School Enrichment Model & Cypress Woods Elementary

What is SEM? If you have been at Cypress Woods for the past few years, you may have heard all about SEM from your child and seen their projects at Focus on Achievement Night. But do you really know what SEM is? If you are new to CWE, you are probably curious about the School Enrichment Model.

The School Enrichment Model is designed to provide all students with the opportunities to engage in areas of inter-est and develop their talents and potential. The learning takes place in enrichment clusters. The enrichment clusters allows groups of student who share a common interest to come together at specially designated time blocks to pro-duce a product, performance or targeted service based on a common interest.

The goal of the enrichment cluster is to give students the opportunity to apply higher order thinking skills, be creative and participate in real world, hands on learning. The clusters are student-centered-directed by student interest and the development of products for real audiences and are based on research.

Examples of the clusters are Animals in their homes, Life in the Ocean, Buying/ Selling, Painting, Monsters and Mysteries, Police Work, Artists. Within each cluster students will be contributing to the end product or service.

SEM also gives students (and teachers) a chance to have fun while learning. Enrichment clusters give the opportunity for students to enjoy school, be creative and be in charge of their learning.