STRATFORD—Personalized Learning has transformed instructional practices and has led to greater academic success among students,” says Melissa Warner, principal of St. Mark School in Stratford. “As educators, we develop a deep knowledge of every student and personalize instruction to ensure all students achieve both academic and personal goals.”
To enhance the Personalized Learning initiative, the school has invested in flexible seating, piloting the idea in the fourth grade classroom. Flexible seating allows students to wobble, rock, bounce, lean or stand, which increases oxygen flow to the brain, blood flow and core strength and in turn, increases metabolism and keeps young minds more alert and focused.
This year, thanks to a grant funded through Foundations in Education, St. Mark School initiated Personalized Learning, recognizing that not all great minds think alike.
Through the Personalized Learning initiative, teachers at St. Mark School enrich learning experiences in station rotation by creating meaningful, engaging learning tasks designed to enhance the skills of their students, while providing teachers the opportunity to lead targeted, small group instruction and individual student/teacher conferencing. Educational software is used in the technology station to a student’s individual learning path, helping to inform teacher instruction.
Students are given a choice to work on yoga mats, game chairs, yoga balls and high/low tables. Principal Warner commented, “Students feel empowered by having some degree of choice and control over their environment.” Next year the school hopes to have all elementary classrooms equipped with some level of flexible furniture.
“We recognize that students today learn differently and we are excited to transform the paradigm of education here at St. Mark School,” remarked Warner. “It is our job to prepare students for the moral, intellectual, social, technological and physical demands of today’s society.”
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Steven Cheeseman added, “St. Mark is a wonderful school where my child thrived academically. The staff and teachers did an exceptional job preparing her for the future. The reason my child chose St. Mark over any other school was her experience spending a shadow day. The tight knit community and level of comfort she felt the minute she walked through the doors made all the difference.”
Graduates of St. Mark School typically enroll in high school honors courses, and those enrolling in Catholic high schools are known for achieving academic merit scholarships. Last year’s entire graduating class all continued onto Catholic high school, with the majority enrolling at St. Joseph High School in Trumbull.
St. Joe’s President, Dr. Bill Fitzgerald, noted, “One key to academic success is continuity in instruction. The teachers and administration at St. Mark School have always been diligent in keeping up an engaged conversation with St. Joe’s regarding curriculum expectations and individual aptitudes. It shows in the smooth transition their students make to high school, and it is evidenced by their quality college acceptances.”
St. Mark School is a Catholic elementary school located in the north end of Stratford, committed to the intellectual, spiritual, moral, social, and physical development of each student. St. Mark School welcomes students of all faiths, values diversity, recognizes the individuality of every student and believes that all students are created with unique gifts and talents.
St. Mark School is a Nationally Recognized Blue Ribbon School of Academic Excellence and a New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) accredited school, serving students in Pre-K through Grade 8.
In celebration of National Catholic Schools Week, St. Mark School is hosting an Open House on January 26, 2020 from 10am-1pm. For more information, visit www.stmarkschool.org or call 203.375.4291.
