Regency’s STEAM Club
Many students hear the bell ring at 3:30 and think their
day is over. Not the students at Regency Park Elementary. This
year students in grades 4-6 are able to stay after school and
participate in Regency’s After School STEAM Club. The STEAM
Potatoes, as the students like to be called, stay after school each
week for an extra 90 minutes to engage in Science, Technology,
Engineering, Art, and Math activities. With the help of teachers,
Martha Freese and Colleen Spears, students began the year
with learning about circuitry and electricity by “playing with
Squishy Circuits.” After attending a regional FAB Institute where
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Freese learned about Squishy Circuits, she came back to the
District and asked about forming a Club. Principal Jeff Hadley
was immediately on board and encouraged Freese to put her
ideas on paper. Mrs. Freese knew that the club would be a hit
with the students if she had someone that shared her vision.
She enlisted the help of Colleen Spears. Mrs. Spears is a 3rd
grade teacher at Regency Park and consistently incorporates
the STEAM philosophy into her classroom lessons. The two
brainstormed, reviewed curriculum, and National Science
Standards to design a program that would encourage and
entice the students to want to stay at school longer to learn.
Next, they submitted a grant proposal through DonorsChoose.
org for supplies. Through the generosity of Mr. Anthony
Schmeck, the Alcoa Foundation, and the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation, their proposal was funded and the Club became
a reality.
The children spend 90 minutes after school on Wednesdays
exploring Squishy Circuits, circuitry, Snap Circuit boards,
creating robotic cars that work through circuitry, dabble in
some Chemistry, and use a design program to create images
on vinyl that they use to etch on glassware and make gifts
for their families and friends. Students are taught how to use
the equipment, and the students use their creative talents to
determine what to design and how to turn their vision into
an actual product. Additionally, students can look forward to
creating paper circuits, creating with 3D printers, learning to fly
drones, designing pop-up cards, and a variety of other activities
that involve problem solving. It ’s difficult to determine who’s
more excited- the teachers or the students. “The excitement is
contagious. The students are excited to learn something new
and are proud of their accomplishments. As educators, we get
excited because we want children to realize that learning never
stops. The more children learn; the more opportunities they’ll
have for even MORE learning. We love it when children say, ‘I
want to know how this works.’ The learning environment that
we are providing for the students is meaningful because of
the approach,” said Freese and Spears. Learning never stops at
Regency Park Elementary School.
Gauging the Market
Students enrolled in Plum Senior High School’s Finance/
Business Law class are getting real world experience in
finance by investing money in the stock market. Funds were
donated by 1976 graduate, Bob McCann, a Distinguished
Alumni and Chief Executive Officer of UBS Americas Division.
He invested $50,000 to the Plum Educational Foundation so
that students could invest and have an authentic educational
experience buying and selling stocks. Each class during the
next five years will get a $10,000 installment to invest until
the money is exhausted and the fund is self-sustaining.
During the 2015-2016 school year students decided on
investment choices. They began by learning the basics of
investing during the first semester of school and then based
on individual assignments, they came to a consensus on
what stocks were worthy of investment. Mr. David Vitula,
instructor of the course states, “Because of the generosity
of Mr. McCann, students are able to invest and track stocks
using real money and I believe this is unparalleled in a High
School setting. Students use trend lines and research to make
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their decisions on what to buy, and this year what to sell.
This fund is solely student generated with me acting as the
facilitator. They do the research, and as a class, they tell me
what to buy and sell. I make the phone call and place
the trades.”
Last school year students invested $2000 each in Apple,
Chevron, Disney, and Adidas. They couldn’t decide between
Chipotle and Buffalo Wild Wings so it was decided to
compromise and invest $1000 in each. Mr. Vitula made the
trades on behalf of the students in February and currently
the fund has had an 11.6% return on investment. Adidas
did the best with a 58% return on investment, while the
aforementioned Buffalo Wild Wings and Chipotle lost 6%
and 16% respectfully.
“I am looking forward to the second year of this fund
and am curious to see what adaptations this year’s
students make to last year’s investments and see what
new investments they decide to make. This is an invaluable
experience for these students.”