Guiding Principals

  • Goals and Collective Commitments 

    Dorothy Lemelson S.T.E.M. Academy is committed to fulfilling our vision and mission by focusing time, attention, and finances on Four Pillars of Impact: Collaboration, Integration, Inquiry, Community Stakeholders 

    Collaboration 

    • We plan collaboratively for the implementation of NVACS and STEM based instruction.  
    • We will focus on language and essential learning standards and the measure by which they will be assessed. 
    • We plan for small group Tier 1 instruction to promote proficiency by fifth grade. 
    • We will plan effective questioning strategies to promote collaborative conversations in the classroom and move student thinking to the next level. 
    • We will plan to explicitly teach cooperative strategies to ensure students participate in collaborative conversations and build problem solving skills. 
    • We will plan for students to use technology as a 21st Century learning tool. 
    • We will create common learning assessments and plan for their administration.  
    • We will monitor each student’s learning on a timely basis and provide additional time and support for learning until the student becomes proficient.  

    Integration 

    • We will ensure the vertical alignment of our school curriculum in all content areas. 
    • We will intentionally integrate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics into all content areas. 
    • We will clearly communicate content and language objectives to students before each lesson 
    • We will clearly communicate to students how they will demonstrate their knowledge 

    Inquiry 

    • We will post our essential (driving) questions and refer to them continuously during discussion and learning activities. 
    • We will model connections between the essential questions and skill-based instruction. 
    • We will facilitate frequent discussions wherein students share their thinking, expand academic language, and use target vocabulary in discourse.  
    • We will provide students with opportunities to pose questions and respond to peers about text or content in extended conversations. 

     

    Community Stakeholders 

    • We will respect, value, and connect with all members of the school community. 
    • We will ensure students have meaningful relationships with staff members and guests to our school. 
    • We will provide regular communication to the school community in our students’ native language. 
    • We will invite stakeholders to participate in the development of the School Performance Plan and its quarterly review.  
    • We will invite experts into the classroom to enhance learning and help students make connections to real world and STEM careers.   

     

     

Uniform Policy