Woodland Middle School becomes the second State STEM Certified educational institution in Bartow County!
“I cannot describe the feeling I had when Cherri Nix, the Georgia Department of Education STEM program manager, shared the news that we were approved as a State STEM Certified School,” said Woodland Middle School Principal Michael Blankenship. “Pure elation. A lot of emotion. There has been a lot of work, energy, emotion and sweat equity poured into this journey. I am so happy for our students, teachers, staff, and community partners. So many people have contributed to this achievement. Most of all, our students and community have and will benefit from this recognition. Our students deserve the very best instruction we can provide. This recognition is one way to show we are committed to providing that for our students. We want to make learning relevant and prepare students for jobs of the future. Being a State STEM Certified School helps us do exactly that.”
The journey to State STEM Certification began nearly seven years ago for WMS. They started the process by visiting other STEM schools and hosting their first “Science Night” during the 2017-2018 academic year.
“That lit the fire for us,” added Principal Blankenship. “Of course, the process nearly came to a screeching halt when COVID-19 hit in 2020. We actually had a STEM Walk on that fateful Friday the 13th of March 2020, which would be the last day of in-person learning that year. We actually went forward with that STEM Walk and continued the journey. We've had virtual STEM Walks, in-person STEM Walks, and hybrid STEM Walks since then. We've learned so much along the way and I wouldn't change any of it. Through it all we are continuing to learn how to integrate STEM into daily Tier 1 instruction and make learning relevant for our students.”
The Georgia Department of Education will present the official STEM Certification in the coming months.
“The feedback we received from the Georgia Department of Education was overwhelmingly positive,” said Principal Blankenship. “They were impressed with the level of commitment we had to the process, as it was a lengthy one. Our focus on moving from a teacher-centered classroom to a student-centered and learning-centered classroom is starting to have a strong impact.”
On November 20, 2020, Adairsville Middle School was the first school in Bartow County to earn a STEM Certification from the Georgia Department of Education.