The Palm Springs Middle STEMrays are trading textbooks for tropical waters! We’re off to Key Largo for a two-day snorkel adventure at MarineLab—science, saltwater, and so much marine life await. Our classroom just got a whole lot bigger! #StingraySnorkelSquad

The Palm Springs Middle STEMrays explored their first mangrove ecosystem! From tangled roots to thriving marine life, we’re discovering the incredible role these coastal nurseries play in our oceans. Science is always better in the field! #MangroveMagic #StingraySnorkelSquad

The Palm Springs Middle STEMrays are getting up close with marine life in the live rock lab! From microscopic invertebrates to hidden ecosystems, we’re discovering the tiny creatures that make a big impact on our oceans. #StingraySnorkelSquad #TinyButMighty

And that’s a wrap on an unforgettable Palm Springs Middle STEMrays adventure at MarineLab! From exploring mangrove ecosystems to discovering microscopic marine life, we brought our curriculum to life through hands-on science in the field. #StingraySnorkelSquad #STEMraysMakeWaves

What a day shark tagging aboard R/V ANGARI Foundation! We had a record day with our drumline deployments and even landed a special catch. The Palm Springs Middle STEMrays had an unforgettable experience working alongside FIU College of Arts, Sciences & Education shark scientists! 🦈🦈 #SharkScience #STEMeducation

We had a fin-tastic day exploring the coast, marine life & #shark research with FIU College of Arts, Sciences & Education & @PalmSpringsMS #STEMrays during our #CoastalOceanExplorers #rvANGARI expedition! TY to Marine Industries Association of Palm Beach County Palm Beach International Boat Show Gives Back grant program for supporting this programming!

Super proud of Ritchna & Alex for being a part of Stiles-Nicholson’s Inventor’s Challenge (through Cox Science Center and Aquarium) with the support of none other than Heather Magill this weekend!!! Palm Springs Middle #StemRays #StingraySmartyPants

Did you know, 88% of success is mindset? That’s why today my Palm Springs Middle physical science students released their doubts and focused on positivity ahead of tomorrow’s statewide science assessment. They’re ready to shine! #MindsetMatters #ScienceSuccess

So proud of our Stingray Science Scholars 🥼🧪who earned a 3 or higher on the Science State Assessment! We celebrated with an ice cream social. 😋🍦AND, of course, I had to take a pic with some of the most dedicated science teachers I know. 😉Palm Springs Middle

Stingrays leveled up today with Field Day fun in the sun! 🌞 Hot dogs, snow cones, Chick-fil-A, dunk tank splashes, epic games, and nonstop smiles. It was a GREAT day to be a Stingray!😎 Palm Springs Middle #LevelUp #StingrayPride #FieldDayFun

🎉 BIG NEWS! 🎉 After 3 years of hard work, growth, and dedication—Palm Springs Middle STEMrays is now a fully Certified STEM Recognition Program with The School District of Palm Beach County! Huge thanks to our amazing partners & every STEM kiddo past & present—this milestone is yours too! 💙

I am so incredibly proud of our Stingray family- we earned that “B” together!!! #TheRayWay Lauren Burk Wells Kevin J. Martínez KW

Today's #CoastalOceanExplorers #rvANGARI expedition with our workshop #educators & FIU College of Arts, Sciences & Education researchers did not disappoint! We caught & released 5 #sharks, bringing our total COE catch to date to 102 sharks! TY #PBIBS Gives Back grant program & Marine Industries Association of Palm Beach County for supporting this exp!

It’s always unexpected but so appreciated to get little reminders of why I do what I do. 💙 Middle school can feel like the forgotten years, but the impact is real—even if the “thank you’s” don’t always come right away.

What's a better way to start a Monday if not with a team pic? 📸 Special shout to Jesús Armas for helping our Palm Springs Middle start the year off in some super cool #CultureKeeping PSMS swag. 😎 Lauren Burk Wells Kevin J. Martínez KW

Big thanks to ANGARI Foundation & COE lead shark scientist William Sample for visiting our 8th graders Palm Springs Middle! 🦈 Students learned new concepts, reviewed key ideas, & those heading on the expedition even practiced hands-on measurements for their time aboard r/v Angari 🌊

I L❤️VE working with ANGARI Foundation and the FIU College of Arts, Sciences & Education shark scientists…can’t say enough positives about all the interactions with the Palm Springs Middle students today. Thank you for all you do in supporting schools in The School District of Palm Beach County !! 🦈🦈

The universe really does work in mysterious ways. Lately, I’ve been getting the sweetest thank you’s and check-ins from former students now in high school. 💙 It’s been so heartwarming—and exactly what I needed to be reminded of why this work matters.

I’m beyond grateful for one of my former students who spent her summer painting a beautiful canvas for my STEM program. Having her artwork in my classroom is such a special reminder of the talent, kindness, and impact our students carry with them ❤️🎨 #STEMrays

Today’s lesson: states of matter 🧊💧💨 Today’s shirt: dinosaurs as solid, liquid, and gas 🦖➡️💨 Middle schoolers don’t always notice the little things, but when they spot a puny science shirt and actually laugh at the joke… that’s a win for both science and teacher humor. 😅🧪