Participants from area independent schools gathered at AIM Academy on May 2nd for the spring PAISBOA Sustainability Group meeting. The theme: “Creating Community Connections” was aptly chosen as participants truly made connections.
Head of School Annette Fallon welcomes the PAISBOA Sustainability Group to AIM Academy.
Head of School Annette Fallon welcomed teachers, administrators, and sustainability leaders to AIM Academy and explained how much the school has grown in its 18 years. With 410 students in grades 1-12, AIM specializes in teaching students with language-based learning differences. Middle School Head Chrissy Mellon led a campus tour showcasing their historical building, a former paper mill that has been repurposed for multisensory and experiential learning classrooms.
AIM’s Middle School Head, Chrissy Mellon, discusses the MakerSpace and Robotics room.
Mellon pointed out the brightly colored MakerSpace outfitted for lower schoolers and the Innovation Hub where MS and US students explore STEAM related projects and robotics. She spoke about the recent 8th grade trip to the Teton Science School where students continue to expand their outdoor and experiential learning skills. Mellon also explained how 8th grade students participate in the community service project, Mama-Tee Program, which serves to combat food insecurity by providing free food to Philadelphians. AIM students regularly clean and restock one of the public fridges through this program.
The group then headed to Sam’s Place, created to honor the memory of Samuel Ozer ‘20, an avid cyclist, budding engineer, environmentalist, and outdoorsman. Students and community members learn the skills of bike repair, technology, and entrepreneurship. The building was chock full of mountain, road, and gravel bikes ready for repair. Jeff Fetterman, Coordinator of the Cycling Program, explained how AIM’s robust bike program enables students to ride along the Schuylkill River Trail, conveniently located in AIM’s “backyard.” The school offers plenty of opportunities for students to ride: whether it is during PE class, an After School club activity, or through the varsity mountain biking team.
Fetterman stood next to a whiteboard drawing. “Here’s an example of how students can learn about bike geometry,” said Fetterman as he referred to a sketch of a bike with various arrows, labels, and angles. “Today, we studied the geometry of the bike design by comparing the old-style bikes to the new.”
Jeff Fetterman shows “bike geometry” to PAISBOA Sustainability participants.
Fetterman’s enthusiasm for outdoor skills and student engagement is contagious. He pointed to a stack of colorful canoes outside of Sam’s Place. “We acquired these canoes through a grant,” he explained. “My vision, Pedals to Paddles, is for students to bike out on the trail and then come back along the Schuylkill River via canoes. Then a new group could canoe to where we left the bikes, and then bike back.” Fetterman added, “Riding is great for all, especially kids with learning-based language differences. Students have told me how energized they feel after a bike ride and are ready to go back to learn in the classroom.”
As we continued our tour, Art Teacher Susan Braccia spoke about the AIM Community Center. While she was talking, some students poured out of the building after rehearsing for upcoming performances of Anastasia.
We continued on the tour to view the location for a new community garden. Middle School English Language Arts Teacher & Curriculum & Instructional Leader Beau Martin noted that the 6th grade team and students are planning what to grow in raised beds. Beau explained that in math class, students will measure plants and graph height growth. In science, they will learn about soil, erosion, compost, and climate change impacts. In ELA, students are delving into Seedfolks, researching community gardens, and talking to local community garden leaders. And in history, they are learning about ancient civilization farming and irrigation techniques. Produce from the gardens will be donated to the Mama-Tee Refrigerator Project which is connected to the 8th ELA curriculum.
Backyard Eats’ Garden Designer, Sage Forte, shows plans for AIM’s Community Garden.
AIM is working closely with Backyard Eats’ Garden Designer Sage Forte in the design and building of the raised beds. During a plant-based, low waste dinner catered by Weavers Way, Forte explained how Backyard Eats offers a “full service food gardening installation.” Backyard Eats has installed over 400 gardens in the area since its inception 8 years ago.
The evening closed with a raffle drawing of the book, “Braiding Sweet Grass,” and PAISBOA’s Ron Hill and Boyer Sudduth’s Mary Ann Boyer thanked the participants for attending the final meeting of the group this school year.
Norwood Fontbonne Academy has offered to host the fall PAISBOA Sustainability meeting! Stay tuned for details. If your school would like to host a winter or spring PAISBOA Sustainability Group meeting next year, please contact Mary Ann Boyer at maryann@boyersudduth.com or Ron Hill at rhill@paisboa.org.
