Staff Report
02/21/19
St. Charles Catholic School in Port Charlotte has many reasons to celebrate. In late 2018, after three years of preparing for the STREAM (Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) accreditation, they were honored with achieving STREAM certification from the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops (FCC) and the National Council for Private School Education.
St. Charles is one of a limited number of schools in the state of Florida to receive this prestigious honor and only the second in the Diocese of Venice after St. Mary Academy in Sarasota received the distinction in October.
Principal Tonya Peters thanked her teachers and all of St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School community for all their hard work to make this happen!
Such a designation is the culmination of years of preparation and professional commitment to this initiative. The FCC then validates the schools’ unique ability to provide a balanced educational experience designed to prepare our students for the future while remaining grounded in our Catholic identity.
A STREAM education is the collaborative blending of six concepts (Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) through the platform of the Catholic Faith in an exploratory and inquiry-based learning environment. STREAM schools integrate Catholic identity into every aspect of the curriculum and promote a culture of innovation.
The schools that integrate a STREAM curriculum are “think forward” institutions and place a high priority on educator training, learning leadership, and 21st Century skill applications, educating students for their future, make learning relevant, and emphasize interdisciplinary connections.
We need to train students to be ready for the jobs and leaders of tomorrow in this ever-changing world,” Principal Peters said. “Many jobs that exist today will not be around in a few years, and there will be jobs created that we do not have today!”
STREAM engages students with critical thinking, team building, problem solving, critique, inquiry, and innovation and is an integrated approach to learning connecting standards, assessments, and lesson design/implementation.
True STREAM experiences involve two or more standards from Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Math and the Arts to be taught and assessed. Inquiry, collaboration, problem-solving, team building, and an emphasis on process-based learning are the STREAM approach.
“Religion, the “R,” is the foundation that keeps God-centered in all that we do as we dive deeper into learning about our faith,” Principal Peters explained.
If you would like more information about St. Charles Borromeo Catholic School, please call the office 941-625-5533 or email info@stcbs.org. Can’t make the open house? Contact us any time for a tour.
