Thanks to a $60,000 grant from the Tyson family and a $10,000 donation from Dr. Doris Hammett, students in Haywood County elementary schools are experiencing STEM education through hands-on learning. Both donations were made through the Haywood County Schools Foundation to support the students and staff of Haywood County.

STEM education blends science, technology, engineering, and mathematics through project-based learning and prepares students to be the next generation of innovators.

STEM lessons are active and focus on a student-centered learning environment. Students engage in questioning, problem solving, collaboration, and hands-on activities while they address real life issues. Teachers function as classroom facilitators while guiding students through the problem-solving process and plan projects.

“The sooner our children can start learning these STEM subjects, the better equipped they will be for the future,” Jeanie Tyson said. “It’s a great feeling knowing that they’re learning real life applications of science and engineering.”

A tradition of education

Tyson’s family established the Iona Tyson Scholarship Fund in June 1997 after her mother Iona unexpectedly passed away. For 30 years, Iona worked for Haywood County Schools as a teacher, resource program developer, assistant principal, and finally as the elementary school supervisor.

“My mother was extremely passionate about and dedicated to education. She would go above and beyond to make sure every child had every opportunity possible to learn,” Tyson explained. “Our family wanted to see that her passion and love for the children of Haywood County continued. We asked in her obituary that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to a scholarship in her memory.”

For 17 years, the Iona Tyson Scholarship was given to a Haywood County graduating senior who intended to go to college and become a teacher. In 2014, after Tyson’s father passed away, the family decided to revise the fund to provide grants directly to elementary school teachers. Over the next several years, Tyson said the money will be used to fund the STEMscopes program.

“These materials and programs will be around for quite a while to help the children of Haywood County obtain the best education possible,” Tyson said. “I think this program is something my mother would be proud of.”

STEMscopes, growing young minds

Because of the grant, all of Haywood County Schools’ elementary schools were able to purchase STEMscopes equipment. STEMscopes is based on hands-on, inquiry-based investigation, which encourages students to develop their own understanding for the scientific concepts they are learning.

“We see STEM as more of an integrated curriculum that stretches across the school day,” Ron Moss, Haywood County Schools elementary supervisor, said. “Almost everything we do in life has a STEM component, and our curriculum helps students realize that.”

What makes STEM stand out from traditional science lessons, Moss said, is a focus on problem solving and student-led projects. Projects are often connected to lessons students are currently learning about.

First-hand look at hands-on lessons

Tyson, who now lives in Raleigh, N.C., visited three of the county’s elementary schools to get a first-hand look at the grant in action.

Karley Wells’ fifth grade class at Clyde Elementary explained to Tyson how their latest STEM lesson tied into social studies and economics. Students designed and built their own model levees with a set budget. Acting as engineers for their city, teams created sturdy barriers using different materials to prevent water from flooding a city in the event of a hurricane. To many of the students’ surprise, sand was an ineffective material to prevent flooding.

Tyson recently retired from the N.C. Department of Transportation as a transportation engineer supervisor, and she explained to the class how she used many of the physics concepts they are learning in her career.

Travis Stinnette, a student in Wells’ class, gave Tyson an overview of the multiple STEM projects the class has completed so far this year.

“My favorite project was when we built a self-sustained ecosystem with a two-liter bottle, soil, pebbles, and a fish,” Stinnette said. “I want to work with exotic animals when I grow up, so I really enjoyed that project.”

Along with Clyde Elementary, Tyson also visited students at North Canton and Junaluska.

“As we walked down the hall at Junaluska, we had to watch our step as kids were sprawled out everywhere drawing life-size pictures of human bodies with the different systems that keep us alive,” Tyson said. “I was happy to see all of the different ways STEMscopes is engaging the kids as they learn about the science disciplines.”

A future in STEM

According to the U.S. Department of Education, all STEM jobs in the U.S. will increase 14 percent from 2010-2020, accounting for millions of positions. Yet, data shows that 3 million of those jobs will go unfilled by 2018.

“Kids who experience STEM early through hands-on learning are the ones who develop a strong understanding of STEM concepts as they get older,” Clyde Principal Clint Connor said. “Thanks to Ms. Tyson’s support, beginning in kindergarten, our students are participating in STEM projects.”

The N.C. Department of Public Instruction states that STEM Education is a key economic driver in the state. It touts STEM education as an economic imperative to transform education, build a world-class workforce, align with emerging industries, and ensure N.C. economic prosperity.

STEM education is one strategy that North Carolina is utilizing to increase high school graduation rates and encourage postsecondary education. The goal of the STEM system is for students to enter high-skill, high-wage, and high-demand careers.

“During my time at the elementary schools, it was especially meaningful and emotional for me to meet some of the teachers and principals who worked with and remembered my mother,” Tyson said. “I felt my mother there with me all day. She is the inspiration for all of us to provide excellent education to prepare these children for the future.”

Tuscola High School students’ artwork was on display at the school’s spring art show on May May 5. Drawings, canvas paintings, watercolors, sketchbooks, and clay sculptures created by 164 students were featured. Artwork was created by students in Stephanie Kea’s Art 1, 2, 3, and 4 classes. Makenzie Dendy, an 11th-grader in Art 2, set up a live painting station at the event.

The community is invited to view student artwork from all the schools at the annual Haywood County Schools’ Art Show May 17-19 from 3:30 – 7p.m. at the Haywood Conference Center (Old Hazelwood School Library), 112 Virginia Ave. Waynesville, NC 28786.

The community is invited to the annual Haywood County Schools’ Art Show to view artwork created by students from elementary to high school May 17-19 from 3:30 – 7p.m. at the Haywood Conference Center (Old Hazelwood School Library), 112 Virginia Ave. Waynesville, NC 28786.

Four Haywood County elementary schools took top honors at the regional Science Olympiad competition on April 16.

A total of 10 teams from seven elementary schools across the area competed at the event at Owen High School in Black Mountain, N.C.

School Winners, Varsity:

• First: Bethel Elementary School
• Second: North Canton Elementary School
• Third: Clyde Elementary School
• Fourth: Central Elementary School
• Fifth: Fletcher Elementary School
• Sixth: Angelus Homeschool Fellowship
• Seventh: Bruce Drysdale Elementary School

School Winners, JV:

• First: Bethel Elementary School
• Second: Clyde Elementary School
• Third: Central Elementary School

The Science Olympiad is a rigorous academic interscholastic competition. For the past several months, students have been preparing for the hands-on, inquiry-based events that are focused on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

Students competed in 19 events throughout the day including Marshmallow Catapult, Backyard Biologist, Sky Quest, Planet Protectors, and many other STEM-based activities. Some events were academic testing, some used pre-engineered devices, and others were on-site labs. Placing was based on the best combined performance of the day.

As the curriculum for younger children increasingly focuses on STEM, Haywood County Schools Elementary Supervisor Ron Moss said the Science Olympiad program expands elementary students’ learning.

“The hands-on activities of Science Olympiad get students thinking analytically and critically, and encourages discipline and organization,” Moss said. “These kinds of competitions help our students prepare to solve real-world problems.”

Logan Free, a fifth grader at Clyde Elementary School, stood motionless reading a Farmer’s Almanac until a fellow student bent over and pressed an activation button on the floor.

“Oh, hello. I didn’t see you there. My name’s Benjamin Banneker,” Free said as he began to explain Banneker’s role in the American Revolutionary War.

Clyde Elementary Librarian Megean Wantz organized the Living Wax Museum featuring all 80 of the school’s fifth grade students. Each student researched a historical figure from the American Revolutionary War, created a period-appropriate outfit, painted a background, and then recited an overview of their character during the Living Wax Museum on April 15.

“This project was a great way to introduce our students to the Big6 Research Model, which shows them how to research a topic properly,” Wantz explained. “I’m so proud of all the hard work the students put into developing their characters.”

The Living Wax Museum combined the fifth grade’s American Revolution curriculum with students’ lesson on how to research in the library. Everyone from Benjamin Franklin to Phillis Wheatley was represented.

“The Living Wax Museum was a great opportunity for students to learn how to conduct independent research and take ownership of a project,” Clyde Elementary Fifth-grade Teacher Alison Lipham said. “We had 100 percent participation among our students. They were so excited to come in the gym today and get into character.”

Noah Lance portrayed Benjamin Franklin. He created his iconic hairstyle using a mop.

“I really liked learning about Benjamin Franklin and the American Revolutionary Way,” Lance said. “It was fun coming up with my outfit too.”

Students have been studying the American Revolution since January. Their studies revealed that certain times and conditions often provide the opportunity for individuals to exhibit leadership that may change the course of history. Students learned that individual leaders, like the ones they portrayed, shaped the political, economic, and social development of the United States.

“I think participating in the Living Wax Museum is something our students will remember for the rest of their lives,” Wantz said. “I hope they realize that they can be just as big of an influence on the world as these historical figures were.”

Jonathan Valley Elementary School recognized kindergarten teacher Lisa Cleaveland with an assembly to celebrate her second published book, More About the Authors, on April 11. Current and former students, as well as colleagues and community members attended the event.

“Ms. Cleaveland’s passion for teaching shows, and she truly cares about each one of her students,” Jonathan Valley Principal Heather Hollingsworth said to the crowd. “She empowers her students and encourages them to achieve their dreams.”

After the assembly, students celebrated Cleaveland’s achievement with an outdoor ice cream party.

“Ms. Cleaveland was a really fun teacher, and I remember learning to write when I was in her kindergarten class,” third grader Myleigh Noland said. “I’m really excited that she had a book published.”

More About the Authors explains how kindergarten through second grade teachers can help their students discover mentor authors, connect writers to curriculum, plan units of study, and show how students can mentor one another.

“My hope is that this book will help teachers see how shifting their thinking about mentors can make a huge difference in teaching,” Cleaveland said. “Books don’t make themselves – authors and illustrators do, and my students know this because they make books too.”

Cleaveland illustrates the effectiveness of this approach in her book with full-color examples of her Jonathan Valley students’ work, as well as transcripts of a question-and-answer session between her students and famed children’s author and illustrator Marla Frazee. The book also features many pictures of her current and former students over the past six years.

Cleaveland’s writing lessons are not only about learning an author’s writing style, her students also analyze the book dedication and read the biographies of the author and illustrator.

“There is a real person behind every piece of children’s literature. I use that real person who created the children’s book to mentor the writers and illustrators in my classroom,” Cleaveland explained. “I want students to view themselves as authors and illustrators too.”

Every morning at exactly 9 a.m., students in Cleaveland’s class take out stapled paper, pencils, crayons, colored pencils, and markers, and begin writing a book. Cleaveland says she firmly believes in nurturing a love for writing early on in a child’s education. For a solid hour, her kindergarten students write uninterrupted.

“Children start writing by marks and scribbles at a very young age, and over time, they grow as writers and illustrators,” Cleaveland explained. “In today’s world, students need to understand that there is much more to writing than text messages and posts on Facebook. They can have an unlimited amount of characters while composing books in writing workshop.”

In accordance with N.C. Common Core Standards, elementary-age students must demonstrate increasing sophistication in all aspects of language use, from vocabulary and syntax to the development and organization of ideas, and they should address increasingly demanding content and sources.

Kindergarten students are expected to study and write the same types of writing as older students, including informational/nonfiction, narrative, and opinion.

Cleaveland believes writing is a life skill and part of her job as a teacher is to show students how to express themselves through writing.

“If you don’t allow children to write every day, then they may never reach their potential as writers,” Cleaveland said. “In my classroom, students make books just like the ones we read during story time.”

More About the Authors is a follow-up to the 2004 book About the Authors, Writing Workshop with our Youngest Writers that Cleaveland co-authored with Dr. Katie Wood Ray, who was also the editor for her current book.

“Katie and I have studied the development of beginning writers for 16 years. With our years of collaboration, Katie knew my teaching methods, my practices and my teaching philosophy,” Cleaveland said.  “She was a huge encouragement to me and helped me take on the task of writing a book while being a wife, mother, and teacher.”

Cleaveland has been a teacher for 25 years and has taught at Jonathan Valley Elementary School for 18 years. She is currently working on completing her National Board Certification.

More About the Authors is published by Heinemann, the country’s leading publisher of professional books and curriculum resources for children. It is available for purchase on the Heinemann website, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

Bethel Middle School students Starling Inabnitt, Alyssa Bridges, Lucas Whitted, Louis Mehaffey, and Luke Pinkston were the top five winners of a rigorous six-week reading and fitness challenge. They earned a trip to train with professional ninja athletes at NinjaKour in Lilburn, Ga.

Bethel Middle School (BMS) students have been jumping, rolling, and climbing in the gym and vigorously reading during their spare time during a six-week reading and fitness challenge inspired by the hit TV show, “American Ninja Warrior.”

The Reading Ninja Warrior program challenged BMS students to complete three rigorous reading rounds to finish a total of 30 books or read one million words in just six weeks. The fitness aspect of the program involved the middle school’s gymnasium being transformed into an obstacle course. Thanks to a First Citizen’s Reading Grant from the Haywood County Schools Foundation, BMS students learned to navigate a cargo net, climb ropes, and traverse a peg board.

“The challenge was a way to encourage our students to be physically and mentally fit,” BMS Lead Teacher Emily Fama said. “We pulled together as a whole school to show students the Reading Ninja Warrior program really was an interdisciplinary approach to total wellbeing.”

From January 27 through March 9, sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students read at total of 2,401 books and more than 39 million words.

“Our students more than doubled their book count and increased word count by 41 percent compared to a typical nine-week period,” Kendra Plemmons, BMS media specialist, said. “The majority of our students participated in the challenge and completed round one, which was 15 books. The fact that they read so many books on their reading level was a great accomplishment!”

The school held a kick-off event in January to introduce students to the new gym equipment and explain the rules of the competition. Round one of the reading competition, also known as the “Qualifying Round,’ required students to read 15 books or 500,000 words. Students who completed the “Qualifying Round” received a special ninja warrior arm band and got school-wide recognition. Students advancing to round two, or the “City Finals,” had to complete 10 more books or read an additional 300,000 words. These students qualified for the school’s top 20 percent reader’s reward. The final round called “Mt. Midoriyama,” named after the TV show’s final challenge, required students to read 5 more books or 150,000 words. Students completing the final round read a total of 30 books or one million words to earn a trip to Gravitopia, an indoor trampoline park in Greenville, S.C.

During the kick-off celebration for the program, students also met Clinton Taylor, a contestant on season 6 of American Ninja Warrior. Taylor inspired students to reach their full potential and cautioned them that you will only go as far in life as you want to.

When students were not in the gym scaling the cargo net, they were fervently reading books and novels to advance to the next reading round.

The BMS PE staff began installing the new gym equipment with the hope of showing students that being healthy can also be fun. The course encouraged students to try non-traditional workouts as they completed the obstacles.

The ninja-inspired obstacles were designed to improve students’ muscular strength, endurance and agility, as well as to teach them the importance of perseverance, BMS PE Coach Spenser Reeves said.

After six weeks of reading, 27 students conquered “Mt. Midoriyama” and were rewarded with a day at Gravitopia.

Five students who finished the “Mt. Midoriyama” reading challenge and successfully completed daily obstacle course drills in PE earned a trip to NinjaKour in Lilburn, Ga. to train with professional Ninja Warrior athletes.

“The Reading Ninja Warrior competition was a lot of fun, and I liked trying to beat my friends on the obstacles,” Louis Mehaffey, BMS seventh grader, said. “My favorite obstacle was the rope climb.”

Mehaffey, along with Lucas Whitted, Alyssa Bridges, Starling Inabnitt, and Luke Pinkston were the top five students who went to NinjaKour.

“Sometimes middle school students lose interest in reading, and the Reading Ninja Warrior program was a great way to reignite that fire for them,” Fama explained. “The competition showed our students the importance of being well-rounded and improving their physical and mental strength.”

Meadowbrook Elementary School students opened doors and greeted guests as they arrived at the school’s Bring the Green event last week.

The event was an introduction for the community to the school’s new The Leader in Me program. During the one-hour assembly, students served guests food, sang songs, gave speeches, and led school tours.

“Every day is an amazing day at Meadowbrook Elementary School, and I know every child here is capable of great things,” Meadowbrook Principal Stephanie Mancini said. “It takes the whole community to raise our children, and that’s why we need everyone’s support to implement The Leader in Me.”

The Leader in Me program teaches 21st century leadership and life skills to students and creates a culture of student empowerment based on the idea that every child can be a leader. It is not a curriculum or an instructional method, but rather a school culture model in which students learn skills from Stephen Covey’s book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People .”

Content from “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” is a key component of The Leader in Me process. The 7 Habits are a blend of universal, timeless principles of personal and interpersonal effectiveness. The Habits include: be proactive, begin with the end in mind, put first things first, think win-win, seek first to understand then be understood, synergize, and sharpen the saw.

“This is vital for our kids to have access to,” Kim Fisher, mother of a first grader at Meadowbrook, said. “This program is teaching them life skills that they need in order to be successful adults in the community.”

The Leader in Me program encourages students to set and track personal goals and to take active leadership roles. In Leader in Me schools, students are often the ones who run assemblies and programs, give guided tours around the building, and take on many of the responsibilities that were once the exclusive tasks of teachers and administrators.

To encourage leadership and promote responsibility, Meadowbrook assembled a student flag team with the help of Iraq War Veteran and parent Chris Fisher. With Fisher’s instruction, students learned how to properly raise and lower the American flag. Students have also begun making morning announcements and assisting in afterschool activities.

“Our students have asked to start clubs at school, which is something we previously haven’t been able to do,” Mancini explained. “All of our second graders wrote me letters to ask to start a club to collect toys for homeless children in Haywood County. This kind of leadership initiative wasn’t shown before we began The Leader in Me.”

More than 2,500 schools worldwide have implemented The Leader in Me program. Buncombe County Schools recently announced that it plans to expand the program from five to 11 schools by 2017. Currently, Hazelwood Elementary School is the only other The Leader in Me school in Haywood County.

Meadowbrook is hoping to raise $75,000 to cover teacher training and classroom materials. Mancini has agreed to commemorate fundraising milestones with various challenges. When $5,000 is raised, Mancini and two teachers will camp on the roof of the school. The school’s staff will coordinate a flash mob after $10,000 is collected, and Mancini will go sky diving when $25,000 is raised. At the $50,000 mark, Mancini has agreed to shave her head. The final goal of $75,000 will be celebrated with a karaoke performance by teachers.

Tax-deductible donations can be made through the Haywood County Schools Foundation’s PayPal account at www.hcsf.haywood.k12.nc.us/donate and designating the money for Meadowbrook’s Leader in Me program. Checks can also be mailed to Meadowbrook Elementary School at 85 Morningstar Road, Canton, N.C. 28716. For additional information about The Leader in Me program, call 646-3445.

Suzanne Bigsby, fourth-grade teacher at Riverbend Elementary School, and Lisa Cleaveland, kindergarten teacher at Jonathan Valley Elementary School, were recognized with an Excellence in Education award for the month of March.

The Excellence in Education program recognizes teachers from Haywood County Schools who exemplify a commitment to innovative teaching practices and show dedication to student success. The program is sponsored by Jack Bishop of Edward Jones and the Haywood County Schools Foundation (HCSF).

“Our Edward Jones office is honored to be able to recognize Haywood County’s outstanding teachers,” Bishop said. “Our elementary school educators are instilling a love of learning in our children at an early age. Ms. Bigsby and Ms. Cleaveland are prime examples of the great teachers we have.”

Bigsby has been teaching fourth grade since 1999, and before that was a teacher’s assistant. Using research, best practices, and technology, she meets the diverse learning needs of her fourth-grade students.

“The 10-year-old child is fun to teach because they are like little sponges that soak up everything you offer,” Bigsby said. “There is a sign in my room that reads ‘Sitting = Not an Option.’ My students know that there is always something to do to improve their own work or help a fellow classmate.”

Over the course of the school year, fourth-graders in Bigsby’s class develop their critical thinking skills by reading intricate texts, studying North Carolina history, examining multiple science disciplines, and learning to solve complex math equations.

“The most important lesson that I hope my students receive in my classroom is to take ownership for one’s education by developing the traits of drive and perseverance,” Bigsby said.

Down the road at Jonathan Valley Elementary School, kindergarten students are beginning their education journey in Cleaveland’s classroom. Cleaveland, who has been teaching for nearly 25 years, inspires learning in her classroom. Her teaching style encourages students to reach their full potential.

“Kindergarten is a child’s first public school experience, which lays the important groundwork for many years to come,” Cleaveland explained. “I want to make sure I educate the whole child and help parents transition too. We are teachers, listeners, care givers and the list goes on.”

Cleaveland welcomes the opportunity to help mold her students into children with confidence. She insists that they learn to be independent thinkers and ensures that they are actively involved in their own education.

“The teachers of Haywood County Schools always put their students first, and Ms. Bigsby and Ms. Cleaveland are no exception,” Haywood County Schools Foundation Executive Director Jenny Wood said. “The Excellence in Education program is a great way to publicly recognize them as outstanding teachers.”

Each month, up to three teachers from the 16 Haywood County Schools are recognized with an Excellence in Education award. Award winners are presented with a certificate and a $100 check sponsored by Bishop.

For more information about the Excellence in Education program contact Jack Bishop at 452-4048 or Jenny Wood of the Haywood County Schools Foundation at 456-2400.

Junaluska Elementary PTA will host the second annual Reeves’ Readers Run 5K on Saturday, April 16, at Haywood Community College (HCC). The race starts at 9 a.m. outside of Building 1500 on HCC’s campus.

The race is in honor and memory of Nichole Reeves who taught at Junaluska Elementary School for 11 years before she passed away in 2014. Last year, more than 100 runners and walkers participated in the inaugural race.

Proceeds from the event are used to purchase books for every classroom at Junaluska Elementary School.

To register, visit racesonline.com/events/reeves-readers-run-5k or stop by the school and register at the front office. Runners of all ages are encouraged to run. Children 12 and under register at a reduced rate of $10. The more students running/walking the better!

If you have further questions, please contact Junaluska Elementary PTA at junaluksaelementarypta@gmail.com or call the school at (828) 456-2407.

A non-traditional after-school activity is gaining popularity among Haywood County Schools students. More than 100 students are participating in Sportman’s Clubs in five schools across the county.

The Sportsman’s Clubs in Haywood County Schools introduce school-age youths to archery, orienteering, rifle and shotgun shooting. Currently, Canton Middle School, Bethel Middle School, Waynesville Middle School, Tuscola High School, and Pisgah High School each have active Sportsman’s Clubs.

Sportsman’s Club is focused on providing, promoting, and perpetuating opportunities for students to safely and enjoyably participate in archery, rifle, and clay target shooting. The clubs are designed to instill in students the importance of responsibility, sportsmanship, self-discipline and personal commitment.

David Franklin has been coaching the Sportsman’s Clubs at Pisgah High School and Canton Middle School for the past seven years. He got involved in the club when his oldest son was a student at Canton Middle.

“The kids in our club are from a diverse background. We’ve got football players, band members, and everyone in between,” Franklin said. “Hunting is such a big part of our local culture, and the Sportsman’s Club is a way to bring all those students together to participate in something.”

Safety is incorporated into every facet of shooting. To participate in Sportsman’s Club, students must take and pass the N.C. Hunter Safety Class where they learn the safe and responsible handling and use of firearms. All of the coaches for Sportsman’s Club are Certified Range Safety Officers and are present at all club practices.

During practice, students discover the joy of contributing to a shared team goal and the commitment that goes along with training for a competition.

“The students have to try out to make the different teams,” Franklin explained. “Just like a lot of other extra-curricular activities, they have to work hard at practice and go home and train to make the competitive teams.”

Each school’s Sportsman’s Club begins practicing in the fall of each school year. By January, the coaches begin to assemble five-person teams for competitions. Thirty-two teams, from across Western North Carolina, including several from Haywood County, will compete at a regional competition in Polk County on March 19. The teams winning first and second place in each category will earn a spot in the state competition in Ellerbe, N.C. in April.

In the last four years, Pisgah and Canton Middle have won two archery team state championships and two individual archery state championships. Franklin expects several of Haywood County’s teams to once again compete in the state championship.

To raise money for the club’s equipment, the Sportsman’s Clubs from Haywood County Schools will be hosting a Blue Ridge Friends of the NRA Banquet on Saturday, April 9 at 6 p.m. at Laurel Ridge Country Club. Tickets can be purchased from any of the Sportsman’s Club coaches or from Waynesville Police Chief Bill Hollingsed.