2019-20 STEAM Lab week 12

An extra-long post for an extra amazing week!

We started the week off with celebrations of our outstanding Elementary UIL Team! See detailed results HERE

They performed beautifully at Welch Middle School on Saturday! I gathered our writing medalists to share their experience with the Admin Team at their Monday Meeting.

Monday was also Veterans Day so we spent the day learning about the holiday with BrainPOP, Wonderopolis, and Britannica Kids. We learned about the symbolism of the poppy and so all classes Kinder-5^th created their own version of Van Gogh’s Poppies and Butterflies and worked together to construct a large scale collaborative collage of the same painting.

We also wrapped up this year’s Bebras Challenge in 3^rd-5^th grade! All of this meant a late start to the scheduled STEAM lab unit, but the students were up to the task. They swiftly absorbed their background information on Van Gogh (K-5) and electric circuits (3-5) via BrainPOP, Brain POP Jr., and Wonderopolis then got straight to work, coding in Code.org, experimenting with circuits with the breadboard and LED kits, Snap Circuits, and Little Bits. They investigated the art of Van Gogh and used his masterpieces as inspiration for their own impressionist works in the still life and sketching stations.

Thursday was coding only as I was off campus with several Panther Planet Protectors and their sponsors to accept their Mayor’s Proud Partner Awards from Keep Houston Beautiful. 

Our Monarch Heroes and our Recycling Heroes were recognized for their outstanding efforts to improve and beautify our city. Ms. Thormodsgaard, Ms. James, PTO President, Mr. Jose Bustos, and Ms. Leal – Monarch Hero Queen Emeritus! – were at the award ceremony at Hilton Americas Houston with us. Our Planet Protector representatives were happy to meet Mayor Sylvester Turner, 

open the ceremony with the Pledge of Allegiance, and receive the beautiful awards celebrating their hard work and achievements.

As if all this wasn’t enough, we had some spectacular arts experiences this week also! Our beloved DaCamera was at school in 4^th grade for their Deconstructing Spirituals Music Experience. Students and Teachers give Ms. Camille 5 stars for this fascinating program! 4^th grade G/T classes also had their session on figurative language with I Am Jam – this was very timely as Ms. Lee’s class has been working on a poetry project for our upcoming G/T Expo! Half of 2^nd grade had their awesome Recycled Orchestra Music Encounter! They will be each constructing their own cuica when I get back to the STEAM lab after G/T testing!

So much amazing definitely earned all grades Free Build Friday! 

It was a fantastical festival of creativity, cooperation, and construction! I love these days – they are loud and messy, but it is also six straight classes without a single complaint, argument, or problem that anyone wants me to solve! They are all 100% engaged working in pairs, groups, or solo, as they choose, seamlessly switching roles, giving and taking feedback, designing, building, reiterating, and revising without frustration! They only need me to get kits off the high shelves, be impressed with their creations, and tell them when it is time to clean up their work!