We have added a new Edventure Club to two of our schools. Mountain View Intermediate and Cartoogechaye Elementary will now have STEM lessons using the National Inventor Hall of Fame curriculum. Mr. Navarro is leading the students in SOS Endangered where students will engineer bear-proof trashcans, find solutions for bats looking for a place to roost, and how we can clean up our water!
Our Edventure Clubs will be rotating throughout the schools this year so all students will have an opportunity to participate in a variety of activities. For more information about these programs, please go to https://www.macon.k12.nc.us/page/mep-mission-statement
The Macon Edventure Program has been busy these past couple of weeks creating works of art! We are enjoying our art classes, which are taught by local artists and supported through the Arts Council of Macon County's ARTReach Program. We thank them for their support!
Thank you to the North Carolina GO Grant for supporting outdoor education at Macon Middle! Part of the $15,000 grant we received was used to purchase grow towers, which are helping students learn about hydroponic agriculture and its benefits. The Pathways, Self-Contained, and Food and Nutrition departments are growing vegetables and herbs, while STEM students are monitoring and researching the towers. It's been a fantastic collaborative experience!
The best part? These towers can be moved outdoors when the weather is good and brought indoors as needed.
Thank you, Franklin Walmart, for your generous donation of a 50-inch TV to the STEM program at Macon Middle School for a raffle. Project-based learning can indeed be expensive, but the rewards far outweigh the cost. Your support plays a crucial role in helping us provide engaging, hands-on learning experiences for our students. The drone image of Franklin Walmart was taken by a MMS STEM student.
We greatly appreciate your contribution in making our program a success!
Win a 50" ROKU TV and support the Macon Middle School STEM Program. Contact gareth.wilkinson@macon.k12.nc.us to purchase tickets!
Macon Outdoor Club Careers in Natural Resources field trip to Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont Nov. 11-13.
A new documentary looks at the childcare crisis in North Carolina, how it affects everyone, and what's at stake if we don't fix it. Learn more at takecarenc.com to view this documentary for free on Oct. 9th.
Our STEM program took 50 students to Western Carolina University’s STEM Day last Friday. The students thoroughly enjoyed the learning experience, and many of them expressed how impactful the day was for them.
Several students shared that, after this trip, they now know they want to go to university! The opportunity to be on campus, explore WCU, and see the sights inspired them and opened their eyes to the possibilities ahead.
Thank you to the STEM-E grant through WRESA for making this memorable and educational experience possible for our students. Your support is greatly appreciated!
Macon County Schools will have an early release day on Oct. 30th, 2024, and Feb. 26th, 2025 to provide district-wide professional development to their faculty and staff. If you need after-school childcare, please get in touch with one of these community partners who will be providing services on these days.
On behalf of the Macon Middle STEM program, I would like to extend our heartfelt thanks for the generous gift of $472 from the Macon County Academic Foundation. Your support will significantly impact our efforts to provide hands-on, inquiry-based learning opportunities for our students.
At Macon Middle, our STEM program emphasizes project-based learning and collaboration, preparing students to develop the skills they need to succeed in today's world. Your donation will allow us to purchase the necessary supplies to enhance this hands-on approach and further engage our students in meaningful, real-world experiences. We truly appreciate your partnership and investment in the success of our students and program.
The NEW Macon County Schools After School Edventure Program is off to a great start! This past week we started our new "Club" programs. What kinds of clubs? Intro to Spanish, Art supported by the Macon County Arts Council ARTReach Program, NC Cooperative Extension Camp, Cook, Play program, Robotics, STEM with the National Inventor Hall of Fame curriculum, Highlands Biological Station natural history programs, and Western Carolina University Mountain Heritage Programs. All clubs take place Tuesday - Thursday.
Spaces for this program are filling up fast at our 5 sites (Cartoogechaye Elementary, Iotla Valley Elementary, South Macon Elementary, East Franklin Elementary, and Mountain View Intermediate School). This program is open to students in Kindergarten through age 13. The program begins after school at 3:00 with pick up no later than 6:00 pm. The clubs meet from 4:00 - 5:00 so don't miss them!
For more information, please go to the website - www.macon.k12.nc.us and scroll to the bottom of the Menu to find the EDVENTURE program information and application materials. Students are not allowed to stay until all paperwork is completed and submitted. A subsidy is available to help offset the cost for those who qualify. Contact Amy Breedlove at 828-349-2124 to find out if you are eligible.
Come join the fun!
Thanks to a grant through the North Carolina Youth Outdoor Engagement Commission the NEW Macon Early College Outdoor Trailblazers Club purchased 10 new bikes with helmets, repair kit, and bike pump! Look for them cruising on the Greenway and eventually, hitting local mountain bike trails! @ncoutdoortrailblazers @gooutsidenc
Thank you also to Motion Makers Bicycle Shop in Sylva for being a dream to work with and supporting our program!
Check out the MEC Facebook Page for updates on the club!
We are pleased to inform you that MMS, MEC, and FHS were all awarded a $5,000 - $10,000 grant last year to establish an outdoor club aimed at getting our students outdoors and away from their screens. With the increasing demands of technology on our students, it is more important than ever to encourage them to spend time outside and engage with the natural world.
As part of this initiative, the outdoor club will be taking a trip to Tremont in the Great Smoky Mountains on November 11-13. This trip is designed to provide our students with hands-on learning experiences in natural resources and recreation, while also promoting potential careers in environmental fields. Please note that students participating in this trip will miss two days of school (Nov 11 and 12). The trip has been approved by the school board, and all necessary arrangements are being made to ensure a smooth experience for everyone involved.
If you are interested in participating in the Outdoor Club and participating in this trip to Tremont, please complete the Google Form. The $75.00 fee and paperwork (which will be emailed to you) are due on Oct. 4, 2024. This trip is open to 7th - 10th grade students.
https://forms.gle/h8FXR4H36tcHvFkj7
After five years, we are thrilled to finally hang our new sign!
Macon County Schools and Macon County Soil and Water will be collaborating with the WCU Forest Stewards program this summer and fall semester on habitat restoration in front of the school along Cove Branch (stream area adjacent to MVI and MMS). This project will involve:
*Removing invasive exotic species
*Planting native plants and trees
*Installing a split rail fence in the fall
*Creating a walking path with signage designed by MVI students five years ago (file attached)
For those interested in our progress, updates will be available on the shadeyourstream.org website.
Our goal is to enhance the front of MVI/MMS, making it more aesthetically pleasing while also providing a valuable learning space for our students. This space will be available in the future for nature studies if classes would like to utilize the space for field trips.
We are proud to announce that this project is entirely funded by grants!
Are you already hearing, "I'm Bored!"? We have spaces left in our Muddy Sneakers camps coming up June 17-20 (rising 4th - rising 6th) and June 24-27 (rising 6th - rising 8th).
Register here: https://forms.gle/h4moJYbuW6h9mdKw7
Payment is due before camp begins.
We still have spaces for both Muddy Sneakers Summer Camps! June 17-20 is for rising 4th through rising 6th grade students and June 24-27 is for rising 6th - rising 8th grade. The cost is $150.00 per student and breakfast/lunch will be provided through the summer food program. To register, please go to https://forms.gle/TvX66zeoNafoW89k8
Say “hello” to two-way messaging and classroom announcements in the Macon County Schools app! With the addition of Rooms, our district app keeps getting better. Parents/guardians check your email with instructions to sign up and access new features.
Say "hello" to two-way messaging in the Macon County Schools app! The app now offers announcements & parent-teacher chat. Look for your invitation to begin using this feature in our app tomorrow, May 2.
Download for Android https://bit.ly/3CyB4tu
Download for iOS https://apple.co/3TkKZso
Say “hello” to two-way messaging in the Macon County Schools app! The same district app now offers class streams, announcements, and parent-teacher chat. Look for your personalized invitation later this week.
Download for Android https://bit.ly/3CyB4tu
Download for iPhone https://apple.co/3TkKZso
Macon County teachers got WILD with Project Wild Training! We had 30 teachers - K-12 Macon County formal educators and informal educators from the USFS, Coweeta Hydrologic Lab, and Mainspring who attended a full day of Project Wild training. Thank you to our instructors, Jason Meador, the Aquatic Programs Manager from Mainspring Conservation Trust, and Melissa Faetz, the Associate Instructor in the School of Teaching and Learning from Western Carolina University.
Thank you to the NEEF (National Environmental Education Foundation) Greening STEM Grant for providing funding for this program.
