Students and teachers attended the May 23 curriculum and technology meeting to demonstrate how project-based learning is being used in the schools.

Fourth grade Western Salisbury Elementary School teacher Patti Anderson explained the makerspace area created at the school for students to create their own project on electric circuitry.

Salisbury High School teacher Laura DosSantos is incorporating more gaming into the biology and Spanish classrooms which was demonstrated at the meeting.

SHS English teacher Laura Nogueira and her students demonstrated digital art and explained how to keep ice cream cold longer.

In the Teaching and Learning 2020 Update, Superintendent Dr. Randy Ziegenfuss and Assistant Superintendent for Teaching and Learning Lynn Fuini-Hetten discussed the book teachers will read over the summer, “Setting the Standard for Project Based Learning” by John Larmer, John Mergendoller and Suzie Boss. The book discusses preparing the student for college and career readiness and addresses the performance-based emphases of Common Core state standards.

Ziegenfuss said Salisbury success stories are posted on the TL2020.org site and encouraged the board members and the community to visit the site.

Ziegenfuss also provided an entry plan update which was developed Sept. 28, 2015.

Administration concentrated on three focus areas– the strengths and challenges of instruction, communication and community.

Regarding instruction, both Ziegenfuss and Fuini-Hetten have spent time in the classrooms asking, “What knowledge, skills and dispositions should a Salisbury graduate possess?”

Data was collected from students, teachers and administrators, students were shadowed and teachers provided input on what a student needs to succeed.

Three visioning sessions were also held with the community.

It was determined the skills needed were critical thinking, communication, collaborations and creativity.

Fuini-Hetten has documented the research on innovateSalisbury180.org which includes next steps.

In the communication area, Ziegenfuss and Fuini-Hetten have made visits to the bus stops, are utilizing Twitter, Facebook, school messenger, developing exit surveys and digital fact cards and will have a community cable channel functioning for the next school year.

In the community area, Ziegenfuss said he and board members will have meetings with state representatives, have attended township meetings, are creating an alumni wall of honor, are collecting school climate/workplace data, are making presentations at conferences and attending community events.

Community partnerships have also been developed including Blessings in a Backpack, Kellyn Foundation, Salisbury Police Department mystery readers, Center for Humanistic Change, Salisbury Police Department school safety and the after school program at Salisbury Middle School.

Ziegenfuss would like the Salisbury School District to be the hub of the community.

Lastly, Ziegenfuss announced Salisbury will be live streaming graduation via Facebook Live June 9. To access the stream of the ceremony, visit the district’s Facebook page at 5:55 p.m. June 9 and click on the “play” button that appears in the first post on the page.