EXPLORATION OF NEW LEARNING
One of the first things you'll notice while visiting Mt Laurel Elementary School are the smiling faces. Exuberance radiates from both students and educators alike. Every detail, from meal preparation to the planting of trees and the design of the playground has been selected for enhancement of the educational experience. And children that are learning in a safe and nurturing environment are happy children.
Mt Laurel Elementary School teachers utilize current research and known best practices in education as recommended by the Best Practices Center, a public/private partnership established in 1990 that focuses on improving student achievement by raising the quality of teaching through professional development. And Mt Laurel educators make use of professional opportunities such as collaborative sharing, benchmarking with other schools and attending state and national conferences to ensure that teachers receive the best educational tools available.
Excellence In All We Do
Mt Laurel Elementary School was recently recognized for its many innovative projects by the Seaside Institute for Smart Growth, a non-profit organization founded in 1982 to promote traditional neighborhood community development. The Living Sun Dial is one of the schools inspired features. The observer becomes the gnomon by casting a shadow on to the horizontal scale from the central pavement area where the months are marked. The hours are marked by slabs in an elliptical arrangement. These clocks always show the correct time and need no adjusting forward or backward in the spring or fall. Mt Laurel has a Reading Arbor, constructed as a place where children can enjoy books in a beautiful, outdoor setting. The Arbor, a patio with a wooden arbor over the main gathering area was designed for group and individual reading. A wildflower meadow was recently planted. Here children learn about a complete ecosystem by charting the wildflower growth cycle from seed to flower and observing the wild life that populates the meadow.
Expectations Of Success
Mt Laurel Elementary School boasts a world-class curriculum and highly trained staff following the high standards set by the Alabama State Course of Study. Mt Laurel teachers participate in a week long training program sponsored by the Alabama Reading Initiative, a statewide initiative managed by the Department of Education and created through the ‘No Child Left Behind' Act of 2001. This program has been shown to help educators more effectively teach reading.
Mt Laurel Elementary was selected along with 20 forward thinking schools across the state to participate in the Best Practices of Alabama 21st Century School Leaning Project. This program, a two-year professional development program helps teachers introduce web-based technologies and skills needed in the modern workplace. A visionary initiative, Best Practices of Alabama 21st Century is designed to prepare our students for the future real world work force.
Art, music, PE and computer lab are all a part of the main curriculum. And with programs like our Building Based Student Support Team, a school-based, problem solving group and English Language Learners, developed to help language minority children, Mt Laurel offers innovative and exemplary academic standards to all children.
The school has a community based philosophy and believes the quality of programs and the variety of opportunities are greatly enhanced through community involvement. Parents are encouraged to volunteer for projects and contribute time to expand learning resources for the children.
Come home to Mt Laurel Elementary School, a place where the joy of learning is fostered through exemplary academic standards and engaging instruction.