The Springfield Township School District recognizes the unique strengths and needs of all students and is committed to providing a rich, comprehensive, and challenging educational program for each student. While all students will thrive with a differentiated curriculum, some students demonstrate exceptional strengths which require further challenge and extension to the classroom curriculum. We recognize that students learn in different ways and come to the educational process with different schemata and levels of understanding.
Students must be respected and empowered to make decisions regarding their own learning. In order for the students in the Enrichment program to feel a sense of ownership over their learning, prior knowledge is accessed and built upon through sensory experiences. Through integrated curriculum, learning is more meaningful, purposeful, and functional. Therefore, newly acquired schemata can be easily incorporated. Also, children are afforded opportunities to explore topics of their own interest. Students must be provided with an educational environment that is stimulating, thought-provoking, and inviting. Because the classroom is theirs, students take an active role in curriculum mapping, classroom design, and choice of activities. Excitement for learning is contagious and should be modeled so that children are excited, passionate, and curious and thoroughly involved in their naturalistic learning. We believe in a child-centered program which will address specific strengths and needs, and will involve a team of adults from school, family, and community.
Springfield Township School's Enrichment Program reflects the belief that a curriculum, which has been created collaboratively by the students in the program (with guidance and modeling from the teacher) should be provided to those students who have been identified by the district matrix to participate in the program. It is the district’s belief that this is not a privilege but a right for the children. The program is designed to provide modeling, partial participation, practice/rehearsal, and performance in the following areas: creative and critical thinking; complex problem solving; independent learning; and creative productivity. These key areas encompass the language arts, science, social studies, math, visual and performing arts, research skills, and foreign studies. Enrichment is dedicated to providing inquiry-based education, which focuses on problem-solving hands-on learning experiences. With the teacher as a facilitator, the students will gain a deeper understanding of the core curriculum, human issues, and social values.
Springfield Township Elementary School provides a school-wide enrichment program for all students. This is achieved through weekly technology instruction, which supports project-based learning and further equips our students with necessary 21st century skills. Furthermore, our district has implemented a rigorous STEAM based program for all K-6 students; our Creator Lab program inspires students to become participatory learners to uncover their talents, needs, and interests by making, producing, solving, creating, collaborating and thinking. This affords our students with an opportunity to explore new and exciting concepts, driven by their own curiosity. In turn, as a school community, we can foster and enrich student learning, by providing them with a safe space to create, make, and innovate. In addition to the aforementioned services for students, identified fifth and sixth grade students will continue to receive pull-out enrichment once a week. These are students who currently receive pull-out enrichment services and qualified through multiple measures, including teacher recommendation and IQ scores. Access the Enrichment Handbook for more detailed information.
Assessments include observations of student performance during instructional activities, performance tasks, use of portfolios, investigative projects, written reports and journals, models, and demonstrations. These assessments tap higher-level thinking as well as problem solving because they require students to perform, create, or produce something. There is also a strong belief in self-evaluation and parent/student/teacher conferencing.
Goals
- To have the ability to study content not available in the general curriculum.
- To develop convergent thinking skills (measuring, inferring, predicting, evaluating, synthesizing, observing, summarizing, associating, comparing,classifying, interpreting, analyzing, and problem solving).
- To develop divergent thinking skills (fluency, flexibility, elaboration, originality, creativity)
- To develop evaluative thinking skills (judging)
- To develop visual/spatial perception skills (mental manipulation of shapes).
- To learn “how to learn” through inquiry, discovery, and investigation.
- To pursue interests and abilities
- To learn and socialize with other respected enrichment peers.
- To develop self-esteem and feel free to take risks in a self-directed learning environment.
- To develop self-motivated, self-directed learning skills/strategies
- To foster enjoyment and appreciation of learning across all subject areas.
- To stimulate and facilitate in-depth thought on self-selected topics.
- To develop research strategies and skills.
- To develop evaluation skills of both processes and products (self-evaluation and peer-evaluation)
- To develop respect and skill in a cooperative learning environment.
- To development a full range of communication skills (oral, written, creative arts).
- To develop an understanding, respect, and appreciation of others, and a social responsibility.
Springfield Township fosters a challenging, inquiry-based, student-centered learning environment for students in grades K – 6. All students are serviced through weekly technology instruction and participation in the district's Creator Lab program. Fifth and sixth grade students are screened and serviced in small groups if they meet district requirements. Please read the Enrichment Handbook for complete details.