Richard Woods, State School Superintendent of the Georgia Department of Education, visited Dames Ferry Elementary School Sept. 8, to strengthen communication with the district, to hear what has been happening at the school regarding STEM, and present the school their new STEM banner.
Wes Cavender, principal of Dames Ferry Elementary School, thanked the superintendent for visiting Dames Ferry Elementary School. Cavender said he was happy Woods could be there and he was honored to have him see what they have done. The principal said he hoped the superintendent could see the agriculture theme they used to teach STEM.
“Dames Ferry started a journey to STEM certification about six or eight years ago, and throughout those years progress was made towards achieving that goal,” Cavendar said. “We received our certification when we were going through COVID. There weren’t a lot of in-person things going on. Superintendent Woods has been gracious enough to stop by and see the hard work our teachers have put into working with STEM and reaching that goal.”
The principal said the kindergarten students grow plants using hydroponics, first grade students monitor the weather, second grade students take care of the goats, chickens and a rabbit, third grade students do composting and worms for planting, fourth grade students tend to bees and pollination and fifth grade students learn and try to attract bats to help with the mosquito population at the school.
He said each grade level has an important role in the agriculture theme. He said he’s proud of the teachers for all they have accomplished with the students, and it couldn’t have been done without them.
“When I arrived here four years ago, the school was in the process of doing STEM. It is absolutely amazing what the kids can tell you and explain to you. It’s just so powerful what these kids internalize and what they know. We are big fans of STEM,” Cavender said.
Before touring the school, Woods gave a small speech and presented the school with their new STEM certification banner. He said STEM takes a lot of collaboration to be successful, which is something teachers at Dames Ferry and other schools are finding out. He said STEM builds across all grade levels, taking it to another level each year.
“This is STEM month for us. This was our seventh school this week, so we had a few more to go to,” he said. “It’s not an easy process to get certified. It’s about a five-year process to get to the certification. One of the good things about STEM is that it involves the whole school.”
Woods said it’s notable that STEM is a community effort where others are brought in from the outside. He said Dames Ferry Elementary School has done a great job at involving special needs students, proving that everyone can be involved in STEM education.
“We want to have critical thinkers, and we want to have students who can express themselves. Starting them out young will pay them with big dividends as they move up in higher grades. With agriculture there is so much science and so much you put into it that people don’t think about,” Woods said.
He said Dames Ferry was one the elite, with only 79 schools STEM certified in Georgia out of 2,300 schools in the state. He said they should feel very proud of what they have accomplished for the school and Jones County.
“I believe this is a great opportunity. There is a lot of great education, and a lot of great opportunities out there. Thank you for investing in your children,” the superintendent said. “It will pay dividends with them, because we could have the next Albert Einstein, Madame Curie, Bill Gates, or Jeff Bezos down these halls.”
Richard Woods touring the back of the school where the goats and chickens are located.
