IN Cranberry Spring 2016 | Page 52

SPONSORED CONTENT BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT SPONSORED CONTENT SAINT ALEXIS SCHOOL Bolsters STREAM Curriculum S cience and math are crucial components to education. But they are not the only important aspects of a well-rounded curriculum model. At Saint Alexis School in Wexford, the integration of STREAM – science, technology, reading and religion, engineering, art and math – encompasses all areas of education needed to succeed beyond high school. “We haven’t lost sight of the importance of developing excellent readers, writers and communicators; exploring the artistic sides of our students; and sharing the importance of our faith,” Principal Jim Correll says. Saint Alexis faculty continue to refine offerings within the science and math departments by creating programs to bridge the gap between the primary and middle school. The robotics program is open to students from kindergarten through eighth grade. The upper grades work with robotics and mechanics, and the younger students are presented with tasks to create specific items from Lego parts including the traditional bricks, wheels and windows. Another refinement in the science program is the addition of fifth-grade students preparing and executing an independent, fully researched science fair project. The fifth graders, along with sixth- through eighth-grade students, create their questions, collect background information, form hypotheses and perform and analyze a testable experiment. The younger students are held to the same criteria as their older peers. The science fair, robotics programs and the school’s participation in the National Fluid Power Association Hydraulic Challenge and Future City competitions are examples of how the STEM model works at Saint Alexis. For students who prefer different challenges and are more reading, religion and arts focused, Saint Alexis participates in the English Festival, and the Forensics 50 724.942.0940 TO ADVERTISE | Cranberry team competes in