On any given morning from 10:00 to 11:30, as you step into the classroom run by Kevin Mattia, the technology education teacher at Suffield Middle School, you never can tell what you might find.
On certain days, students will be in front of the computers and cameras, focusing on the development of the daily student news program — which is written, filmed and anchored by students. On other days, like today, the room is filled with the sounds of hammers and circular saws working piles of wood into a frame for a full-size shed the students are building in the back of the school.
Students from the 8th grade Drama Prop and Sets course complete the backdrop for the upcoming school musical Willy Wonka, Jr.
“My classes have allowed our 8th-graders to explore various trades and technology-based careers,” said Mattia. “These new courses have also allowed my students to take on leadership opportunities in ways I have not seen in prior years.”
These real-life learning experiences are not confined to just the technology education classroom; right next door in the art room computer lab, students are working with Eric Clarke, the middle school art teacher, to learn how to create works of art using digital tools like Adobe Photoshop. During the period that follows, other students will join Clarke in the art room to complete a six-foot long candy cart and 34 extra-large lollipop set pieces for the middle school’s upcoming musical production of Willy Wonka Jr. In the family consumer science room, students are with Julia Porter collaborating on a “Budget Bean Game” facilitated by a guest speaker from the local M&T Bank, and down in the chorus room, twenty students are paying close attention to Laura Noonan as she shows them how to play an open C-note on the ukulele.
“The best part of this new approach is that our students really get to dive into potential interests,” said Porter. “The goal for us as teachers is that they leave these courses feeling more confident with the new skills they have acquired and more prepared for future college and career opportunities.”
The development and engagement of all these different unified arts classes for the start of the 2024-2025 school year was a concerted effort by the middle school administration and staff to broaden learning opportunities for their 8th-grade students as they get ready to transition to high school and beyond.
“The thought process was two-fold,” said Kenneth Smith, the school’s principal, “we wanted to allow our oldest students to have some experience in choosing their elective classes — like they will have to do next year at the high school. Also, the change we implemented — moving from a quarter-based rotation of courses to separate semester-long courses — allowed us to expand the depth and breadth of our unified arts curricula to include more S.T.E.A.M. (Science Technology Engineering Arts and Mathematics) approaches to learning.”
As an example, one of the courses that launched in the fall was the Suffield Middle School’s first-ever Home Builders Institute (HBI) course, an innovative program designed to provide real-world experience in construction and essential trade skills. The HBI course was made possible through grant funding secured with the help of Suffield’s Technology Director, Rebecca Osleger; including a grant for $10,000 from The Home Depot which has provided essential tools and materials to support the course’s implementation. Through practical, project-based learning opportunities, students develop skills that allow them to learn core concepts of carpentry, electrical work, plumbing, engineering, and general home repair.
“This program is a game-changer for our students,” said Osleger, who oversees the course with Mattia. “It allow them to apply what they learn in a hands-on environment and see the direct impact of their work.
The support we’ve received, particularly through grant funding, The Home Depot, parents, and our community partnerships has been instrumental in making the first run of this course a success.”
The district’s commitment to expanding Career and Technical Education (CTE) opportunities is evident with all the new courses implemented this year at the middle school. The HBI course will seamlessly connect to newly expanded CTE offerings at Suffield High School, including courses in Advanced Manufacturing Design, Principles of Applied Robotics and Engineering (PARE), and Practical Home Repair. The culinary skills learned in the Advanced Family Consumer course at the middle school will lead right into the Farm to Whisk course at the high school. This progression of learning ensures that students can continue building their skills and exploring career pathways throughout their time in the district secondary schools.
With strong community support and investment in practical, skill-based learning, the new unified arts courses are shaping the future of students while strengthening the foundation for workforce readiness in the region.
“Offering these new courses is catching our 8th-grade students up with the times we live in,” said Clarke. “It has been a challenging, but rewarding experience so far. I feel it will only get better as we move forward with this updated curriculum.”