King's School opens school year with new STEM building

The new STEM building at King's School
is nestled into the hillside and trees

Photos and story by Steven H. Robinson

The Bundrant Ness Center STEM Building opened for the new school year at King's to an excited faculty and students.

Jr High science lab

King’s School STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) added Art to the building for Digital Arts, with digital photo and video which will be taught by Gwen Gracey who has been a faculty member at King’s for 37 years.

The Bundrant Ness Center is an $11 million building with 27,000 sq. ft .which includes six science, six math, and six technology rooms. The spaces were built to be collaborative, flexible and efficient learning spaces. The building is on schedule and budget for completion.

Science Chair Sharon Satucci
in her new classroom

The classrooms integrate technology with Smart/Tech boards which allow instructors to incorporate computer, internet, handwritten diagrams and microscope images. Anything on the board can be retrieved by students on their smart devices (Phone, I-pod, tablet, computer) for review.

75% of the students in the King’s High School program take math and science all four years.  Classes are 45 minute blocks of instruction over an 18 week block.

Mikel Thompson's students and Robot 3717
placed 2nd in the 2013 World Competition

Mikel Thompson from the math and technology department has been involved for many years with the Robotics program. King’s won 2nd place in the International Robotics competition this year.  They compete in the “First Robotics” competitions each year and will host the Regional District  meet next year at King’s. The robotics students consider themselves as “Geeks and Nerds” and have won the respect of their peers on campus with their expertise and success. First Robotics' theme is “Sports for the Mind.”