By Megan Kelley
Review Writer
Lake Orion’s Board of Education met last Wednesday to discuss some possible new additions to the district.
Kicking off the meeting were teachers Jamie Kimber and Craig Schoon who gave a hands-on presentation of their Augmented Reality (AR) Sandbox.
The two had originally gone to Lake Orion’s Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Heidi Mercer in the hopes of purchasing one. After finding that the cost to do so would be around $7,000 the two resolved to building one of their own.
“The sandbox was developed for informal science education for freshwater, lakes and watershed science,” said Mercer. “The project includes 3D visualization application with a hands-on sandbox exhibit to teach earth science.”
Kimber and Schoon were also joined by Jon Gray, a Science teacher at Waldon Middle School and four of his students.
Gray and his students explained how they used the Sandbox to learn about watersheds and how elevation impacts their perimeters.
“This was the test year for the Sandbox here in Lake Orion…Mr. Gray gave feedback on what can be improved. Those suggestions will be updated for next year and the goal is for each middle school to have their own Augmented Reality Sandbox as well as the high school,” Mercer said.
Students demonstrated for board members and the present audience how the table works.
“One of the things the Sandtable did for me…you can read it off a piece of paper but when you see it on the table it just made it feel more real and understandable,” said Dylan, a student at Waldon Middle School. “It really helped me just connect more of the dots.”
According to Kimber he and Schoon were able to build these tables for under $3,000 a piece with grant money they had previously received.
There are currently two AR Sandboxes in the district. Kimber and Schoon have plans to build two more. The only other school in the area to have this technology is Lady of Our Lakes in Waterford, according to Schoon.
Kimber also gave a presentation on new recommended middle school resources.
After reviewing several different resource options Kimber and fellow science teachers decided on a resource titled “MI-Star.”
According to Kimber, MI-Star is the resource that best meets the Michigan Science Standards with very “Michigan-centric” units that “provides experiences for students that best match our district adopted Instructional Practices and align with our district required science professional development.”
The board will vote on the request at their June 12 meeting.
Also in the meeting:
• A parent in the district addressed the board during public participation to bring into question the school’s pay to play fee asking what is done with the money.
He also brought up concerns regarding the athletic code of conduct stating that other students in clubs or activities such as marching band or robotics do not have the same code of conduct that athletes do. He stated that he was not opposed to a code of conduct but felt it should be enforced across the board for any student who represents the school in an activity.
• Superintendent Marion Ginopolis confirmed that the final day of school for Carpenter Elementary would be on June 18. Students will have a full day on June 17 and a half day on June 18.
• The board voted to abstain from voting on the Oakland Schools’ Budget. Assistant Supt. of Business and Finance John Fitzgerald stated that in the past the board had abstained from voting for or against it on the basis of “it’s their budget, it’s their business.”