RISE
Our goal at St. Margaret Mary is to serve all our learners so they can reach their full potential. RISE- Rigorous Instruction for Student Enrichment- was established to challenge students and give them an opportunity to think critically and solve problems.
A rubric which combines the Terranova and InView scores is used to identify students in grades 3-4 and 5-6 for this pull-out program.
In RISE we use a math resource called Noetic Math. The students are presented with problems that require using 21st century skills such as making sense of problems and persevering in solving them. The focus in all our activities is not on the final answer but on how to approach the problems and utilize different strategies.
Problem-based learning and STEM projects are vital components of RISE. Through the STEM projects the students examine the engineering design process. They learn how to work collaboratively and acquire many important research and presentation skills. In problem-based learning the students take a closer look at the world around them and highlight problems they observe. They learn more about the problem through research and then apply their skills and knowledge to solve the problem.
Another important aspect of the program is service to others. Each grade is involved in service projects that are near to their hearts and are fully involved in carrying out the project.
RISE in the Classroom is a two-fold feature where the RISE teacher will lead enriching STEM lessons with the classroom teachers and all students are given activity choice boards related to a subject that is being taught concurrently in the classroom. The activities allow for creativity and ingenuity as the students choose how they would like to research and present the topic.
