Building the Future: How STEAM Day
Inspires Young Minds
By Samantha DePriest
Each year our Upper Elementary classrooms transform into little laboratories for an entire school day dedicated solely to STEAM. Sponsored by the generous donations to our TCS Annual Fund, our Upper Elementary STEAM teacher in partnership with our fourth and fifth grade teachers and room parents host a day our students look forward to each Spring.
STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics. This combination serves as an integrated approach to education by inspiring and encouraging students to explore and connect these various disciplines in creative, hands on ways. Ultimately developing skills in those particular subjects nurtures well rounded and adaptable students who will be prepared to tackle challenges of the future. This directly aligns with our mission statement at TCS to “prepare today’s student to impact tomorrow's world.”
Mrs. Anna Estabrooks serves as the STEAM teacher for Upper Elementary and shared, “The week leading up to STEAM day our students have been learning about the planets and our solar system through interactive hands-on activies. The goal of STEAM day is for our students to apply the skills and strategies they have been learning in their classrooms to these various activities. They have been learning how to problem solve and think outside the box.”
An enormous amount of preparation and planning goes into preparing each of the hands on activities for each classroom. Each teacher is equipped with a large array of supplies and a parent volunteer. Students are encouraged to think critically, work together in small groups to solve problems, and make connections between concepts. These skills are valuable in both a classroom setting and in real life scenarios. Several of the classroom activities allow for creativity which helps students innovate and develop new solutions to challenges. Many of the STEAM activities involve teamwork and teach students how to work together, share ideas, and how to communicate. The skills our students are learning are necessary for preparing them to impact the future. And the best part is our students count down the days until STEAM day each year!
