This summer, the Chaminade administration added Active Classrooms to the second floor of Chaminade Hall.  These redesigned classrooms provide a new view and feel for the kids from their busy and hardworking days at the school.

The purpose of active learning is to provide students a new way of learning that can fit into many different learning styles. Instead of students having to listen to lectures and take notes, students can now participate in a variety of activities and have fun while they are learning  new material.  The rooms are designed to be mobile and easily shifted to meet the needs of a particular lesson.

The funding for the two new Active Classrooms in Chaminade Hall came from last year’s Rowdy Red Raffle drive, a student-led annual fundraiser that provides money for new initiatives around Chaminade’s campus.

This process began years ago as part of a larger campus improvement plan, and a number of Administrators and faculty members did research to figure out the best type of classroom for Chaminade.  Principal Rone led a committee and visited college campus around St. Louis for inspiration on new classroom design ideas.

Profe Rosario, a high school Spanish teachers, is a beneficiary of one of the new Active Classrooms at Chaminade.  “I was very excited and anxious to see what the room was going to be like,” Profe Rosario said. When Profe Rosario first saw the room, she was excited to test everything out, but like most things, there was a catch:  How would the students adjust to this room?  Would it be a distraction?  And what if she didn’t use it to the full potential?

Thankfully, Profe Rosario quickly realized that the students very much respected this room. She realized that all the students loved the new feel of the room and did not want to risk them getting taken away.  She now uses all the classroom’s abilities to her full advantage, and is able to try new things in the classroom.