Classroom Happenings: Hands-On STEAM Powers Discovery

The Fall-O-STEAM, held the day before Halloween, is representative of the Grade 5 teachers’ approach to learning: serious academics made engaging through a sense of fun. 

“We love hands-on activities that get the kids excited,” said Emily Oliff, Grade 5 teacher, speaking for herself and fellow teachers Heidi Bailey and Ron Coles. “When your body is moving, when you’re creating and building, it creates a deeper understanding of the content. You’re activating parts of your brain that help you understand and remember the content better.”

During the Fall-O-STEAM, parents joined the three Grade 5 classes for an art walk and three activity stations. The classroom teachers worked with the specials teachers to integrate the full Steward academic experience.

First, parents and students learned from Lower and Middle School art teacher Abby Klein about the work of the late Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, who is celebrated for her immersive environments, repeating patterns, and signature polka-dot aesthetic. They then took an art walk to see art the students had made, inspired by Ms. Kusama: polka-dot pumpkins. 

Mrs. Oliff explained that the fifth-grade teachers purposefully included art in the event, focusing on STEAM, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. 

“It’s important that kids see that learning happens when you’re being creative,” she said. “Even students who don’t feel like art is their thing, in a situation like this, they realize that they have those talents. We provide opportunities for kids to step out of their comfort zone and challenge themselves academically and artistically.”

As the event continued, the stations included:

Fifth-grade student Abby Tombes ’34 said, “My favorite part of the Fall-O-STEAM was the coding. It’s fun to get the blocks [part of the robot] to go all around the maze. Coding is hard and you have to be patient, but it’s also really fun.”