13 signs that you really should be going to The Dayton Regional STEM School
Ever wondered if The Dayton Regional STEM School (DRSS) is right for you? There's much more to The Dayton Regional STEM school than just Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Here are some signs that maybe you should give it some serious thought.
1. You love projects. Especially hands-on ones where you learn by doing.
At DRSS, students engage in project-based learning (PBL) in each grade and in all classes and content areas. The school is well-known for its PBL approach, and even hosts an annual conference called the Project:WRIGHT Symposium in which PBL is a major theme.
2. You think STEM is great and all, but you still love the arts and humanities.
Middle school students at DRSS use a math curriculum called "Connected Math," which is a three-year program designed to issue Algebra I credit to students at the end of their 8th grade year. There are many opportunities, like MathCounts, for students to pursue their passion for mathematics outside the classroom as well.
Most of students' actual math classwork is done in team-based groups.
5. You'd like to be on the #1 Cyber Patriots team in the state.
The
DRSS Cyber Patriots team met with Lt. General William Bender, Chief
Information Officer of the United States Air Force, after taking 1st
place in state competition in 2014/2015. Read more about the Cyber Patriots team here.
6. You see connections across the curriculum.
Cross-curricular content integration is the norm at DRSS, not the exception. Students routinely work on projects across different content areas at the school. As just one of many recent examples, check out this short video on the Plate Tectonics project, involving Science, Language Arts, and STEM Foundations.
7. You think learning Chinese would be pretty cool.
DRSS students take a minimum of two years in Chinese, although many students take up to four or five years with the option to earn college credit for their upper-level Chinese courses. For the last two years students have performed a Chinese dance at Wright State University's Chinese Immersion Day.
8. You like the idea of having classmates from all across the Miami Valley.
The Dayton Regional STEM School is truly regional, with over 620
students coming from seven counties and over 30 districts. DRSS promotes
an Accepting Culture for Everyone (ACE), and the diverse student population serves as the cornerstone of the school's culture.
9. You like using computers in school... like, a LOT.
DRSS
has had a one-to-one netbook program for all high school students since
it was founded in 2009, and it's close to having a one-to-one program
at the middle school level. While computers are important, they don't
drive instruction, they enhance it. Students learn 21st-century skills,
as well as specific programs like Maya 3D animation, AutoCAD, and Inventor.
10. You think Wright State University is great for the Dayton region.
A lesser-known fact about the school is that it was actually founded by Wright State University and maintains close ties to WSU. All DRSS teachers and staff members are WSU employees, and many DRSS students do their job shadowing or internship experiences at the university. All students have WSU email addresses and use Wright State's course management system regularly in their classes. While our students go to many different colleges and universities, there are a number of scholarships available only to DRSS alumni for those who choose to pursue a degree there.
11. You're ready to start working with industry professionals now and want to do an internship while you're still in high school.
DRSS has a strong career exploration program that focuses on providing students with real world experiences. During their time at DRSS students will experience seven career fairs, two job shadowing experiences, and one 72-hour internship experience (at a minimum). See pictures from the most recent Job Shadow day on Facebook here.
12. Instead of going to class the last two weeks of school, you'd rather just do cool projects or travel with your friends all day.
STEMmersion is an experience unique to DRSS where students take the final two and a half weeks of school to go to one all-day immersive class. Courses are new each year and include everything from spelunking to crime scene investigation to geocaching on bikes across Dayton. Some students have even traveled overseas to China, Costa Rica, and Italy during STEMmersion!
13. You're looking for a tuition-free public STEM school that will prepare you for the real world.
The Dayton Regional STEM School's motto is The Real World Starts Here. Check out this video to learn more about what that looks like and hear directly from students and teachers what a STEM education means to them.
The Dayton Regional STEM School is a tuition-free public STEM school located in Kettering, Ohio serving grades 6-12. Want to learn more about whether or not The Dayton Regional STEM School is right for you? There are a number of options. There's an Exhibition Night that is open to the public taking place on December 8th, 2016 from 5-7PM. Beginning on December 1st, 2016, students can also schedule a visit and shadow another student for a half day and experience what an actual school day entails. Another way to learn about the school is to register to attend an Information Session, or check out our website's "What to Expect" page. The Dayton Regional STEM School is also active on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
