| State: Missouri | Number of Students: 1,245 |
| School Type: Independent School | Free and Reduced Lunch: N/A |
| Grade Level: JK-12 | English Language Learners: N/A |
School Context
Students Transformed: MICDS aims to serve the “whole child” by intentionally focusing on the development of bothintrapersonal and interpersonal competencies through a well-rounded program that engenders growth in mind, body, andspirit.
Teacher Learners: To effectively support such a high level of student-centered learning, Mary Institute strives to buildan outstanding and diverse group of educators. MICDS teachers are experts in their respective disciplines and eager toimplement and create best-practice pedagogy.
A Vibrant Future: The school prioritizes the development and maintenance of first rate facilities that support all aspects ofthe MICDS transformative experience while balancing short term needs and desires with long term financial sustainability.Most recently, the school added an innovative new STEM building containing collaborative student and faculty spaces, anauditorium, and a variety of classroom labs including one for robotics.
State of Technology
Convertible Tablets: MICDS has a 1:1 student to device ratio in grades5-12. Students in grades 5-6 are equipped with Netbooks, while studentsin grades 7-12 use Lenovo Yoga convertible tablets. Each student ownsa device and is able to take it home each day for continuous learning.Though not 1:1, students in grades K-4 have access to iPads and Applelaptops for classroom use.
Up, Up and Away: With help from a company called StratoStar, 9th gradescience classes launched a high altitude weather balloon outfitted withsensors, cameras, and other data tracking devices that the students builtand programmed. The students built the balloon, filled it with helium,then loaded it with sensors and experimental devices to track weather aswell as its path. Overall, 60 students and five teachers participated in thishands-on application of the school’s STEM programming.
Standards Pilots: The school is piloting standards-based grading inseveral math and sciences classes in the upper school. This initiativestarted in 2015 and is still in its early stages, but the school is assessingthe idea of a potential school-wide grading shift.
Programming in Python: This year, MICDS started teaching Python to 9thgraders as part of an effort to intentionally integrate programming languages.Down the road, the school hopes to use Python for innovative projects suchas working with DNA sequencing. The course will also prepare the incomingfreshmen for the more difficult upper level electives and AP Computer Science.
Learning Transformed: Each year, MICDS hosts an educator professionaldevelopment event, the Summit for Transformative Learning. Topics rangefrom Contemporary Literacy to Neuroscience-informed pedagogy to amplifyingSTEAM in schools. Last year, over 350 teachers attended.
Tech Needs & Requirements
Technology tools needs are maker lab equipment for a new space in the STEM building.