ANOTHER YEAR OLDER AND WISER

Well, here we are in Metro’s fourth year of operation. I haven’t posted a blog in awhile—the start of the school year is always very hectic! We had a great summer at Metro. Most students were enjoying the break, but many were once again catching up on elusive credits and attending summer field studies. Metro hosted professional development courses and training for teachers, especially for some of the new STEM schools. We are truly growing into our role as the “small school with the big footprint.”

The PAST Foundation partnered to bring summer activities for students including a student-run business venture: Growing America and the Metro Farmer’s Market. Overseen by biology/botany teacher Neal Bluel, the students partnered with OSU’s agricultural school to plant and cultivate their own natural research garden on campus. They used no pesticides or weed chemicals and experimented with natural fertilizers. Several Saturdays during the summer harvest season, the students ran a farmer’s market in the Metro parking lot. They sold their own crops, but also rented booth space out to local farmers and small business owners to create a successful cooperative market. The students did everything from creating a business plan, marketing the booth space and overseeing the Saturday markets, which required accounting and business management skills.

Students also participated in another caving expedition in Kentucky. This field study included students from Metro, Linden McKinley and MC² STEM school in Cleveland. The focus was spider and cave ecology research for Carter Caves State Resort Park. Not only did the students love crawling around in muddy caves, but this was a great bonding experience with students from their sister STEM schools.

Another field study that included students from all three schools was a trip to Virginia for an in-depth historical analysis of the cultural and natural landscapes surrounding Jamestown and the southern Chesapeake Bay. Students systematically explored the various periods of settlement, examining how archaeological methods are used to collect information from minimal tangible evidence, creating interpretation and providing a sense of ownership of cultural heritage.