POINT PLEASANT — Great young minds of Memorial Middle School gathered with their parents within the school’s cafeteria last Thursday as the annual STEAM Night returned.
STEAM, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics, has seen a significant push in the last few years, and this evening of building machines is part of this district’s initiative.
Sixth graders, with their parents, filled the cafeteria, as they were tasked with constructing Rube Goldberg machines, which are elaborate and ridiculous contraptions that do a very simple task in an elaborate way.
“This is an exercise in the parents and the students learning all about trial and error, computational design and thinking…and learning about teamwork while being under a little bit of pressure with time,” John McAllen, supervisor of STEAM for the district, told The Ocean Star,
Teams were split up into two families, as they worked together to accomplish a simple task. Some of these tasks include popping a balloon, dropping a marble in a cup and launching a paper airplane. The teams worked together initially for 45 minutes to construct the initial design for the machine. The district also encouraged teams to try and accomplish more than one task with a single machine.
“What is great is they go through this growth curve,” said McAllen. “They struggle in the beginning as they try to accomplish their goal. The real reward to us is when we see everyone jumping up and down, super excited, when they accomplish their goal.”
McAllen said above all, these exercises and events help to teach students, and even some parents, to persevere and to never give up even if the machine does not work the first time.
Memorial Middle School Principal Gary Floyd said, “These are sixth graders and their families, and events like these help make them feel more a part of the school community. They come in, they can see what their kids are doing in the school day.”
McAllen added, “When you see adults really let their guard down and have fun doing something that all ages can enjoy, it is really neat to see.”
Superintendent Adam Angelozzi told The Ocean Star, “Last week, our sixth-grade students and their families took on an exciting STEAM Night challenge – building Rube Goldberg machines that showcased creativity, problem-solving, and teamwork. This hands-on experience reinforced our seven C’s Initiative (Collaborate, Consider, Code, Critically Think, Calculate, Communicate and Create) and support our strategic plan to expand STEAM-focused programming. Thank you to our educators, families and students for making this event successful as we continue fostering curiosity and hands-on learning in our schools.”
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