Under the leadership of principal, Beth Pelham, students at Gilbert Elementary are place- and project-based STEM learners and researchers. At each grade level, students are involved in ongoing authentic STEM research. The research takes place throughout the school year rather than an isolated event. Students are getting real-world experiences using problem solving and critical thinking skills. Teachers guide students to work collaboratively on various projects and learn to communicate their findings. At Gilbert, students create real solutions to real problems, learning all they can along the way.
Our STEM journey began with a desire to find ways to better engage students, the need to increase performance in all academic areas, and a look to the future for our students. Former principal, Matt Harris, brought the idea of aquaponics to the table. The result was our SPLASH lab. SPLASH is an acronym which means Student Project-based Learning in Aquaculture and Sustainable Hydroponics.
We worked to design and install functioning hydroponics and aquaponics systems on our campus. Students were involved in every aspect of the process from planning to building to operating. Due to some maintenance issues, we had to phase out our aquaponics system. Today, we have a fully sustainable hydroponics system in place growing a variety of herbs and vegetables. Mr. Ben Cherry, our Science lab teacher, guides students in the daily maintenance, data collection, and cultivation of the plants in the SPLASH Lab.
Meriam-Webster defines synergy as the increased effectiveness that results when two or more people work together. Perhaps no other word more aptly describes what continues to develop at our school. The more closely we worked with our grade level colleagues, the better our instruction, unit planning, and activities are for our students. This mirrors our central hope for students at Gilbert Elementary: the more ideas they entertain, the more peers they engage with, and the more values and solutions they defend, the more critical and thoughtful leaders they will gradually become, for our school, for our community, and for our world.
The world is the true classroom. The most rewarding and important type of learning is through experience, seeing something with our own eyes. ~Jack Hanna
Forest Kindergarten
Gilbert Elementary School has two forest kindergarten classrooms. Students spend at least two hours each day in the forest behind our school building. Each class has its own site in the woods where students learn from nature. There are many benefits of Forest Kindergarten. Basically, students are given the opportunity to have self-initiated play time in the woods. Students are learning to use their imaginations, to be creative, to discover, and to explore.
In forest kindergarten, students will be outdoors in all types of weather, in all seasons, and exposed to the natural world that they are so deprived of today. They go the the same site each day so they are able to see the changes in one natural space during all weather and in each season. Students are developing a love and an empathy for the natural world. Teachers are available to facilitate learning and to elaborate on things that the children discover and create. Teachers also make sure that students are playing safely while allowing them to take reasonable risks. Teachers help students assess the activity to see if it is safe. The adult supervision in the forest is meant to assist rather than lead.
Students are doing different things during their time outdoors. They play in the dirt and mud, search for bugs, and go on adventures. Students also climb in trees which improves the childs strength, balance, and self awareness. Building shelters and other large structures from branches, with the help of other children and adults, requires goal definition, planning, engineering, teamwork, and perseverance. Students play games using the natural resources available in the forest and their imaginations. This helps children to explore their own thoughts without the guidance of a toy designer or a teacher telling them how to play. Sometimes students may not want to play in a group and would rather be alone. Exploring or reflecting alone aids self-awareness and character development.
Students have math lessons outdoors where they count objects or look for mathematical patterns in nature. Students become scientist as they record their discoveries in their journals each day. At this time in the year, they are able to sit for about 10 minutes each day in the pine forest writing in their journals. This is a quiet time of reflection and we have seen their drawing and writing skills improve greatly.
Gilbert Elementary has integrated a heavy dose of STEM into kindergarten, which in turn created forest kindergarten in our public school. In this environment, children are able to explore, create, and discover the things that they are interested in. This directly causes students to become involved in student-led discoveries and adventures. This leads to a multi-sensory environment with nature being the teacher and the children’s imagination being the driving force. Kindergarteners at Gilbert Elementary School are definitely learning from Nature !
Kindergarten
1st Grade
2nd Grade
3rd Grade
4th Grade
5th Grade
STEAM Lab Art & Music
Low Ropes Course
Outreach
We were also pleased to have a former Gilbert Elementary student, Alex Richardson, get involved in our program. Alex is a PhD candidate in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, and researches issues in social and environmental justice. He saw in our STEM initiatives an opportunity to meet students where they are, and to stress the moral and political importance of building a sustainable society and taking care of our planet. Alex has visited our campus several times in past few years, talking with students at all grade levels about basic moral reasoning skills, various ways to find value in the natural environment, and the importance of living sustainably, both individually and in their larger communities. He has designed and delivered numerous mini-lessons and discussion groups to get students interested in and talking about environmental value on their own terms, while at the same time helping students develop crucial skills like critical thinking, moral awareness, and political responsibility, as well as central skills from the Georgia Performance Standards for K-5
After School Activities
At Gilbert Elementary School, learning takes many forms and in many places. We have several after school activities to offer our students. Teacher are generous with the time they give to make these learning opportunities possible.
Vex Robotics - Gator bytes
One of our after school activities is Vex Robotics. Fourth and fifth graders were invited to tryout for the team. Once selected, student stayed after school three days per week to learn various STEM concepts. These skills are put to the test on the playing field as students learn lifelong skills in teamwork, leadership, communications, and more. Tournaments are held year-round at the regional, state, and national levels. Our team recently competed in a competition and brought home three first place trophies: Skills and Programming Challenge, Team Work, Research Project.
Gilbert Elementary School’s Vex Robotics Team, the GatorBytes, competed in the Vex Robotics State Championship this past Saturday at North Forsyth High School in Cummings, GA. This team of third, fourth, and fifth grade students worked diligently in programming robots to complete specific moving, lifting, stacking, and hanging tasks. The GatorBytes proudly brought back two banners and several medals, as they won first place in the categories of Teamwork and Design. They also set the state record for this year’s teamwork challenge. The Gilbert GatorBytes now qualify for the 2019 Vex Robotics World Championship, which will take place in Louisville, KY April 24-27.
Lego Robotics - Gilbert Gatorbots
Another after school activity is Lego First League. Due to the age restrictions for the competitions, only our fourth and fifth graders compete. Guided by teacher coaches for the project portion of competitions, the team research a real-world problem such as food safety, recycling, energy, etc. and are challenged to develop a solution. Students also design, build, and program robots using Mindstorm technology to compete on a table-top playing field. It all adds up to tons of fun while they learn to apply science, technology, engineering, and math concepts (STEM), plus a big dose of imagination, to solve a problem. Along their discovery journey, they develop critical thinking and team-building skills, basic STEM applications, and even presentation skills, as they must present their solutions with a dash of creativity to judges. They also practice the Program’s signature Core Values
Bright Designs
Bright Spark is Bridge Innovate's® social innovation designed to ignite creative confidence with students and educators using design thinking. Gilbert has a team of four students who are competing in the Bright Spark Design Competition to design a STEM playground.
Archery
Students at Gilbert Elementary School enjoy sharpening their focus, increasing their strength, and improving their coordination by participating in the GES Archery Club. Each Wednesday afternoon, for one hour, members practice their balance, stance, and aim with child-safe bows and arrows in the school gym. Under the guidance of their club sponsors, Mr. Jay Lemons, Mr. Ben Cherry, and Mrs. Karen Neal, students look forward to target practice each week. In order to become certified archery leaders, these teachers had to attend an archery training in Augusta, GA. Archery Club has been offered at GES for 3 years now, and is available to all third, fourth, and fifth grade students who wish to increase mental and physical endurance, and have fun while doing so!