MRS. RACHEL ELLSWORTH

What an honor to be selected among this great team of teachers I work with at OBES! I am in my 15th year teaching, but this year is my first year as the STEAM teacher at Sea Sand and Stars STEAM has become a passion of mine after being in the classroom and seeing students who are not normally excited about school get excited about hands-on projects I, myself, like to be up, moving, and talking I like trying to figure out problems using the Engineer Process Design.(Getting to work on solutions through trial and error.) That is how I like my classroom to be, a place where kids are having such fun that they really don't realize they are learning and using the concepts they have been studying I have attended many STEM teaching conferences across the country over the past several years In 2018, I was STEM certified, and in 2022 STEAM certified I got my certification to teach Physical Education K-12 in 2021 and was Orange Beach Elementary School teacher of the year 2019-2020. I attended the University of Alabama for my BS Degree in Elementary Education While I was teaching at my alma mater, Bayside Academy, I attended the University of South Alabama and got my Masters Degree in Elementary Education. I was hired in 2007 at Orange Beach Elementary School

I am married to Jonathan Ellsworth and have 2 children that attend OBES Anna Elise 6th grade and Jon 3rd grade Along with teaching STEAM at OBES. I coach Cross Country and Track at the Middle/High School Each year, we have placed well regionally and had top runners at State I am a co-sponsor of the National Elementary Honor, and oversee the Tower Gardens at the elementary school

I am so excited to be at Sea Sand and Stars teaching STEAM I want to keep our students updated on the latest and greatest educational computer science activities like typing, coding, and circuitry but also teach them about our area and the wonderful resources we have at our fingertips This year we have taken students to plant sea oats, learn about our local oyster farms, and visited OWA to learn forces and motion This spring we have lots of plans to get our kids out in the area learning about shrimping, food chains, and plants/animals local to our area

"Mrs. Ellsworth brings passion and excitement to the STEAM Lab at Orange Beach Elementary Robotics, Tower Gardens, and hands-on learning are a few ways she makes learning come to life! She always makes time for professional development, to continue to grow her learning and starts student's day with a fun song and a smile at carline!"

-Assistant Principal, Mrs. Cendy Hart