By Morgan Pilz, Staff Writer

Photo courtesy Carrie Sterrs
This aerial view of the new Showell Elementary School shows the progress one year after construction started in 2018, on Dec. 15, 2019. This image was presented to the Worcester County Public Schools Board of Education during its monthly meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 21.

(Jan. 30, 2020) Showell Elementary School continues to progress with its implementation of 21st century educational practices and with the new school building’s construction, the Worcester County Public Schools Board of Education was told last Tuesday in Newark.

Coordinator of Digital Learning Diane Stulz and teachers Lindsay Dyda and Liz Davidson reported on the implementation of computer science and computational thinking at Showell Elementary School.

“Gov. Larry Hogan has been a huge component of computer science, mainly for economic development in the state of Maryland,” Stulz said. “We’re one of the few states in the nation that’s enacted K-12 computer science standards. We received funding to help start this through the Maryland Center for Computing Education.”

The program aims to help young students become more adept at creative thinking processes and to encourage their interest in computer science as a career choice.

“Computer science is all about opportunities for you and the community and the opportunity to create,” Davidson said. “The beauty of computer science is, at the heart of this field, it is creativity. Whether it’s the smartphones we all have, the laptop driving this presentation forward, they’re all innovation platforms.”

Davidson added that the need for computer science is rising as society changes, along with the continuing introduction revolutionary software and hardware.

Some of the programs the students are being taught include basic coding and programming.

More importantly, the program wants to encourage more students, especially female students, to become interested in pursuing a career in computer science, as computing jobs have become the top source of new wages in the United States, the teachers said. Currently, the nation has 500,000 computer job openings, they said.

“They’re the fastest growing area … almost every job you have is going to involve some type of technology,” Dyda said. “In the state of Maryland, there’s 21,840 jobs currently. We’re only producing 3,422 computer science graduates. We are growing at a much faster rate than the rest … we’re 3.8 times the national average.

“For our students, we wanted to give them [more] opportunities, and if we start young, girls will be more interested in coding and computer sciences,” she continued. “We’re teaching them something, when they get into the workforce … it’s solely about exposure at this point and to see there are endless possibilities.”

In addition to the computer science courses at the school, Facilities Planner Joe Price, and Oak Contracting Project Manager Bill Moschler gave their 15th monthly update on the new school’s construction progress.

According to their report, the past 30 days has seen the kitchen’s walk-in freezer and exhaust hood installed, while other work involves the installation of roofing, windows and drywall. Prep work is being done for plumbing, the fire sprinkler system and electrical wiring.

The new 9,600-square foot building will replace the current 5,200 square-foot school, and will eliminate the need for the nine portable classrooms currently in use.

At present, the 40-year-old school has 536 students from kindergarten through third grade. Fourth graders, who were moved out of the building because of insufficient spaces, will return once the $47 million school opens

To help speed the process along, Showell Elementary has been given permission by the state to close on June 5 this year, a little more than a week earlier than other schools.

“I am grateful that the request for a waiver of the 180-day requirement has been approved,” Superintendent Lou Taylor said in a letter sent to Showell Elementary School parents earlier this month. “As the Showell project continues toward completion, this additional time will ensure that the new Showell Elementary School will open safely for the start of the 2020-2021 school year.”