Friendship aspire stem academy stem academy
at bowie
school design
Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math School (STEM) in a Project based environment
Grades
K-5 Elementary with K-1 in Year 1 and growing a grade each year
Class size
Small school design with max enrollment at 5th grade will be 480 students
GREAT NEWS!
Due to overwhelming demand, Friendship Aspire STEM Academy Bowie is now accepting ADDITIONAL APPLICATIONS for Kindergarten and First Grade students for the 2024-2025 school year (beginning August 2024). Please email our Principal Jason Simmons directly: Jason.simmons@pgcps.org. Once received, we will be in contact with you. Now’s your chance to be apart of the Friendship Maryland family!
Innovative and uniquely maryland
We understand what Maryland parents want:
The benefits of an exclusive STEM academy in a tuition-free public school.
We’re offering it.
A STEM education in earlier grades.
We’re providing it.
Extended hours, after-school programming, SPED, tutoring and mentoring.
We’re providing it.
For children to learn with new technologies and innovations like Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality, Coding and Robotics.
Our entire school model includes it.
For children to be apart of local and global communities.
Our curriculum is designed around it.
WE’RE BUILDING SOMETHING EXCITING FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES
We’re building a new state-of-the-art STEM school entirely from the ground up! Our new facility IS PLANNED TO OPEN AUGUST 2025 AT THE SOUTHLAKE DEVELOPMENT AT HIGHWAYS 301 AND 214 IN BOWIE.
Our Temporary Location
For now, we will be excited to welcome you to our temporary location! Opening this August!
Temporary Location: (Opening Aug 2024)
9010 Frank Tippett Road
Upper Marlboro, MD
*Please note: (this is the former Excellence Christian Academy)
WHY CHOOSE A STEM SCHOOL
STEM education nurtures students’ curiosity and helps them develop creativity, problem-solving and critical thinking skills. This project-based way of teaching and learning emphasizes how students learn and what they are learning. It also allows students to understand and appreciate the relevance of their work and the world around them.
- PBL accentuates the student’s ownership of learning, provides a purposeful collaborative structure to learning together, uses authentic problems of practice using STEM, enhances engagement in and acquisition of learning goals, and improves cognitive and affective outcomes.
Most importantly, PBL can help good students show increases in knowledge, but it can also help students who have struggled with failing skills.
About Project Based Learning (PBL)
- When implementing Project Based Learning (PBL) in STEM, students face authentic and motivating problems requiring them to answer complex questions and develop successful skills needed in the professional world within their community.
Project-based learning in STEM allows new modalities of work practices, focusing the teaching process on learning, allowing students to have greater control of the time and pace of study, and allowing them to create individualized learning adjusted to their needs.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR SCHOOL
What is the phone number for Friendship Aspire?
The phone number for Friendship Aspire 301-203-1114
What is the start and end time for Friendship Aspire?
Friendship Start time is from 8:00 am to 2:30. Students can enter the building at 7:30am.
How is lunch provided?
Breakfast and Lunch is provided through Food and Nutrition for Prince George’s County Public Schools. The cost for breakfast is $1.60 and the cost for lunch is $2.75. A link to the Food and Nutrition website to see the menu will be provided.
What is the Extended Learning Plan (Before and After Care) for Friendship Aspire?
Innovation will be providing the Extended Learning Opportunity (Before and After Care). Their contact number is 1-866-239-3661. The price is $400 per month. Their AM times is 6:30am to 8:00 am and the PM time is 3:00pm to 6:00pm. There is a discount for multiple children in the same family participating in this program.
What is the Transportation Plan for Friendship Aspire?
Transportation will be provided through an outside vendor (Parent Yellow Bus). Their contact number is 202-306-0506. The price is $275 per month. There is a discount for multiple children in the same family participating in this program.
Describe the STEM program for Friendship Aspire?
Students will have Science and STEM instruction integrated throughout the school day. Students will be pulled twice a week for STEM instruction by our STEM Coordinator.
Describe the SPED program for Friendship Aspire?
Friendship Aspire follows the same practices of Prince George’s County Public Schools regarding Special Education. Students will have pull out services (by special education teachers daily) and push in services (by Special Education Paraprofessional daily). Services will be based on what is written in the IEP. If a parent has a concern regarding the need for a possible IEP or testing for an IEP, please reach out to Mr. Gilbert, our Special Education Coordinator at matthew.gilbert@pgcps.org .
What is the plan for the location at South Lake in Bowie for Friendship Aspire?
The tentative plan is to move to the South Lake location at the start of the 2025-26 school. That plan could change.
What is the visitation policy for parents at Friendship Aspire?
Parents are always welcome to Friendship. We look forward to our partnership with you. We ask that while you visit your children, that you use this time to monitor what your child is doing. If you need to schedule a conference, we can set up a time where you and the teacher can meet privately without any distractions.
What is the plan for parent involvement at Friendship Aspire?
Parents are always welcome to Friendship. We look forward to our partnership with you. Our desire is to have a fully operating PTA.
What is the communication plan at Friendship Aspire?
Friendship Aspire will use our Friendship Website, The Global Connect Call Out System and Class Dojo to share school wide information.
What is the grading policy and will students receive homework at Friendship Aspire?
Yes, students will receive homework daily. The student will have a homework folder (communication log) where this information will be shared. First Grade teachers will be required to submit two grades per week per content area. Kindergarten teachers will be required to submit one grade per week per content area.
What is the class size and growth plan at Friendship Aspire?
All classes will be capped between 20 and 22 students. Friendship Aspire will implement a slow growth model. Each year we will add an additional grade level. For example, next year Friendship Aspire will have grades Kindergarten, First and Second.
What is the instructional plan for students at Friendship Aspire?
Friendship Aspire will be implementing a unique STEM focused curriculum that will be integrated in all subject areas. We will be using Eureka for Math and Benchmark for Reading.
What is the instructional plan for students at Friendship Aspire?
Friendship Aspire will be implementing a unique STEM focused curriculum that will be integrated in all subject areas. We will be using Eureka for Math and Benchmark for Reading.