SAN ANTONIO – Hundreds of students in the Southwest Independent School District will be starting the new school year in a new campus.
Students will be walking the halls of Resnik Middle School, which was named after Judith Resnik, one of the astronauts killed in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster.
The school's theme was inspired by NASA.
Teachers will incorporate a STEM program into their lesson plans, which include an emphasis on math, science, robotics and engineering.
The library and several learning pods will help students get a hands-on learning experience in STEM subjects.
"We also have a lab called Pits-Go. It's a STEM lab where students will be doing different kinds of activities relating to engineering," principal Odilia Martinez said.
Martinez said she has already met with teachers on course expectations.
Teachers have been attending staff development meetings that are helping them easily incorporate STEM-focused lessons in all subjects.
Martinez hopes the curriculum will encourage students to go into math and science fields to not only get them excited about learning, but to help them compete academically.