Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary (SSBVM) Catholic School, 360 E. Water St., Middletown, will hold an open house event for prospective families on Sunday, Nov. 17, from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. The event will celebrate the school's new LabLearner program.

LabLearner, a new program in science education, was originally established to increase science enthusiasm in the classroom for students and teachers alike. As the program has evolved over the years, a more substantial objective of improving American science education has become the core mission of LabLearner.

Founded by company president Keith Verner, LabLearner has become the premier method for teaching science to many of the nation's Catholic schools, providing defined activities with developmentally appropriate science concepts.

In the LabLearner program, students learn science through a series of inquiry-based, hands-on activities that identify and incorporate national science, math and ELA standards. An integral part of the LabLearner program is the fully functional, in-school teaching laboratories appropriate for physical, earth and life science activities. Additionally, Core Experience Learning Labs (CELLs), written by teams of scientists and classroom teachers, are provided for use by the student and teacher both in the classroom and in the laboratory.

LabLearner was designed to specifically address science, math, technology, health and language arts standards and is an interactive method of teaching science. The program aims to develop students' cognitive abilities as they approach science concepts, critical thinking and problem solving in a lab environment.

The program integrates various assessments throughout the span of the SSBVM's kindergarten through eighth-grade curriculum. While the assessments vary in style, from lab-based performance to traditional written assessments, they are all designed to draw upon each student's experiences within the SSBVM science and S.T.R.E.A.M. Labs.

Prospective families are invited to attend the upcoming open house event. More information and the full schedule can be found at http://www.sevensorrowsschool.com.