One Foot Expansion Update: Middle School Thinking Lab
We hope you enjoyed last week’s sneak peek at our leadership teams at each of our schools for the 2019-2020 school year. Over the last year we have slowly moved through a System Expansion Process to grow our spaces, program, and people. Now reaching the last phase of this process, we are excited to share important information and to provide additional details as we expand to new students and to new spaces.

This week, we take a closer look at the  Middle School Thinking Lab!
The Thinking Lab is a signature program, unique to the K-8 educational experience at ECS.   Originally designed to showcase integration of different content areas through art, the Thinking Lab has evolved as a creative and innovative space for students to  explore and build connections between science, art, technology, and design. 

Students engage in hands-on, mind-on experiences in the classroom lab, the schoolyard, and in the community, putting place and context as an important cornerstone to learning content. The Thinking Lab teacher implements  Visible Thinking  practices to build “thinking dispositions,” and utilizes a lesson structure similar to the Environmental Literacy (K-5) and Cultural Literacy (6-8) classrooms, with an  Essential Question  driving student inquiry.

Integrated, quarter-long units are rooted in the  Next Generation Science Standards and the  PA Art Standards . The Big Idea, or  Essential Question,  drives student exploration and activities, and weekly questions help to dissect the content and skills needed to further understand the  Essential Question . In addition to experiences that build deep connections between science and art, students have access to a wide range of high- and low- technology tools for research, experimentation, collaboration, and communication. Students make and create, reinforce science concepts, and build capacity for generating new ideas, identifying problems, and developing solutions.

The  three goals  for the Thinking Lab program at ECS include the following:
  1. Students will use verbal, visual, and critical thinking skills to identify, understand, and express problems that cross disciplines.
  2. Students will make connections between science, art, technology, and design.
  3. The ECS Thinking Lab will incubate and activate an innovative learning community, and inspire active collaboration between ECS faculty and partner organizations
Stay tuned! Next week, we will share some insights and photos of  Middle School Fitness Studio and Cafe.
Mark Your Calendars!

Are you a current 5th - 7th grade family interested in learning more about Middle School for next year? Join us at a  Middle School Open House for Current Families (March 25 or April 8, 6:00-7:30, Upper School Cafe)  You'll get the inside scoop about next year in five sessions with teachers, school counselors, principals, and more. You'll also want to keep an eye out for a special  middle school social media takeover  throughout the month of April and  virtual tours of our new building  at Earth Nite on May 3rd.
Support Us As We Grow!
ECS grows citizens. And we are expanding our campuses to support additional students at every grade level and to continue our mission-based program through the high school years. Growth in space allows us to developmentally right-size our schools, support the demand for our program, and expand opportunities for students. 
Will you help us as we grow?
About Us
Our Contact Information
 
ECS Lower School
309 South Braddock Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15221
 
ECS Upper School
829 Milton Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15218
 
ECS Administrative Office at Shady Lane
100 North Braddock Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15221

412.247.7970 connects to all three locations!
Stay Connected.