Join us for the 8th Annual Family Day of Code, Tinkering, and Play √64.0
The beauty of teaching STEAM is that from the beginning, students are making connections with five different disciplines. When teaching STEAM at Yavneh Day School that beauty reaches new levels because Yavneh students are exposed to an integrated STEAM curriculum since Kitah Gan/Kindergarten. The connection for Yavneh students across subject areas becomes natural, a part of each student’s thinking pattern.
I’ve had the honor of instituting, teaching, and growing the Yavneh community-wide STEAM initiative for the last eight years. What I now have the privilege of experiencing is students in each grade looking forward to “STEAM classics.” For example, in Kitah Hay/5th Grade STEAM class, students study the evolution of sailing. In Social Science, they learn how explorers traveled by sea from Europe to America. The combined result is a sailboat race with sailboats they make and race in our kiddie pool at the JCC. Another popular classic is in Kitah Alef/1st Grade, where we integrate STEAM with Jewish Studies. Students make bricks, much like our ancestors in Egypt, with straw, and without straw. They experience why it is harder to make it without straw as the Jewish people had to make them back in ancient times.
In a dynamic, fast-paced world, we need to make sure that the STEAM initiative stays in line with the skills and tools our students need to succeed. Our program is dynamic and relevant to 21st-century methods and technology. We are constantly updating and upgrading our program. An example of this is the recent inclusion of a class called Beyond STEAM. Beyond STEAM is a once-a-week class that every grade in the Middle School participates in. Each grade engages in an international competition where they not only develop strong STEAM concepts but also expand their knowledge globally. They learn from peers in schools across the world and solve the same given challenges. We will keep you posted on our teams’ progress!
In the theme of mixing together STEAM classics and upgrades, we are introducing our 8th Annual Family Day of Code, Tinkering and Play. This special annual event will take place on Sunday, November 7th. In the morning (10:00am-Noon), we will host the event on our Yavneh outdoor grounds, and in the afternoon (1:30pm-3:00pm) we will continue with a second part virtually via Zoom. Everyone is invited to join us!
The Family Day of Code, Tinkering, and Play event is a celebration of learning for all of our community with kids aged PreK-8th grade. This year, all the stations both in-person and online will follow the theme: Using STEAM to Repair the World. You are invited to register and invite friends too!
As always, I am only an email away!
See you soon,
Vanina.
K-8 STEAM Director
