Madison and Discovery Unveil 2019 Re-Imagining Plans

ST. CLOUD -- Following the announcement that Lincoln and Talahi elementary schools would be combining, two more schools in the St. Cloud Area District have presented their 2019 plan to the board.

At Wednesday night’s meeting, Madison and Discovery outlined their plans for refining and expanding some of the structures they have slowly put in place over the last few years.

The plan for each school is very similar in that they will both be adding twice-weekly enrichment sessions, co-teaching, and additional staff.

Current Discovery Principal Tammy Wilson, and current Vice Principal and future Principal Becky Estrada say the benefit of the enrichment sessions is a focus on hands-on learning.

It’s very exciting for our students. It’s project-based, hands-on. You might see some robotics types of activities, engineering. It’s just a fun way to learn math and science.

The sessions will add both STEM and Social Emotional Learning opportunities for students. As part of that, Discovery will be adding an SEL counselor and Madison an SEL coach. Madison Principal Kathleen Flynn says the focus will be on the student as a whole.

I think this plan really meets the ability to challenge our students. I think it really gives us the ability to meet that whole child, of not only just being focused on academics, but on that whole child, of their social-emotional learning.

The schools also plan to use professional learning communities and co-teaching to allow teachers to learn from each other without having to be away from their students.

With these new changes, some goals include closing the achievement gap, having all students reading by grade three, providing more rigor to students, and creating growth mindsets.