St. Matthias Awarded a $12,000 Leadership Incentive Grant

The Big Shoulders Fund and Polk Brothers Foundation have awarded St. Matthias with a $12,000 grant in recognition of "leadership which keeps St. Matthias Transfiguration moving forward and constantly developing to meet the shifting demands of the school community, families, and students."  Our school is considered a leader for inner-city Catholic schools, and we are honored to receive this award for the second year in a row.

We will be investing this grant money in a set of 30 iPads to be utilized by kindergarten through 5th graders.  I am excited about the educational possibilities that the iPads will offer our students.  Next year, St. Matthias will be the early adopters of an inquiry-based curriculum for Science and Social Studies (Ms. Gallagher, Ms. Hansen, and Ms. Baglien have been busy working on the teams which are writing units for the Archdiocese).  These units put students in the driver seat, allowing them to direct their own learning, asking questions and investigating to find the answers.  Inquiry-based units will bring the Project-based Learning approach down to the kindergarten level - a very exciting development.  The iPads will be an incredible tool for research, collaboration, and reflection.

Isn't it amazing to consider how education is changing!  There are a multitude of educational apps that will benefit our students.  Do you have any favorites that your children are using at home?  Post below.