CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — There is a new school being built by Gregory Portland Independent School District. The Early Childhood Center will be a campus unlike any other within the district.
Pre-K students at TM Clark Elementary spend their day doing multiple hands-on activities with their teacher, Tawna Strempel. In the classroom she's interacts with all her students.
"I am a pioneer. I am one of ones that started trying to implement the new learning,” Strempel said.
The new learning model is called experiential learning, designed for pre-K and kindergarten students.
Superintendent Michelle Cavazos said the Early Childhood Center will support this new method.
"We have 18 different experiences that will be in this building. Each one is like a mini museum and in it kids will get to touch and feel 3D objects and build their literacy and numeracy skills,” Cavazos said.
Walking through the construction site, GPISD told KRIS 6 News that there will be no desk or chairs. Instead, students will be open to explore.
"There's different themes throughout the rooms. There's a coastal room, All About me and Farm to Table,” Cavazos said.
While GPISD's effort are still in the beginning stages, they're following by example. Mansfield ISD is the only other district to have implemented this new method of learning.
"What will happen is there's 6 different learning pods and students and their teachers will rotate through the, every 2 to 3 weeks throughout the school year,” Cavazos said.
One parent said she's excited to see it all come to life.
"As a parent you feel better knowing it will only be pre-k and kindergarten that will be there and the curriculum is based only for those kiddos and all the teachers will be ready to help them out,” Carolina Whatley said.
The GP Early Childhood Center will welcome students in the fall of 2024. Early enrollment begins in the spring for all students including transfers.
