stakeholders to evolve our STEAM program based on the needs of our students as we navigate through the pandemic. Even with a drop in scores, our school is analyzing the 2019 SC PASS data to gain valuable information regarding groups of students who maintained or grew in the midst of the pandemic, as well as identify students who are in need of additional support as we transition to a "normal" school setting. In fact, we are proud to share that FES' ESOL population and special education population have shown great gains in science from 2017 to 2021 based on SC PASS assessment results .

Weekly grade level planning meetings have become an integral part of FES' growth. The consistent focus on standards, discussions on pacing and student needs, as well as sharing of ideas and resources, ensure that we are working towards a common goal. Collaborative planning sessions were added to our strategic management plan in order to ensure more equitable opportunities for both teachers and students. Student and teacher survey results show, that our collaborative planning has been a step in the right direction for our grade level teams and for our overall school community

The evolution of Fairforest Elementary's strategic management has led to an increasing focus on providing our ID Mild, self-contained classes with STEAM experiences. Our special education students in these classes have always been included in activities such as, STEAM Lab, the school news, and special grade level programs, yet they were missing out on opportunities to build relevant, STEM/STEAM skills alongside like-aged peers. We have since created "buddy classes," which are general education classes that partner with our ID Mild classes. The "buddy classes" attend related arts, lunch and recess together as well as participate in various classroom STEM/STEAM activities. 5th grade's Force and Motion Carnival, is one example of how our "buddy classes" foster inclusion and collaboration among age-like peers with all ability levels. Students in our oldest ID Mild, self-contained class participated in the creation, sharing, and celebration of carnival games with their
"buddy class." Through FES's "buddy classes" we work to ensure all students are provided with opportunites to develop world-class knowledge and skills of The Profile of the South Carolina Graduate as well as STEM/STEAM skills and compentencies.

Another opportunity, specifically for students in our older ID Mild, self-contined classes, is Big Heart Snack Cart, a weekly business that sells and delivers snacks to Fairforest faculty and staff members. Big Heart Snack Cart was created to further engage our special education students with our school's STEAM approach. Through collaboration amongst our STEAM Coordinator and special education teachers, FES has empowered our self-contained students to brainstorm and create something that is fully theirs. The ownership our students take in their "business," and the motivation they have to develop important life skills, such as counting and managing money and interacting professionally with customers, has been meaningful and relevant for every student. As equity of opportunity has been a huge goal in Fairforest's strategic management plan, we are proud of this empowering, student-led project that enables our students to develop valuable career-related skills.