Students in the STEAM elective work on a woodworking project in class.
Spotlight on STEAM Twice a week, in the freshlyrenovated STEAM Lab, a group of Middle
School students become artists, builders, and engineers. These students chose to participate in the new STEAM elective, one of several choices of new electives introduced during the 2021-22 school year. The STEAM elective was an especially exciting new opportunity, led by new science teacher David Ritchie. The class is designed for students to get involved in the engineering process through creative challenges. With the supervision of Mr. Ritchie, the class members have completed projects like building a vehicle that safely transports an egg along a ramp, constructing their choice of woodworking projects, and even creating the tallest tower possible out of dried pasta and mini marshmallows. Each student takes an active role in designing their project, researching the best materials, and ultimately building the final product.
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WE ARE SCHOLARS
The inaugural class of the STEAM elective was a group of seventh graders during the first semester of the 2021-22 school year, while sixth graders began the class in the second semester. “It was the best class ever,” said seventh grader Gracie Edwards. “It was super fun. Everybody loved it.” Throughout the course of the semester, STEAM students graduated from popsicle sticks to power drills. Though they started small, they gradually gained confidence in utilizing all kinds of different tools – they have utilized everything from screwdrivers to Miter saws. One of Ritchie’s main goals was to encourage the students to relish the journey of designing and troubleshooting each project. “I wanted to get them into the habit of prototyping. Whether it’s designing or building or an engineering challenge, your first attempt is always just a rough draft.” he said, highlighting one of
