(11/27) A group of Fairfield Area High School juniors wants the district to expand its outdoor learning spaces.
At their November meeting, the district school board heard from a group of students asking the district to build a gazebo or pavilion. The students cited several benefits of such a structure, including outdoor study space and an opportunity for students to work on a greenhouse. The students said the project could incorporate hands-on learning opportunities for students. The students estimated the project would cost $7,000. The board and administrators supported the students’ idea and said they would work with them to make it a reality.
"I want something done this year so the people who have the idea get to enjoy it," Board Vice President Jack Liller said.
Board member Lashay Kalathas agreed, and said her business, Taverna 5450, will donate $2,000 to the project.
The board charged the administration to work with the group on their proposal and return with a request for funds.
Curriculum update
Aaron Taylor, assistant to the superintendent for curriculum, special education, and student services, told the board that an initial review of the district’s Future Ready PA Index, also known as the district’s report card, shows positive results.
In 2021, 44 percent of Fairfield students were below or well below grade level, Taylor said. This year, that figure reduced to 29 percent. Taylor also told the board that Fairfield Area Elementary School’s third grade class had the highest score compared to peers throughout Adams County.
"We are doing some really good things at the elementary level," he said.
Taylor told the board he plans to give a more in-depth presentation on the results at a future meeting.
Taylor also plans to inform the board soon on how the district will update its science curriculum to meet new state standards. In 2022, the Pennsylvania Department of Education adopted Science, Technology & Engineering, Environmental Literacy & Sustainability standards that every district must meet. The new standards prioritize a shift away from memorization of facts to having students productively participate in scientific discourse and practices, involve students in sustained investigation to support deeper understanding, and recognize that even young children are capable of more sophisticated scientific reasoning than originally thought, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Education website.
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