Holly Springs STEM Academy Wins Georgia School Bell Award

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The distinguished Georgia School Bell Award is presented each year to 10 schools throughout the state in recognition of outstanding curriculum and organizational leadership initiative.

This year, the Cherokee County School District can claim two of those honors.

Holly Springs Elementary School STEM Academy, led by Principal Dr. Dianne Steinbeck, and Woodstock Elementary School, led by Principal Kim Montalbano, both have won the 2015 School Bell Award presented by the Georgia Association of Elementary School Principals.

Holly Springs STEM Academy was selected for this honor based on its outstanding initiative, Microsoft Innovative Educators Certification, and Woodstock Elementary was honored for its successful Camp Learnalotta program.

The selection committee chooses exemplary programs that show positive results and reflect significant involvement of staff, students, parents and community.

The awards will be presented, and the schools will be formally recognized, during the Association’s Fall Principals’ Conference in Savannah. The schools and principals will be recognized by the Cherokee Superintendent of Schools Dr. Frank Petruzielo and school board members at its Aug. 13 meeting.

“The Cherokee County School District is nationally known for its innovations in teaching and learning, so I am not surprised that two of our schools would claim this top State honor for excellence,” Petruzielo said. “The goals of the initiatives for which they’ve been honored – at Holly Springs, ensuring that teachers are prepared to use today’s technology effectively, and at Woodstock, uniting the community in providing students with additional academic support – go hand-in-hand with our Major System Priorities. These award-winning initiatives are examples of the dedication shown by the Principals and staff at these two schools every day; I applaud their efforts and congratulate them.”

Six years ago, Woodstock Elementary School staff members determined that creativity was required in order to meet the Title I school students’ needs for increased academic support, as budgets were decreasing.

The idea for Camp Learnalotta was born: an in-house volunteer tutoring program matching students, teachers, parents, community contacts, service organizations, and partners in education with Grade K-5 students. The school’s Academic coach oversees the program, which is housed in a classroom decorated to look like an outdoor campsite.

Montalbano said the program has improved students’ academic skills, as evident through performance, class grades, and progress monitoring scores. Parents, teachers, and volunteers, she said, also have noted improvements in students’ self-esteem, confidence and social skills.

The program, she added, “provides positive companionship and friendship for youth, positive role models and immediate personalized feedback and encouragement.”

“Camp Learnalotta is a place where people of all ages, from all walks of life, come together to make a positive academic impact on children at Woodstock Elementary School,” Principal Montalbano said.

Holly Springs Elementary School STEM Academy this spring was recognized by Microsoft as the first school in the nation to achieve Microsoft Innovative Educators (MIE) certification for all its teachers, paraprofessionals, specialists and administrators.

The MIE program requires 20 hours of training for teachers on Microsoft’s suite of computer-based resources, including productivity, lesson planning and research-based programs.

As part of the initiative, the school’s staff of 78 teachers and support personnel explored Office 365 and how to integrate its many features, such as sharing documents and creating surveys, connecting classrooms through Skype for Teachers, using OneNote and Office Mix, as well as free tools that improve lesson delivery through creativity.

This national first is due to the focused leadership of Principal Dr. Dianne Steinbeck; the training delivery by Technology Projects Specialist Sandi Adams, a certified Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert; and a dedicated group of educators and support staff who committed their time after school hours to learn new ways to improve the learning experience for their students.

“As with any program or professional development endeavor accomplished by a school, the proof of the exceptionality lies within the implementation of learned skills,” Dr. Steinbeck said. “Teachers have already implemented various portions of this into their daily lessons.”

“Our plan,” she added, “is for each grade level to partner with schools around the world further expanding our development of 21st-Century learners with experiences that will encourage and enhance their ability to function and contribute in a global society.”

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Photo: Dr. Dianne Steinbeck Credit: Cherokee County School District