Students in Gaylord Community Schools showcased music, robotics and reading initiatives

Students and staff highlighted extracurricular and instructional programs during the Gaylord Community Schools board meeting.

The high school Chamber Singers opened the session with two short pieces; the choir director described the first, "The Road Home," as "a sweet little poetic love song" written for a wedding anniversary and said the second selection, "Ad Astra," mixes Latin and English.

Staff then described the district’s robotics/STEM activities and a FIRST-style competition game. Presenters explained the game’s reef/coral/algae mechanics, noted a current robot transmission issue that staff are addressing, and emphasized learning from failure and growing student participation. Board members were told the team included a foreign exchange student and both female and male team members.

Elementary teachers reported on March’s reading month with a STEAM theme and a planned STEAM Museum event coordinated by Mrs. Dan Stennis; South Maple staff also highlighted the recently adopted Bookworms curriculum in kindergarten and a schoolwide reading goal of 100,000 minutes (30,000 recorded after week one). Carla Hawkins, program director for the district preschool program, said enrollment has started and that an open house drew strong turnout from new and returning families.

Trustees praised the students and staff for recent competition successes and community engagement, and no board action was required for these program updates.