We are the EPiC Explorers!Volume 1

Learning Environment.........................................3Our Framework..................................................4Our Philosophy...................................................5Studio K.............................................................6 Studio 1.............................................................8Studio 2...........................................................10Studio 3...........................................................12Studio 4...........................................................14Studio 5...........................................................16Message From Principal...................................18Our Staff...........................................................19

Table of Contents

Learning Environment

Students will learn and work in RE-DESIGNED LEARNING SPACES that include THINK SPACES and CREATION LABS designed to allow students to exhibit their learning through hands-on experiences.

Students will work through CROSS-AGED CONNECTIONS allowing students to engage with students outside of their traditional grade level and ENHANCE SOCIAL AND ACADEMIC GROWTH.

Students will EXHIBIT LEARNING of state standards through multiple avenues. In addition to traditional standardized tests, authentic PERFORMANCE BASED EXHIBITIONS will be used to measure learning.

E.P.i.CEvery Person Inspired to Create

Empower Creativity - Equip Students - Engage Communities

Empower CreativityEPiC provides a learning environment where students discover, embrace, and integrateauthentic learning experiences to create and design real-world applications of their knowledge. Equip StudentsEPiC provides a learning environment through a personalized education where students become collaborators, critical and creative thinkers, and communicators.

Engage CommunitiesEPiC provides a learning environment where students, families, educators, and experts are fully engaged in authentic learning experiences designed to inspire kids.

Student Outcomes Students will: -Produce authentic work and showcase their learning -Learn at a personalized pace while acquiring key academic and social skills -Identify, propose, and defend solutions to real world issues -Work independently and in teams to accomplish goals -Engage in a collaborative culture to impact the larger community

Represent our Community EPiC student enrollment will represent the Liberty Public School community.

Connect with our CommunityEPiC students will partner with the community through meaningful relationships.

Responsiveness and Refinement EPiC will continuously refine and adapt its practices to foster ongoing innovation.

Replicable OperationsEPiC will operate efficiently and achieve fiscal responsibility.

Framework

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PhilosophyEmpowering CreativityCuriosity sparks PASSION and CREATIVITY.

EPiC re-imagines education by encouraging the in-depth EXPLORATION of topics as students participate in the adventures of learning. EPiC students apply their new knowledge by CREATING and EXHIBITING their learning to multiple aud iences.

Students will work through CROSS-AGED CONNECTIONS allowing engagement with peers outside of their traditional grade-level which is designed to ENHANCE SOCIAL AND ACADEMIC GROWTH.

Students will EXHIBIT LEARNING of state standards through multiple avenues. In addition to traditional standardized tests,authentic PERFORMANCE-BASED EXHIBITIONS will be used to measure learning.

Equip StudentsStudents learn in different WAYS and at different SPACES.

EPiC students learn through an integrated curricu-lum at a PERSONALIZED pace utilizing TECHNOLOGY and dynamic TEACHER INSTRUCTION.

Engage CommunityStudents play an important role in our COMMUNITY and WORLD.

Learning becomes REAL when students are able to take their learning beyond the classroom walls and ENGAGE with PARENTS and COMMUNITY experts. EPiC students learn in an environment that thrives on COLLABORATION both within the classroom, across grade levels, and with the greater community through speakers, guest instructors, and community-based projects.

Studio K

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We are Builders!

Studio K loves to investigate! Through our makerspaces,students explored science, art, mathematics, technology, and engineering through creative problem-solving and collaboration. Students investigated the season of fall by building background knowledge using QR codes linked to text, experimenting with sink and float, investigating the apple by characteristics using scientific tools, and using creative apps to label the parts of an apple. We are building a community of readers and writers!

Studio 1

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We are Leaders!

In Studio 1, we strive to be leaders in our community. Practicing effective communication and collaboration with one another, thinking critically about real-life problems, and using our imagination to create are all part of our daily routine.

We are learning to be scientists, mathematicians, engineers, authors, and researchers for life. We have the opportunity to explore our natural community through plant experiments, researching and creating field guides, planting and maintaining a garden bed and writing poems about nature.

Creating videos to explore ourselves, filming interactive video tours of our school to share with others and participating in team-building activities help establish anenvironment conducive to investigation.

Studio 2

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In Studio 2 we are on a journey of discovery through project-based learning. As lepidopterists, we have studied the life cycle of a butterfly, raised Painted Lady butterflies and researched butterfly facts. We had opportunity to apply our knowledge by designing a butterfly garden on the EPiC campus. We wrote letters to local businesses, district employees, and a expert lepidopterist requesting assistance with this project. The community response was overwhelming! We mulched and planted beginning the process of creating a garden that would attract butterflies. We anticipate the spring planting season and sharing their garden for years to come.

We are Storytellers!

Studio 3

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We are Connectors!

Studio 3 has been busy making connections in our world. We are learning about the global water crisis and the lack of clean drinking water through reading text, writing opinion pieces, testing water samples and working with experts. We are even designing and testing our own water filters! We have also started blogging and learning to communicate and practice our high expectations for both quality writing and digital citizenship. In math, we have worked hard to solve problems, collaborate, and we are even learning to code. We have also created e-portfolios, where we can share our progress in our personalized learning.

Stud

io 4

14 Scan here to watch our music video!

In Studio 4, we focus on how to become change makers in their world! We studyinteractions within their community, discover problems that need attention, and challenge ourselves to solve those problems. We act and fix the problems we see in the world!

We are Change Makers!

As fourth graders, we are empowered at EPiC and given the responsibility to make decisions in regards to our own learning. We schedule our day, set expectations, and work collaboratively on a daily basis. We use 21st century skills to deepen passions and extend their learning. There is no ceiling of learning in fourth grade!

Studio 5

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We believe we can be creative all the time. We learn our ideas have value, and the processes towards a product are just as important as the end result. We are learning to stretch towards solutions through our weekly maker challenges and participating in larger events like the Global Cardboard Challenge.

We are Designers!

In Studio 5, we learn and grow every day and are becoming designers of our own learning. We strive to be independent and collaborative in innovative ways and are learning to connect with experts outside of the classroom as well, helping us learn about STEM careers in the real world. Partnerships with Liberty High School science students have allowed us the opportunity to develop mentoring relationships where the high school experts meet with virtually meet with us to review our progress on our science experiments and offer advise and direction.

Our gardening project has helped us learn to use real world science and math such as perimeter and area, weight distribution, organic materials, what plants need to grow, and how to organically keep deer away from the plants. Even more importantly, we have learned to teach younger students about the processes for gardening.

Throughout this year, Studio 5 seeks to uncover how looking back to past historical events impacts our future, helping to provide a lens by which we can understand ex-ploration, removal of the Indians, the Civil War, even 9/11. We believe learning is excit-ing. Our classroom is full of discussion, as we challenge ourselves and others to design meaningful learning products while developing even more essential processes along the way. Every day we are showcasing our innovation and creativity, utilizing the best strate-gies and infusing technology into all areas of learning.

Message From...Google. Dropbox. Netflix. Twitter. Innovative companies that have transformed our culture. Creativity will drive the economics of the future, but where in our current educational system do we actually allow the time and space for creativity? When you walk into a classroom can you see a difference between the 1980’s and today’s classroom? Are students “dialing down” when they enter school? And if creativity really is the driver of the economy, what skills do our students need to be successful? In the spring of 2013, Liberty Public Schools began exploring these questions and more, resulting in a 20/20 Vision Innovations Team, comprised of administrators, teachers, parents, and board members.

As we started to seek answers to these questions, we crossed the country and visited highly success-ful, innovative schools. We tapped into experts, read research and investigated different school models, ultimately discovering effective environments that empowered students to learn. Real tools. Authentic audiences. Projects with meaning. Personalized learning. As our team began to assimilate what we had learned, we posed the questions, “How could we reimagine education for our students in Liberty? How could we step outside the box and incorporate our new learning to create a different kind of school?

“Every Person Inspired to Create, hence the acronym EPiC, was born. EPiC is not just a school, but r ather an idea, a philosophy, a journey for every person. So what does that look like in a school? How will we infuse this idea into each and every day? We believe that children learn in different ways and at dif-ferent paces. Moreover, we also believe it is essential that all our students are engaged at a deep level of learning. And we know that learning becomes real when students are able to take their learning beyond the classroom walls and engage with parents and community experts.

So then how do we empower and equip students for the evolving, global economy and design a pro-gram that is Every Person Inspired to Create? How are we going to make sure students learn the neces-sary skills to prepare them for life beyond school?

Curiosity sparks passion and creativity. EPiC re-imagines education by encouraging the in-depth explo-ration of topics as students participate in the adventures of learning. Our students will apply their new knowledge by creating and exhibiting their own learning to multiple audiences. Daily personalized learn-ing will be the key--students learning at their own level, leveraging the power of quality adaptive tech-nology platforms. Through project-based learning and dynamic teacher instruction, EPiC students will explore real challenges and create solutions and share in front of authentic audiences.

We are excited to bring to life our vision.

Come along with us on the journey to Be EPiC Everyday.

EPiC Elementary Principal, Dr. Michelle Schmitz

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Our StaffPrincipal Dr. Michelle Schmitz

Administrative Assistant Patrice Clark

Office Paraprofessional Martie Phillips

Counselor Becky Starnes

Nurse Amy Love

Blended Learning Coach Susan Maynor

Studio K Glenda Monachino, Mardi Mason

Studio 1 Danielle Compton, Steffanie Baker-Booth

Studio 2 Michelle Peck, Christine Torres

Studio 3 Kellie Konrad, Dawn Bennett Studio 4 Jeni Schwandt, Katie Haberberger

Studio 5 Kelly Hunerdosse, Deb Caywood

Special Services Studio Mary Oyler, Heather Larkin, Cody Higgins

Specials Studio (PE) Jason Maeder, (Music) Dana Ross, (Art) Mellissa McCullough

epic.liberty.k12.mo.us

@epicelementary

@epicelementary

816-736-5730

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“This is why I love EPiC! It’s this kind of stuff.” -EPiC Second Grader

“I like it here. I get to show my learning in lots of different ways” -EPiC Fifth Grader

“We love learning and making movies on our iPads.” -EPiC First Grader

“This is what I’m talking about. I love to schedule my day.” -EPiC Fourth Grader

“Makerspace is my favorite time of the day.” -EPiC Kindergartener

“I love all the different places and furniture to do my work.” -EPiC Third Grader