Los Nietos Middle School STEAM Academy Hosts Open House on March 29, 2016

On March 29, 2016 the Los Nietos Middle School staff welcomed 5^th and 6^th grade students and their parents to showcase the Los Nietos Middle School STEAM Academy program. Los Nietos Middle School Principal, Shannon Brann Zelaya, welcomed the parents and students and explained the changes that have occurred during the first year of the STEAM Academy’s implementation. Superintendent Vasquez and Los Nietos Board of Trustees Member, Nick Aquino, also addressed the parents to answer questions and discuss the future plans for helping Los Nietos students utilize technology to augment their instructional program.

After the initial informational meeting, parents and students were invited to visit classrooms, talk to teachers, and meet with current Los Nietos students to discuss the clubs and activities that are available for Los Nietos Middle School students. Parents were able to see video games created in the coding class (computer programming), see language arts presentations given on I-pads, visit the ceramic and arts classes, and preview Math Engineering Science Achievement (MESA) projects. The Los Nietos MESA program has been consistently one of the finest in the area, and competed at Chapman College over Spring Break. Once again the LNMS MESA program qualified teams to go to the regional competition, and will be sending teams to compete at the University of California at Riverside on April 9^th.

The Los Nietos Middle School’s first year of STEAM implementation has substantially augmented technology in the classrooms this year adding to the two existing computer labs. The utilization of I-Pad Carts, Apple laptops, and Chrome books this year have substantially made 1 to 1 device student use a closer reality. Eighth grade students next year will have the opportunity to utilize Chrome Books exclusively in their classrooms as eighth grade teachers prepare to become proficient in Google Classroom.

At the end of the evening students and their parents were invited to enjoy a taco dinner sponsored by the Los Nietos School District and the SELAC Foundation.