 | | Dr. Gail Swor, principal, Poplar Bridge Elementary |
2010-2011 MESPA
MN School of Excellence
Bloomington Public Schools,
ISD #271
“Poplar Bridge’s main focus is to create and develop
a school culture that is cooperative, innovative, and supports each student’s
learning style. Through our STEM initiative, staff members are able to work
together to create unique, interrelated lessons that traverse core subject
areas –incorporating music, art, physical education, science, technology,
engineering, and math while remaining relevant to students’ lives and
encouraging student inquiry and higher level thinking skills.”
Dr.
Gail Swor is the principal of Poplar Bridge Elementary School, one of 10
elementary schools in Bloomington, MN. It serves 342 students in grades K-5,
and two years ago added the Early Learner’s Academy for preschoolers ages
3-5.
“Shared
leadership and shared decision-making strengthens the bonds within our
community,” Dr. Swor said, “and leads to better decisions for the school and
students we serve.” Shared leadership is encouraged and practiced in a variety
of ways at Poplar Bridge. For example: the school site council includes the
principal, teachers, classified staff, and parents representing each grade
level -- and serves as the
school-based management program. Teachers also lead curriculum and school
climate initiatives.
Poplar
Bridge’s mission statement was recently rewritten to incorporate the school’s
new STEM focus (science, technology, engineering, and math). It states: “We are committed to educating all students
to their fullest potential, encouraging them to be lifelong learners and
responsible citizens. We will provide an environment that nurtures each
student’s innate curiosity and joy of discovery through inquiry based learning
with opportunities for exploration and investigation of our rapidly changing
world.”
Poplar
Bridge has strong community involvement from parents, high school students,
grandparents and neighborhood volunteers. The school-based Big Brothers/Big
Sisters program has matched 40 students with “Bigs”. These trained volunteers
come from local businesses, are residents of surrounding communities, and a few
are high school students. These volunteers have lunch with their “little”, work
on homework, or provide a good listening ear when needed.
Poplar
Bridge’s PTSA (Parent Teacher Student Association) lends extensive financial
and personal support to building committees, projects and initiatives. Members
log in thousands of volunteer hours each year. Among the programs that are
carried out by volunteers are: Welcome Night, Grandparents and Special Friend’s
Day, Bingo Night, Book Fairs, Spring Family Night, and STEM fundraisers. It is
with this unending support of the entire Poplar Bridge community that the
school’s students continue to thrive.
As
principal, Swor believes: “Poplar Bridge’s main focus is to create and develop
a school culture that is cooperative, innovative, and supports each student’s
learning style. Through our STEM initiative, staff members are able to work
together to create unique, interrelated lessons that traverse core subject
areas –incorporating music, art, physical education, science, technology,
engineering, and math while remaining relevant to students’ lives and
encouraging student inquiry and higher level thinking skills.”
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