(734) 401-4085

Mobile Menu

News

  • February 7, 2024

Speed racks were used to place prepped materials such as dough in the refrigerator for storage prior to baking, as well as to house hot pans as they came out of the oven. These were utilized for summer Career Exploration Camps (Saline Elementary and Middle School students) and for Intro to Baking and Intro to Foods (Saline High School 9-12th grade students) and for SWWC Culinary (11th and 12th grade students). With the addition of two (2) speed racks, students were able to prepare a greater quantity of product during a Career Exploration Camp or during class. There were numerous times throughout the year when there were large events and projects that required the compact storage of many items that the speed racks provided.

The project related to the core curriculum and expanded learning opportunities for students in a creative and innovative way. Students in a summer camp or class prepared products from scratch. Therefore, students participated in the cooking/baking process by reading the list of ingredients (reading), learning about the why and how things occur (science), measuring each ingredient within the recipe (mathematics), documenting their progress (writing), and articulating steps and progress to the instructor and with their peers (communication).

  • February 7, 2024

The Woodland Meadows’ Art Gallery featured 3 to 4 portraits/paintings/projects per year that other Art students saw as “mentor” projects that they were able to aspire to. Furthermore, it enhanced Woodland Meadows by giving the art hallway a “gallery” look.

Within the Michigan Standards for Visual Arts, there were standards where students looking at the art needed to explore and discuss art. By having the art in the hallways, and with guided conversation by the teacher, the students were able to do this easily. Moreover, because these pieces were “exemplary” pieces, students had an example of what the art pieces could look like.

  • February 7, 2024

The Saline robotics community for grades 4-8 had been struggling with the setup and teardown of large competition fields and the management of tools and materials 4-6 times each week, which consumed much of their practice time and left them with less time to focus on planning, designing, and building their robots and other innovation projects. A separate space for practice would not only have improved their performance but would have made their meetings more about learning and preparing rather than moving supplies.

The grant was proposed as a partnership between the Saline robotics teams for grades 4-8 and the Saline Middle School Media Center to repurpose an old book storage space into a thriving STEM lab by moving the books out of storage into the Media Center where all students could access them.

The grant covered the cost of making the books in storage available to students in the Media Center while also repairing water damage and outfitting the space as a STEM space with storage and simple, second-hand workspace furniture.

  • February 7, 2024

Inclusive Designs was a radically inclusive opportunity for the SHS Life Skills Program to collaborate and create special edition t-shirts, with additional opportunities for stickers, ornaments, etc., supported by the Cricut Software. Phases were implemented for students to create and share with the SAS district and community.

Inclusive Designs supported the students’ functional academic learning by providing opportunities to apply their functional math skills in selling t-shirts, handling transactions, and making change. It also gave them access to writing strategies and tools to design shirts with words, while utilizing the differentiation of technology supports through Cricut Designs. The use of Cricut tools in the preparation phase of the product supported and enhanced student fine and gross motor skills with bilateral movement, which allowed students from all ranges of motor skills to increase their occupational therapy skill sets. Social Thinking concepts were practiced as students worked collaboratively with peers and connected as a team through the following phases of design: Brainstorm, Design, Prep, Sell, Create, Finance/Final Sell.

  • February 7, 2024

The grant money was used to expand the 3D printing program with the addition of 2 new resin 3D printers. These printers allowed for faster and more detailed prints, aiding in the education of students for many years to come, thereby better preparing them for the workforce and/or college. The project impacted both current and future students, as well as staff who required 3D printing services for their classrooms.

The new technology helped to expand the 3D printing curriculum, enabling students to be more creative with their designs. The printers exposed them to new materials and printing processes, furthering their knowledge through creative thinking and problem-solving.

  • February 7, 2024

The grant supported Saline Area Schools, including Woodland Meadows, in their ongoing efforts to create inclusive and welcoming learning environments for all students. The grant was used to transform the entrance of Woodland Meadows with a large decal or sign that reflected the school’s mission of inclusivity. The “Welcome to Woodland Meadows” decal was designed to include representations of the diverse learners from Woodland Meadows and the broader Saline Community, setting a tone of inclusiveness for students and community members alike.

The project related to the core curriculum by providing “windows and mirrors” for students, ensuring that everyone felt represented and welcomed at Woodland Meadows. This visual representation aimed to foster a robust learning environment that would positively impact all areas of the core curriculum and enhance learning experiences in a creative and innovative manner.

  • February 7, 2024

The grant provided chromatic tuners to a large-format music classroom of 50-80 students at Saline Area Schools, where individual teacher attention was limited. These electronic devices offered immediate feedback on tuning and intonation, which are foundational skills in music, indicating to the musician whether a note was in tune and, if not, whether it needed to be adjusted higher or lower. The chromatic tuners enabled students to receive the necessary feedback to improve their sound independently, which is crucial for playing in tune—a fundamental aspect that enhances the overall quality of music and facilitates the development of higher-level skills and satisfaction in the music classroom.

Through the use of these tuners, students demonstrated key educational skills such as collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity. They worked in various sized groups, including partnerships and sections, to learn how to play in tune. This collaborative approach not only helped build a sense of community among the students but also made creative use of the learning space, providing numerous learning opportunities.

  • February 7, 2024

The grant enabled the Girls Who Code club to purchase 8 Makeblock mBot Starter Kits and 4 Arduino Education Starter Kits. The mBot Starter Kits, which are robots that can be programmed using Scratch and Python, allowed the girls to code the robots to move and interact with their environment. The Arduino Education Starter Kits provided lessons in coding, hardware, and electronics.

The project was designed to align with the core curriculum and broaden learning opportunities for students in a creative and innovative manner. By introducing these kits, the club aimed to enhance coding skills among a demographic underrepresented in computer science and the tech sector, specifically girls. The hands-on experience with robotics and coding was intended to spark interest in future computer science, graphics, and engineering classes at SHS. Additionally, having access to these resources significantly improved the overall enjoyment and engagement of the club members.

  • February 7, 2024

A creativity wall was established in the Innovation Lab. The initiative aimed to offer a unique feature distinct from the media center’s LEGO wall. A large magnetic whiteboard was installed, enabling students to map out their projects and utilize a variety of magnetic building toys. This new addition provided a collaborative space where multiple students could work together simultaneously.

The creativity wall served as a tool for students to engage in the Design Process, which includes the stages of Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create, Improve, and Communicate, particularly during building challenges. It offered a substantial area for groups to visualize and organize their construction plans. Moreover, the magnetic aspect of the wall allowed students to experiment with building vertically using five different types of magnetic building materials available in the iLab, introducing unique challenges compared to building on a flat surface.

  • August 24, 2023

As Physical Educators, it’s our job to instill knowledge in our students that will last a lifetime. The knowledge they can take with them and use as they grow in their understanding of various fitness concepts and ideas. It’s important that our students have the confidence and ability to perform a variety of movements that they enjoy and can repeat. But also, that they acquire the desire to push their knowledge and abilities forward with a focused intent to pursue health and wellness for a lifetime. Our goals are bigger than just 1 trimester, our classroom goals are inherently learned over time so that our students may draw on their time in the Weight Room at Saline and share it with others. We truly believe this project is student-centered and delivers the necessary messages that are incredibly important in our classes every day at Saline High School.