PCE joins AMSTI

By Staff
Melissa Cason, Franklin County Times
PHIL CAMPBELL- Teachers at Phil Campbell Elementary say they are excited about the upcoming school year and look forward to using the materials the school has gained by joining the Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative (AMSTI) this summer.
AMSTI is a program that gives smaller schools the same educational opportunities as the larger schools by offering professional training for the teachers and materials, which are used inside the classroom, PCE Principal Jackie Ergle said.
"We are getting these kits so that the students can learn about science first-hand by conducting experiments," Ergle said.
The school will receive different kits and learning materials to bring science and math to life.
The sixth grade teachers will get a GPS system so that students can learn about tracking. Fifth grade teachers will receive a kit with 30 microscopes and fourth graders will get the materials to complete a frog habitat so that the students can watch the growth process of a tadpole.
"My teachers are excited about being an AMSTI school," Ergle said. "We can't wait to get started with the new materials."
Ergle said that in order to be an AMSTI school, at least 85 percent of the faculty must commit to the program, which requires two weeks of training in the summer for the first and second year of the program.
"In addition to our teachers at the elementary school, the lead seventh and eighth grade teachers also attended the training even though the high school is not an AMSTI school," Ergle said.
While PCE is the newest AMSTI school in Franklin County, it certainly isn't the only one to take advantage of the opportunities the program has to offer.
Belgreen and Vina both became AMSTI schools last year.