We are excited to be the first STEM school in Collier County. With many years of successful experience teaching computer science to children in prekindergarten through sixth grade, I am now teaching kindergarten students who will be launching their careers in our school emphasizing science, technology, engineering, and math. I feel strongly that you can best prepare a child to reach their potential by teaching them how to conduct research, learn problem-solving techniques, apply critical thinking skills, use all available tools of technology including computers, rulers, and building blocks, and always do his/her best. When these naturally curious young minds ask questions and explore, they need the tools to enable them to gain practical experience. Young students especially need hands on experiences. They need microscopes and other science equipment such as beakers and graduated cylinders, computers and software programs that teach students to convert abstract concepts into scientific reality, “how to” and “how things work” books, pattern blocks in the basic shapes of plane geometry, compasses to draw circles, rulers and scales for measuring and gaining an understanding of proportions, Geoblocks in a variety of shapes and sizes to design and build buildings and engineer structures, and visual graphics depicting famous places around the world or showing what a vocabulary word such as canyon or desert or iceberg means through depicting it in a photo or illustration to gain a greater understanding of geography, physics and math concepts, and the world. STEM activates essential questions and thus drives reading and gives their writing focus and purpose. The successful classroom needs to be fully equipped with microscopes, pattern blocks, pattern block Activity Cards, Geoblocks and other hands on resources to inspire the students and get them off to a fast start to compete and win in the global arena of their future.