Stoneham Central Middle School Named Distinguished School by Project Lead the Way

STONEHAM – Superintendent David Ljungberg and Principal Tom Sallee are pleased to announce that Stoneham Central Middle School has been recognized as a Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Distinguished School for the second consecutive year.

The school is one of just 35 across Massachusetts honored for providing broad access to transformative learning experiences for students through PLTW Gateway, a grade 6-8 STEM curriculum.

This program promotes problem-solving, critical and creative thinking, collaboration, and communication. Students are immersed in the design process to build and program models such as traffic lights and robotic arms.

“STEM education gives our students the tools to think outside the box, take risks, and solve problems,” Superintendent Ljungberg said. “These skills are the foundation of our children’s future successes, throughout their lives and careers.

To be recognized, the school had to:

• Offer at least one PLTW unit in each grade
• Have at least half of all students participate in a PLTW unit
• Have at least one in four students participate in two or more PLTW units in the past three years

“I’m so proud of our STEM team for continuing to partner so closely with PLTW to bring students a curriculum that demands creativity, technical knowledge, and problem-solving skills,” said Principal Sallee. “Our STEM classes model real-world design situations and are directly preparing students for tasks they will face in many work environments, even ones that are not STEM-related.”

Ashley Puopolo, CMS Robotics Coach and STEM teacher notes: “We are so pleased to have been recognized as a Distinguished School again this year, and we are grateful for the administrative leadership which has supported PLTW as part of our curriculum for so many years.”

Michelle Zavez, STEM Program Supervisor, adds: “Providing CMS students with exposure to an engaging STEM curriculum as part of their middle school experience helps to build our student’s passion for science, as well as introduce them to real-world learning experiences. We are thankful for the support of Assistant Superintendent Kathy Martin, Superintendent David Ljungberg, and our community and for our dedicated and talented STEM educators and students.”

About Project Lead The Way

Project Lead The Way (PLTW) is a mission-driven organization that is transforming the learning experience for millions of PreK-12 students and thousands of teachers across the country. PLTW empowers students to develop in-demand, transportable knowledge and skills through computer science, engineering, and biomedical science. PLTW’s training and resources support teachers as they engage their students in real-world learning.