School District of Clayton Elementary School

This implementation of the School District’s 2008 Master Plan recommendation improved facilities at Glenridge, Meramec and Captain Elementary Schools. Plans included building additions at each elementary school, partially to house science laboratory classrooms. These classrooms are used by children ranging from kindergarten to 5^th grade.

Each school has an addition that includes a 1,100-square-foot science lab classroom and a 250-square-foot storage room for Foss Science Kits. Each classroom is equipped with moveable student tables, three perimeter walls of lab casework and a mobile demonstration bench. The tables have gridded work surfaces that are markable and erasable. Each classroom has about 80 linear feet of bench, with one corner containing a large sink for teacher’s prep. Perimeter benches house plants at a south facing window and live animal displays at a wall away from direct sunlight. Additionally, an outdoor science garden classroom is located near each science classroom.

Planning emphasized daylighting, air quality and thermal comfort as important green schools initiative.

In addition to the new labs, the elementary schools adopted a new science curriculum that is hands on and inquiry-based and used in many districts across the country. The goal of the new program is to significantly enhance the elementary science education by engaging young students in labs.