Welcome to the Payne STEAM Academy!
The Payne faculty and staff are excited to welcome all students back to campus for the new school year! We continue to build upon the 2019-2020 expansion of Beulah Payne Elementary School to the Payne P-8 STEAM Academy, which saw the addition of two Preschool classes, 7th Grade and 8th Grade, and a STEAM (Science-Technology-Engineering-Arts-Math) instructional focus.
Beulah Payne P-8 STEAM Academy located in what is known as Inglewood’s central corridor, just one mile down the street from the entrance to the NFL’s SoFi Stadium. Significant modernization at Payne in 2018-2022 included construction of new, modular middle school classrooms with state-of-the-art technology and 21st Century flexible furnishings, brand new furnishings and supplies for two preschool classrooms, new windows in all Kinder and First Grade classrooms, new air conditioning units in all classrooms, a new playground, shade structures, new flooring in multiple buildings, and exterior painting of the entire campus.
Many of the new skills and tools teachers learned during the Covid-19 school closures continue to be employed with the return of teachers and students to our campus. The veteran staff at Payne are highly qualified and dedicated educators with high expectations for every student’s academic success, and a commitment to guide students through rigorous, standards-based learning experiences that elicit communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity. We also recognize the importance of supporting our scholars' social and emotional needs, and time is embedded in the virtual learning schedule to provide these supports. Payne is committed to a Positive Interventions and Supports initiative to support and positively recognize our students for their efforts and commitment to our core values: Safety-Responsibility-Respect. In 2022, Payne received Gold level recognition from the California PBIS Coalition. At Payne, we focus on the needs of the whole child.
For students in grades 6-8 we offer an alternative to a traditional middle school/junior high setting for parents/guardians seeking to keep their young adults in a smaller learning environment that is still a part of the community school. While these students have separate schedules and facilities from the elementary-aged students, we look to these scholars as role models for their younger peers and empower them to participate in the school’s leadership. Elective courses in grades 7 and 8 include Robotics/Coding, Art, AVID, and Leadership.
We continue to expand our STEAM instructional focus. Our partnership with Education Through Music - Los Angeles will continue and provide professional music instruction for all TK-8 students. Plans are in the works to continue offering STEM projects in conjunction with The Engineer Factory, and we seek to pilot new programs designed to engage and challenge our scholars. This school year we are partnering with codeCampus to provide professional coding instruction aligned to Math standards for all TK-8 students, and have added an Art program for 3rd-8th graders.
Payne's strong PTA and parent involvement is one of the many special features of our school community. By working together, we will continue to celebrate school traditions, honor and recognize our scholars, and make school fun! The path to college and career begins at Payne!
Sincerely,
Brian Coffey, Ed.D.
Principal
