Letter from the Principal
My name is John Berg and I am beginning my first year as the principal of Laurene Edmondson Elementary School and my 24th year as an educator. Initially, I taught in Indiana, where I am from, and then worked as a science, math, and special education teacher in Colorado. Most recently, I was an assistant principal in Fort Collins for the past 5 years. I am truly fortunate and excited to begin my work with the students, families, and staff of the Edmondson learning community! Keep an eye out for additional updates on our school webpage in the upcoming weeks.
We continue our STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) journey and each year we focus on refining various aspects of our program. During the 17-18 school year, our 3rd and 4th graders embarked on a very exciting and authentic Problem Based Learning project and used Design Thinking to redesign our computer lab. They created empathy by researching and visiting 21st Century workspaces at OtterBox and Madwire in Fort Collins. They learned about the design aspects of how to create a workspace that would best foster our 9 STEM Learner Profiles. They ideated, prototyped, and presented their designs to a panel of adults. The panel chose elements from each design to create a new innovative workspace for our students. Kindergarten through 5th-grade students will utilize this space weekly to code, create, innovate, and design. The space will have 3D printers, a green screen production area, a Lego wall, lots of wall space to use to ideate, and flexible workspaces. We can’t wait to see all the ways we can use this space as STEM learners!
Social-Emotional learning has become very important to us at Edmondson. We embrace a growth mindset by helping our students reach success with the following attitudes: I can learn anything I want to; When I’m frustrated, I persevere; I like to challenge myself; When I fail, I learn; I like being told that I try hard; If my classmates succeed, I’m inspired; My effort and attitude determine everything. Our student council focuses on promoting and spreading kindness in our school community. In 2018-19, we introduced a Mindfulness Room, a place where students and adults can use calming strategies to reduce stress and anxiety.
Because we believe in the whole child and our mission is “maximize all student outcomes”, we also use a social and emotional intelligence daily curriculum, In Focus, in all of our classrooms. The lessons help students identify and manage their feelings and learn strategies for preparing themselves to be the best learners possible.