Pine Meadow Making Space For Makerspaces
August 5, 2015
Makerspaces are coming to Escambia County Public Schools this year according to Superintendent Malcolm Thomas. This is just one part of his Vision 2020 plan that he is rolling out to administrators and teachers this week as the district prepares for the start of the 2015-2016 school year.
Makerspaces are creative, DIY spaces where people can gather to create, invent, and learn.
“Schools and education are improving, but the world is changing at a pace faster than our improvement trajectory,” Thomas told a group of administrators and teachers who attended the district’s Administrator’s Conference last Friday. “We have to be able to prepare the workforce of the future. We cannot sit and wait for the future, we must lead and prepare for the future.”
Makerspaces are one of the ways schools will be helping children of today prepare to be the life-long learners and creative leaders of our future is by going back to an old fashioned concept of letting kids explore, experiment and learn through trial and error in a safe environment. One school that is already onboard with this idea is Pine Elementary School where the school’s media specialist, Debby Dorough, found out about Makerspaces on Pinterest and decided to try it.
“I started small with Legos and tinker toys. I set up a space with materials and no directions – just build something, take a picture of your creation and then take it apart for the next person,” Dorough explained.
This summer, Dorough continued to develop this plan with special events in their library every Wednesday in July. Different groups of students met at different times throughout the day. One group was learning how to be this year’s library helpers while others were learning how to be Pine Meadow’s Techspurts (technology helpers). She also had an hour for teachers, so they could learn new technology tricks and techniques over the summer, such as how to use a green screen or how to use an Apple TV in their classrooms.
Then at 2:00 the Minecraft Club met. Once they helped each other learn the program, they agreed upon a rubric for designing a virtual school.
“They decided what to include, like classrooms, a bus ramp, a cafeteria, etc. Then they put their own spin on it, like having a lava pit in the principal’s office,” Dorough added with a laugh. “They designed on iPad minis and presented using an AppleTV which allowed everyone to see their design as they took everyone on a virtual tour.”
“I tried to make the cafeteria look like a replica of the Crusty Crab,” explained incoming fifth grader, Michael Bui to his friends. Why the Crusty Crab? “I like Sponge Bob.”
Meanwhile, Griffin Lavallee a third grader this year, explored how the marble run worked in another Makerspace. His goal was to get the marble to run a course from the top to the bottom without jumping the track. When he finally got all of the pieces to cooperate, he was able to drop a series of marbles into the top and have them end up in a reservoir piece at the bottom. He was quite triumphant and explained that he figured out that he had to “move things to make them workout and you have to figure the timing out (between the marbles) not from the top but, from where your marble got stuck.”
He presented his marble course to Mrs. Dorough and proudly told her he had named the marble run, the Spinner McWinga!
Trial and error in a safe environment. Encouragement to try something with no right answer – to instead find YOUR best answer. These ideas are just a start of what can come from time in Makerspaces.
“Escambia County school teachers will be asked this year to try this and then to share their ideas on Pinterest,” said Thomas. “Our district Fine Arts coordinator, Angela Barberi has set up iVision2020 on Pinterest for us, so everyone will have somewhere to post their ideas and photos of their examples. In addition, even I have pinned sites I hope our teachers will find inspiring.”
Another key element of Makerspaces success is “plussing.” Teachers are “plussing” when they borrow what’s good about an idea and make it better. Ideally, there is no limit to the number of times an idea can be plussed.
Creating Makerspaces in libraries, technology labs and classrooms will take thinking out-of-the-box and it will take sometime to select an idea and acquire materials needed to match that idea. All sorts of items can be used in a Makerspace. They are only limited by imagination, space and materials – so really, the sky’s the limit.
“Librarians this year will love donations of fun materials. They can be new or gently used,” added Dorough. “If your kids loved it, our kids will love it as well.”
Some suggestions are Legos, Duplos, K’nex, Imaginex and other building toys; puppets for story creation; dolls with clothes for kids interested in fashion design; magnets and art supplies. Another item schools can use are board games, dice and pieces for students to repurpose and create their own games.
Other items can help schools set up the stations, for example, oil drip pans or large cookie sheets help create a station like the marble run while large dry marker boards can be mounted or even turned into table tops. Another idea is to use flat green Lego building foundation flats and put them side by side on a board that can be safely mounted vertically, so kids can use Legos to build something that will come out from the board allowing them to work in 3D in a new way.
Those interested in helping accomplish this, can contact their favorite school or those interested in helping on a larger scale, can contact the Community Involvement Office by calling 850-469-5676, or by emailing Jo McArthur, ECSD Community Involvement Coordinator, at jmcarthur@escambia.k12.fl.us.
Pictured top: Michael Bui, 5th grader at Pine Meadow Elementary School designed his perfect school using Minecraft on an iPad mini during July meetings of Pine Meadow’s Minecraft Club. At their final meeting on July 29th, club members took turns leading club members on virtual tours of their schools on an AppleTV. The cafeteria in Hui’s school was designed to resemble Sponge Bob’s Crusty Crab. Pictured inset: Griffin Lavallee, a third grader this year at Pine Meadow Elementary School, makes adjustments to the pieces of the marble run. Pictured below: Pine Meadow Elementary School librarian and Makerspace coordinator, Debby Dorough and the Minecraft Club presenters after the virtual tours of their perfect schools designed using Minecraft and presented wirelessly over the AppleTV. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Northview Mini-Cheerleader Camp Begins Thursday
August 4, 2015
The Northview High School cheerleaders will host their annual Mini-Cheer Camp beginning this Thursday.
The camp will be held from 4:30 until 6:30 p.m. Thursday and 3:30 until 5:30 p.m. next Tuesday, August 11 at the Bratt First Baptist Church. This is for age 3 through the eighth grade.
The cost is $25 for camp or $35 for camp and a t-shirt. The mini-cheerleaders will cheer at an upcoming Northview Chiefs football game.
Pictured: Northview mini-cheerleaders perform during a football last season. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Greathouse Retires From Sheriff’s Office After 31 Years
August 3, 2015
Sgt. Jay Greathouse retired Friday from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office after 31 years of service to the citizens of Escambia County. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Molino ‘Day Of Hope’ Provides Hundreds With School Supplies And More
August 2, 2015
A free “Day of Hope” provided free school supplies, food and an encouraging word Saturday in Molino.
Hundreds of people lined up outside Victory Assembly of God Church on Highway 29 to wait for a backpack, groceries and free haircuts. Church members met with each attendee and offered prayer and words of encouragement for the upcoming school year.
Pictured top: A young man picks out that perfect backpack full of school supplies Saturday morning at Victory Assembly of God in Molino. Pictured below: A back to school haircut. Pictured below: Hundreds of people waited for free school supplies and groceries in a line that stretched around the front of the church to back. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Deidra’s Gift: Free School Supplies Distributed In Century
August 2, 2015
Free school supplies were available Saturday in Century for hundreds of children in need, thanks to a family honoring the memory of one of their own, in a program called “Deidra’s Gift”.
The book bags full of supplies were distributed in memory of Dedria Robinson, who was killed in 2005 in an automobile accident at age 11.
‘We wanted to help as many children as we could in her memory,” Deidra’s mother Rita Robinson said. “It’s good to see them get the supplies they need.”
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Langley Bell 4-H Center Earns Environmental, Energy Efficiency Award
July 31, 2015
The new Langley Bell 4-H Center on Stefani Road in Cantonment has received an environmental and energy efficiency award.
The center was awarded a Three Green Globes certificate. Green Globes is an online green building rating and certification tool that can be used for a wide range of commercial, institutional and multi-residential building types including offices, school, hospitals, hotels, academic and industrial facilities, warehouses, laboratories, sports facilities and multi-residential buildings.
The building accomplished an overall rating of 70% demonstrating leadership in applying best practices regarding energy, water and environmental efficiency. Originally, this project was specified to receive only two Green Globes. However, the architect of record, Hernandez Calhoun, and the contractor, A. E. New, Jr., worked together with Escambia County to secure a higher level of certification with the guidance and support of the Green Globes assessor.
Other county buildings with environmental certifications include:
LEED Certified buildings (Levels: Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum)
- Central Office Complex (LEED Gold, March 2011)
- Perdido Key Fire Station (LEED Certified, November 2014)
Green Globes (Levels: 1-4 Globes)
- Marie K. Young Wedgwood Community Center (Three-Globes Certified, 2012)
- Molino Tax Collector (Two-Globes Certified, 2012)
- 4-H Center (Three-Globes Certified, 2015)
Energy Star
- Sheriff’s Warrington Precinct (2012)
- Englewood Community Center (2014)
- Perdido Firing Range (2013)
.Pictured: The new Langley Bell 4-H Center on Stefani Road. NorthEscambia.com file photos, click to enlarge.
Free School Supplies, Groceries, Haircuts And More Saturday In Molino
July 30, 2015
Free school supplies, groceries and even a back to school haircut will be available Saturday in Molino.
A free Day of Hope will be held Saturday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Victory Assembly of God at 1895 Victory Road, just south of Barrineau Park Road on Highway 29. The event will offer free groceries, haircuts, backpacks, school supplies, a kids zone and a hot lunch. Items are available while supplies last, rain or shine. No identification is required, but children must be present to receive school supplies.
For more information, call Victory Assembly of God at (850) 5587-2295.
Pictured top: A young lady receives a back to school haircut during last year’s Day of Hope at Victory Assembly of God. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
The New Ernest Ward: Where To Park, And Where Is The Front Door?
July 29, 2015
As the new Ernest Ward Middle School nears completion, and the new school year nears the first day, here’s a look at where to park and how to find the not-so-obvious front door.
Since students moved into the school back in February, parents and visitors have used a side parking lot and door to enter the school. That side door is now locked on a regular basis, and that parking lot is for employees and will be closed to the public.
Parents and the public should enter and exit from the northernmost gate on Highway 97. That’s the one farthest away, not actually in front of the school, all the way up near the fire department (pictured above).
The other Highway 97 gate, located in front of the school, is closest to the front door. But it’s the wrong way in. This gate (pictured above) is only for buses to exit and is marked “Do Not Enter”.
Back to that northernmost gate for the public, up near the fire department. After driving through the gate(pictured above), it’s still hard to even see the front door. But it’s there. Just keep driving and find the parking spaces, which, by the way, still are not in front of the front door.
The awning, and the driveway the loops around to the right of the above photo the student drop-off and pick-up line. The parking lot is to the the left (look for the arrow to the left of the picture). It’s still very hard to see and find the front door from here, but it’s there.
From the public parking lot the front of the school looks like this. Over on the bottom left of the photos, at the end of the awning, is the elusive front door of Ernest Ward Middle School. The awning, and the driveway that loops around by the front door, is the student drop-off and pick-up line for parents.
And finally, here are the front doors — the only doors that will be unlocked for the rest of the summer and during the school year for the public to use.
There are plans to install signage to help those entering the campus, but those signs may not be completed in time for the first day of school.
Local National Guard Unit Deploys
July 27, 2015
A deployment ceremony was held Sunday morning in Pensacola for the Florida Army National Guard’s 1st Squadron, 153rd Cavalry Regiment. Almost 100 members of the squadron are deploying to the Horn of Africa in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
Gov. Rick Scott was on hand to wish the troops well, along with families, friends, dignitaries and military leaders from the Florida National Guard.
After leaving Pensacola Sunday, the soldier traveled to Ft. Bliss TX, for additional training prior to the overseas deployment for the estimated year-long mission.
Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Storytime Held Each Week At The Local Library
July 26, 2015
The West Florida Public Library offers Story Time for children five and younger each week. Story Time programs introduce young children to books, rhymes, music and other fun activities. The events incorporate the early literacy skills that children must master before they can learn to read.
Story Time is held:
Main Library
- Weekly on Wednesday, 10:30 a.m.
Century Branch
- Weekly on Thursday, 4 p.m.
Southwest Branch
- Weekly on Tuesday, 10:30 a.m.
Tryon Branch
- Mommy & Me Lap-sit Story Time for Babies Weekly on Tuesday, 10:30 a.m.
- Preschool Story Time - Weekly on Thursday, 10:30 a.m.
Molino Branch
- Weekly on Wednesday, 10:30 a.m.
Westside Branch
- Weekly on Thursday, 11:30 a.m.
For more information call (850) 436-5060 or visit www.mywfpl.com. The events are always free of charge.