Principal's Message

Welcome to Redding STEM Academy.

I am honored to be the principal of Redding STEM Academy (R-STEM). At R-STEM, we strive to create a program which is Relevant, Personalized, and Meaningful. So, what does this mean?

Relevant - We believe STEM education is vital to our future—the future of our country, and the future of our children. The United States Department of Labor Statistics lists STEM-related fields as those enjoying the most growth, and high salaries. It is imperative that we foster student interest in the STEM fields at an early age. Research demonstrates that the vast majority of students who pursue careers in the STEM fields became passionate about these subjects in their primary years. Our mission at R-STEM is to provide hands-on experiences, so students learn that STEM is not only important, but fun! We do this via STEM related curriculum (Project Lead The Way), two hands-on science labs (K-6 and 6-8), thematic instruction based on the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), a variety of field trips, and a new STEM Maker Space. Given a student-centric instructional setting where students are presented with open-ended STEM problems, kids easily jump into the activities, work together, and share ideas with one another.

Personalized - We believe each child is unique, and deserves individualized instruction. R-STEM provides opportunities to personalize instruction via small class sizes, combined with Blended-Learning. Our K-4 classes are limited to 24 or fewer students, and grades 5-8 are limited to 30 or fewer students (with 25 or 26 students being the norm). Blended-Learning is a teaching methodology which offers a mixture of direct, face-to-face instruction, combined with on-line courses, which are individually tailored to each child's unique ability and learning style. R-STEM harnesses this power by offering a 1:1 computer ratio in every grade level, starting in kindergarten. We are also proud of our before school intervention program, Academy, which provides intensive support for students struggling to achieve grade level standards.

Meaningful - We believe relationships are foundation for quality education. James P. Comer, professor of Child Psychiatry at Yale University, stated, "No significant learning occurs without a significant relationship." At R-STEM, staff are keenly aware of this, and spend the necessary time to develop meaningful relationships with each child.

I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the students and parents at R-STEM. If you are interested in learning more about our school, please phone the office to schedule an orientation.

(530) 275-5480

email: [email protected]

Respectfully,

Sara Fernandez, Director / Principal

Redding STEM Academy