OUR JOURNEY FROM CLASSROOM TO CULTURE...
Guardian Angels Catholic School (GACS), founded in 1991, is a small, private pre-k (4) through 8th grade interparochial Catholic school within the Diocese of St. Petersburg and located in Clearwater, FL. Throughout the years, it was recognized that local schools in our area began to diversify offerings such as magnet programs and charter schools focusing on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
Teachers simultaneously observed that traditional teaching methods were no longer meeting student needs. Classrooms required more engaging activities and varying approaches. Successful outcomes in the form of engagement, interaction, and positive student feedback of those experiences led to the development of an after school club in 2014 focused on the integration of science, technology, religion, engineering, arts and mathematics (STREAM). Students were enjoying a rigorous level of curriculum in a variety of content areas through diverse activities. The STREAM club was a success based on student and parental feedback. This led teachers to contemplate offering similar opportunities during the regular school day. Staff developed interdisciplinary projects across the middle grades. This began with a few scheduled afternoons filled with different projects with a STREAM focus . Through attendance at the STEM conference hosted by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and site visits of a STREAM and other STEM schools, teachers learned what would work best to move the culture to an official STREAM accredited school. Two other important things happened during this time: the Florida Catholic Conference started an official STREAM certification process and, secondly, our principal decided to set a goal of becoming the first school in our diocese to become STREAM certified. This goal was supported as a strategic goal in our school's plan based on input from our teachers and parents. By 2017, Guardian Angels staff members began preparing for a STREAM accreditation visit. This entailed coupling evidence that the school satisfied various benchmarks and indicators outlined by the Florida Catholic Conference's STREAM certification requirements. The school also invited a team of officials to observe our teachers through classroom observations and a thorough audit of lesson plans and supporting evidence to show that we met the standards to become a STREAM school. On December 1, 2018 Guardian Angels Catholic School became the first school in the Diocese of St. Petersburg to earn the STREAM certification. We are currently one of only five schools in the State of Florida to have earned this accreditation. |
Guardian Angels Catholic School became the first accredited STREAM certified school in the Diocese of St. Petersburg on December 1, 2018
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To Guardian Angels Catholic STREAM schoolwide....