By Rob Patrick
What was once a storage trailer is now a sparkling new science lab at Davis Elementary School thanks in large part to the efforts of teacher Donna Peters.
Along with Davis principal Tiffany Beasley and the staff at the school, Peters celebrated the opening of the lab at a ribbon-cutting ceremony today. Guests included State Senator Shane Broadway, Saline County Sheriff Bruce Pennington, Bryant School superintendent Randy Rutherford, assistant superintendent Debbie Bruick, and Bryant Chamber of Commerce executive director Rae Ann Fields.[more]
“It’s sort of like recycling,” quipped Beasley. “It wasn’t originally storage but it became storage at some point.”
“The District received a lot of ARAA funding and there was additional funding for teachers to write grants for what was earmarked for that,” Beasley mentioned. “Ms. Peters is really passionate about Science and she said, ‘You know, we could do a lot better if we had a science lab.’ And I said, ‘Yes, we could.’ And she said, ‘Do you mind if I write a grant for that?’ ‘Absolutely. Write the grant.’”
“I just took the opportunity to write a grant to convert this double-wide mobile home into a two-part science lab,” Peters related.
“She and Mr. (Bob) Padgett, who’s over our maintenance department, got together and put together a vision to re-outfit it with cabinets and water,” Beasley said. “There were no cabinets, no water. It was a little bit more massive than we originally thought but she did receive the funding and with my matching the building funds, we were able to equip it.
“I purchased the furniture,” Peters added. “Bob Padgett, my partner, actually plumbed for me and got the cabinets built. We got the supplies and we just worked hard to put it together for our teachers.
“One half is for K-1-2 students and the other half is for 3-4-5,” she noted. “So we basically have a primary lab and an elementary lab.”
“It provides the teachers with a place to come to do their weekly science labs,” Beasley mentioned. “It makes it a whole lot more organized than each teacher kind of hodge-podging together and trying to share things. We can keep a better inventory on our supplies this way. There are a lot of things that will be beneficial.
“With two sides, we can have the fourth- and fifth-grade lab where we can keep a few more chemicals and things for their type of lab then on the K-2 side it can be more like a kitchen science lab for the younger students,” added the principal.
In a statement announcing the ribbon-cutting, Peters wrote, “This new science lab is designed to allow our students to enjoy science without disturbing regular classroom activity. It will also allow teachers to leave their classrooms undisturbed, and return to them after the lab work is completed. My hope, prayer and intention that our new science lab will awe, inspire and immerse our students in the joy of discovery that is science education.”
