'Sunny Isles Oscars'

By Dr. Annette Weisman, Principal SIB Community School

Do you remember Sputnik?  If your answer was no, let me refresh your memory.  History changed on October 4, 1957, when the Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik I. The world's first artificial satellite was about the size of a beach ball, weighed only 183.9 pounds, and took about 98 minutes to orbit the Earth on its elliptical path. That launch ushered in new political, military, technological, and scientific developments. While the Sputnik launch was a single event, it marked the start of the space age and the U.S.-U.S.S.R space race.

Since then, science has been in the forefront of educational planning.  SIBCS is a math/science school with specific areas of scientific concentration.  Students in Kindergarten through second grade focus on the environment; students in third through fifth grade focus on earth science; and students in sixth grade focus on computer science.

This year SIBCS held its first annual science fair and it was fabulous.  Students in grades two through six focused on the scientific process and created either individual or group projects that reflected their studies.  Many thanks to Chief Maas and Captain Snyder who served as two of the six judges who pored over the projects and science boards. It was a special time for our students and parents who had an opportunity to view all the projects at our Science Fair Open House Night.  Now, the top sixth grade students are competing at the Regional Science and Engineering Fair for students in grades six through eight at Miami Dade College.  In April, our fourth and fifth grade stars will participate in the Elementary Science Fair.

At SIBCS, we are very excited about the opportunities for scientific study at the school. As I write this, we are in the process of supplying and opening a new science lab on the fourth floor. Our fifth grade students have already begun to use the room with plans to include our third and fourth graders in the near future.  We are also very proud of our computer facilities and staff.  Presently there are two teachers serving sixth grade students and another two serving our third, fourth and fifth grade students. In addition we have two after school computer clubs and a Science, Engineering, Communication, Mathematics Enhancement (SECME) Club to enrich our programs.

The Sputnik launch also led directly to the creation of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) which is now a part of everyone’s vocabulary. Since Sputnik the study of science has become a vital part of our curriculum. At SIBCS, science is everywhere you turn – in reading, in mathematics, in music, physical education and art.