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MILLCREEK TOWNSHIP SCHOOL DISTRICT: BUILDING FOUNDATIONS FOR LIFE!
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Belle Valley STEM Lab
build, and invent as they deeply engage
in science, engineering, and tinkering. A
makerspace is not solely a science lab,
woodshop, computer lab, or art room,
but it may contain elements found in
all of these familiar spaces. The design
committee for the STEM lab included
teachers, administrators, the Millcreek
School District’s Instructional Technology
Department, parents, and community
members.
Before the Committee could bring its
dream of a fully functional STEM Lab to
reality, the Committee needed funding. The
Millcreek Education Foundation approved
a grant for $1,880, and Title funds were
provided to incorporate reading and
writing into the lab activities. These funds
helped purchase various STEM activities
for all grades, as well as material for a
makerspace. The completed lab includes
coding equipment, such as Codable Mice,
Ozobots (which are little toy robots that
Ms. Jamie Constantine,
Belle Valley Educational
Assistant, demonstrates
the thickness of a line for
the students to utilize
with their Ozobot.
“Tell me and I forget; teach me and
I may remember; involve me and I will
learn.” These words are central to what
is experienced by students at Belle Valley
Elementary School. Last school year,
teachers and administrators identified
ways to embed this philosophy through
an improved STEM (science, technology,
engineering, and math) education program
at Belle Valley. In addition to the focus on
STEM instruction, Belle Valley staff also
explored an avenue to provide autistic
students with an environment to help
them with daily struggles and obstacles to
learning. Two committees were formed in
the fall of 2018 to start planning for these
two initiatives, which are now identified
as the Belle Valley STEM Lab and Sensory
Room.
The Belle Valley STEM Lab was initially
designed as a makerspace. A makerspace
provides hands-on, creative ways to
encourage students to design, experiment,
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MILLCREEK
Belle Valley Grade 4 students Carter
Constantine (left) and Isaiah Womack
(right), stand next to a 3D printer
holding plastic pieces that were
created on the 3D printer.
blends the physical and digital worlds
— and teaches kids programming), and
Hummingbird kits (allows students to
build a robot out of any material), and
Hummingbirds. Students also have
access to a 3D printer and a Lego wall. In
addition, Belle Valley students now have
a STEM day incorporated during their six-
day rotation. Now, along with art, music,
library, and physical education, students
rotate into the STEM lab.
On September 12, 2019, the first
class traveled to the STEM Lab for Belle
Valley’s first STEM rotation. Laurie Wilcox,
a second-grade teacher at Belle Valley
summed up the new lab experience from
a second grade teacher’s perspective.
“On the first day of school, students
talked about their goals and hopes for
second grade. MANY of them said they
were excited about the STEM lab! We’ve
done one STEM activity based on the
book by Mo Willems, Pigeon Has To Go To
School (but he doesn’t want to). Students
had a goal to build a catapult to launch
Pigeon to school. They absolutely loved
it! The next day they did their first ‘small
moment’ writing about the time they
built a catapult. They included science
vocabulary like catapult, fulcrum, lever,
stored and working energy in their writing.
Just one STEM activity encompassed so
much.... reading, comprehension, partner
work, and journaling. Their excitement
about STEM is fantastic. The STEM lab will
provide so many opportunities across the
curriculum!”