Article by Qyra Day and Ben DeGear Pictures by Olivia Doro and Karen Manley
On Thursday, August 20, the first day of classes for the students of Fossil Ridge, United States Representative Jared Polis visited to observe the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and Ridgebotics programs. Accordingly, the students and their teachers, Mr. Coupe and Mr. Oswald, showed off some of the amazing projects on which they have been working.
An entrepreneur himself, Polis visited Fossil and neighboring Preston Middle School to highlight programs that are combining STEM and entrepreneurial skills as part of an initiative to help students be more prepared to find better paying jobs statewide. Polis also stated that nationally there is a strong push to get more young women into engineering and related fields.
Polis took time to ask the students about their feelings about the STEM offerings. Throughout the discussion, students communicated that the STEM classes were noticeably different from their other classes at the school and at other schools. One of the benefits is that they seem much more student oriented.
One of the changes to education policy that Polis sees in the works at the federal level is a replacement bill for the Bush-era No Child Left Behind laws. The Senate version would leave in place the law’s annual testing schedule, but in a major shift would give states and districts more control over the implementation of the assessments and the use of data collected to evaluate students, teachers and schools.
Being recognized for excellence is something Sabercats are used to, but a first day visit from a U.S. Representative is something to remember.
