News

This quarter, second graders immersed themselves in learning about inspiring women from U.S. history. The selected women spanned generations, from Simone Biles to Amelia Earhart to Katherine Johnson. By studying trailblazing, remarkable women, St. Mary's students learn important lessons about being inclusive and inquisitive. 

Which came first: the chicken or the egg? Lower School Science & Robotics Teacher Mekea Johnson's students have spent the last month learning about chickens' gestational cycles and contemplating this age-old question.

"Bringing in the eggs not only supports our science curriculum, allowing the girls to learn about gestational development, it also fosters the students' love for animals and teaches them to care for all living things," said Mrs. Johnson.
 

Our Lower School students participated in the annual Maker Fair. A tradition in its eighth year, the Maker Fair offers an opportunity for students to spend the morning exploring, creating, learning, and leading. ⁠⁠

In fourth grade, students paired up to create a podcast about resiliency. The assignment was inspired by the novel Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan. In the podcasts, students discussed challenging moments in their own lives, what resiliency means to them, and how Esperanza’s story exemplified resilience. 

“I hope to instill a love of learning in each of my students,” says first-grade teacher Sarah Trimm. For 16 years, Mrs. Trimm has taught St. Mary’s first graders how to read fluently, add and subtract numbers, and be a good friend.

“I love teaching girls because they are curious, imaginative, creative, and fun-loving,” says Stephanie Poje. As Lower School Learning Specialist, Ms. Poje works with teachers, parents, and administrators to develop individual learning plans for students, guiding each student toward reaching her full academic potential.

Second-grade students recently wrapped up a quarter-long collaborative project on birds, flight, and kites with a fun Kite Day at Shelby Farms. The project began in science class with Mrs. Ruhland, where the girls learned about birds, feathers, and wings. 

Recently, our North Campus Librarians, Mrs. Catherine Denman and Mrs. Caryn Brannen, organized a book discussion for the 4th-grade students. Joined by special guests, the 4th-grade girls read the book Operation Frog Effect by Sarah Scheerger. 

Before spring break, our Lower School students participated in the 7th annual Maker Fair, a large-scale show and tell where students learn something new. This Lower School tradition offers an opportunity for students to spend the morning exploring, creating, learning, and leading. 

Last weekend, students in the VEX IQ competitive robotics program competed in the state tournament in Nashville. The robotics program is open to students in grades 4-8. The students must work in teams to build and test a robot under the guidance of program sponsor and Lower School Science Teacher, Meagan Micheal. As members of the robotics team, girls learn valuable critical thinking and problem-solving skills.