What Propel wanted to know is what the kids that attend Propel schools think about their teachers. After all, the students are our most important audience. Rather than hear it from the adults, we wanted to hear it directly from the source: What do these Propel McKeesport students really think about their teachers?

Join us, as we investigate….

Click here to view the embedded video.

Throughout this year, each student’s goal was to complete 26.2 miles and try at least 60 different healthy foods, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes.

Many students ran their miles with Ms. Williams, Propel East’s School Counselor,  after school every week, but some
students did their miles at home with their families and friends.

Students who registered for the final event got to travel downtown to Point State Park and run the final mile with thousands of other children!

At the finish line, everyone received medals and got their pictures taken, and then everyone
came together to celebrate their accomplishments with a festival.

It was a lot of hard work, but it taught the students not to give up when they are tired and that it is important to be healthy! Propel East hopes that more Propel schools will join next year!!

- By Lauren Smith-Powell, 3rd grade

Please join us in congratulating Propel Braddock Hills HS teacher, Erin Whitaker, who was one of only 50 educators chosen to attend the 2012 SMART Exemplary Educator Summit in Calgary, Alberta, Canada this summer!
This honor recognizes Mrs. Whitaker as a proven technology leader who has demonstrated the innovative use of SMART products to improve education outcomes, as well as an outstanding advocate for the inspiring and effective use of education technology. Congratulations, Mrs. Whitaker!

Please join us in congratulation Propel East music teacher, Anna Marie Joyce, as Propel East was recently named one of the 2012 Best Communities for Music Education by The NAMM Foundation! Last year, Propel EAST was recognized for excellence in arts and music education by Pittsburgh CLO with the Charles Gray Award. Congratulations to the music educators and all staff at Propel East!

Please join us in congratulation Propel’s Coordinator of Science Programming, Kristen Golomb. Propel Schools has been selected to receive a 2012 Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence via Mrs. Golomb’s efforts! Each year projects that encourage and promote environmental stewardship are recognized for their accomplishments and contributions to the conservation of Pennsylvania’s environment.  Propel has won due to the Sunflower Garden that was grown, cultivated and is maintained outside of Propel Braddock Hills.

Propel students maintain the Sunflower garden throughout the year:

Below is just one small -and fun!- example of how technology is embedded into students’ daily life at Propel schools!  Propel BHHS students have QR codes on their lockers that will direct whoever scans them to that student’s Personal Learning Portfolios:

]]> http://blog.propelschools.org/2012/04/technology-is-embedded/feed/ 0 http://blog.propelschools.org/2012/03/got-game-propel-andrew-st-v-pittsburgh-steelers-basketball-game/ http://blog.propelschools.org/2012/03/got-game-propel-andrew-st-v-pittsburgh-steelers-basketball-game/#comments Wed, 28 Mar 2012 16:23:35 +0000 propel http://blog.propelschools.org/?p=1752 Got game?
Come watch the Propel Andrew Street faculty and students take on the Pittsburgh STEELERS as they face off in a friendly game of  basketball! Tickets are $7 per person, and on sale now – don’t wait, space is limited and seats will sell out fast.

When:
April 12, 2012 – 8pm

Where:
Propel Homestead
129 East 10th Ave
Homestead, PA 15120

How much:

Tickets are only $7.00!

…and did we mention: The Steelers will be signing autographs at halftime!

To make sure you don’t miss all the action, contact: smundy@propelschools.org or dgordon@propelschools.org for more information and to purchase your tickets!

Some of these Steelers will be there:

Charlie Batch
James Harrison
Chris Hoke
Brett Keisel
Anthony Madison
Ben Roethlisberger
Ramon Foster
Ryan Mundy
Dennis Dixon
William Gay
Trai Essex
Keenan Lewis
Mike Wallace
Morty Ivy
Louis Lipps
Antonio Brown
Emmanuel Sanders
Willie Colon
Cameron Heywood

(individual appearances are subject to player availability, so not all players will be at every game)…

Propel MONTOUR proudly presents:

The musical tale of a girl’s adventure to bring honor to her family

When:
March 29, 2012: 7pm
March 30, 2012: 7pm

Where:
Propel Montour Multi-purpose room

Why:
A wonderful opportunity for our students to witness their peers and classmates in a live theatre production.

Who:

Starring Brea Dixon, in a debut performance as Mulan

and returning to the stage:

Alex Archey as Mushu

Alonzo Hall as Captain Shang

How much:

Tickets are available at $3.00 per person starting March 8.

Special Family Ticket Package: $10.00 for up to 5 family members in the same household

Please contact mcooney@propelschools.org for more information!

Interview with Kristen Golomb:
Propel’s Coordinator of Science Programming

Kristen, who is the recent recipient of Chevrolet’s Green Educator Award, shares her  perspective on Propel Schools, the importance of “going green,” and her passion for science education.

Q:  What made you want to work for Propel?
When I initially met with the leadership team, I was motivated by their genuine concern and commitment to excellence for the students.  Propel’s educators create a dynamic culture in which EVERY student achieves, and I wanted to be a part of it all.

Q: Tell us about your role as Coordinator of Science Programming.
My role as a Coordinator of Science Programming is an exciting, special opportunity.  On a day to day basis, I work with teachers to develop and evaluate science education in our k-12 classrooms.   In addition, I work with ASSET (Propel’s science program distributor, emphasizing hands-on, minds-on science) to ensure our teachers have meaningful science professional development and our students have the necessary materials to help with understanding.  I also help teachers implement scientific technologies in their classrooms and work with local universities and organizations to create scientific field opportunities for our students.

Q: What makes Propel’s science curriculum unique?
Our curriculum is innovative, hands-on, and inquiry based.  Our students become immersed in scientific problems and tasks.  Through discovery, students create an understanding through exploration and carefully created teacher-student questioning.

Q: What did it mean to you when you received the Chevrolet Green Educator Award? How will this impact what you do at Propel?
I was thrilled to highlight and share the accomplishments of our Propel students.  This distinction allows Propel to connect with national organizations that believe in and support the continued development of STEM education (STEM is a program which develops people who are able to find solutions to our world’s problems) for our students.

Q: Why is it important to “Go Green?”
My goal is not only to get students and families interested in science and the environment, but to create a universal awareness of the positive impacts that we can make every day.  “Going Green” is a great way to teach that even the smallest actions can make a big difference.

Q: What motivates you to come to work every day?
I am motivated by the commitment and enthusiasm of the Propel family and the charge of opening students’ minds to new opportunities.

Mr. Fisher believes Robots in Motion is a chance to engage students in new and exciting ways. The material of the project aligned with the curriculum, and was an opportunity for students to be creative, while working with robots makes seemingly intangible math concepts more tangible.  Robots in Motion places the students in technology-rich problem solving situations, in which they are encouraged to find the mathematical rule, discover the solution, and then apply that rule across multiple contexts.  Students began by first creating their robots, and then learned how to use the computer program in order to give their robot commands to move in all directions and angles. The computer program includes a “Cognitive Tutor,” which, according to project manager and lead content developer Ross Higashi, acts as a virtual teacher’s assistant – providing general support so the teacher can spend more time helping students with any bigger issues.

“I believe that technology is going to continue to be a huge part of the progress of education. This program attempts to push the boundaries of content, motivation, and application. It all comes together in a way that helps students understand the real-world application aspect of algebra,” explains Aaron Kessler, a second-year Learning Science and Policy graduate student at Pitt. The University of Pittsburgh primarily focuses on the research development and implementation part of Robot in Motion; whileCarnegieMellonUniversity focuses on the technological progress of the project.

“For us, the opportunity to work with Propel students is absolutely invaluable. Students who participated in field trials at Montour got their hands dirty with real-world software development. Robots are cool, but it’s easy to accidentally “skip” the math when you use them, so we built a series of lessons that made it easier to see where the math is valuable,” Mr. Higashi says. One of the benefits Mr. Fisher has noticed is increased student interest.
“I really like how we are doing something different in math. Mr. Fisher says if we get far enough, we’ll be able to make the robot dance,” 7^th grade student Karsen, along with her robotics partner, Haley share.

Even if the robots don’t dance, the experience of the project itself has made its mark on Propel Montour. “We really enjoyed working on Robots in Motion.  Together, we learned a lot about how to prepare our students for the future,” Principal Justin Aglio says. Robots in Motion offers students a learning opportunity that is truly unique.

As Mr. Fisher explains, “This is something that couldn’t have been implemented at other schools. Propel encourages us, as teachers, to take risks and push ourselves to do as much as and the best that you can. It’s a truly collaborative process between administrators, coaches and teachers.  Incorporating programs like Robots in Motion gives the students a chance to take ownership of their work, and to leave their mark on Propel.”

BUILD DAY is April 27th for the Braddock Hills playground – and we need YOUR help! We are looking for over 150 volunteers to come to the school on that day and be a part of this very special project.  Any and all volunteers 16 years of age and older are welcome.  Remember: it’s not all about construction! Volunteers can help in many ways, including the food and drink station, the first aid tent, registration and recruitment, and much more! Contact us for details or with your ideas for how you can help Propel, Duquesne Light, and KaBoom! build the students of Propel Braddock Hills a dream playground!

Sign up to VOLUNTEER!

For more information, please contact adappolonia@propelschools.org.

Propel Pitcairn will open for the 2012-13 school year in grades K-6, and will eventually grow to a K-8 school. Because you have previously shown interest in Propel Schools, we wanted to share the good news with you. We will begin accepting applications for students entering grades K- 6 for the 2012-13 school year on February 23, 2012.

Please refer to the provided map below in regards to Propel Pitcairn’s location. Propel schools are not alternative schools or alternative placements. We welcome students from any and all school districts to apply.  Located within the Gateway School District, Propel Pitcairn is minutes away from Propel East, Propel Braddock Hills, and Propel McKeesport.

APPLY TO PROPEL PITCAIRN 

For more information, please visit the Propel website or call 412.325.7305 x 411