STEM Night brings out of this world family fun


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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.Students in STEM Club created various activities for the STEM Night on April 12. One of the games was a skee ball station made out of cardboard and other household items.

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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.A basketball game was recreated by a couple STEM students for the family night. The games were built by the students during their STEM meetings throughout the school year.

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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.Students at the Poland Middle School family STEM Night on April 12 played a game one of the STEM students created. The goal was to bounce the foil ball on the rubberbands and make it in the basket.

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Neighbors | Alexis Bartolomucci.One of the students at the Poland family STEM Night on April 12 played a game similar to Whack-a-Mole that the STEM Club students created.

By ALEXIS BARTOLOMUCCI

abartolomucci@vindy.com

Poland Middle School hosted it’s first annual Family STEM Night on April 12.

A STEM Club at Poland Middle School was created this year by teacher, Jill Marconi, for the fifth- through eighth-grade students. STEM Club met throughout the year to prepare a night full of fun by creating cardboard arcade games and other activities for the guests.

Students in fourth- through sixth-grade were invited to the STEM Night. The theme for the night was Star Wars and it encouraged the guests to “use the force” to learn about science, technology, engineering and math.

“We wanted to have a night for families to see the kinds of things we are doing,” said Marconi.

More than 100 students registered for STEM Night and brought their families with them. The guests spent the evening playing the arcade games the STEM students built and could also make their own lightsabers out of pool noodles, build a Jedi Tower and race a boat in the Naboo Canal.

The students attending had fun learning problem solving, explore gravity, buoyancy and symmetry. There were several games that the children could play. There were versions of Whack-a-Mole, Skee Ball, basketball and more.

“We want them to see the world needs makers and creators. We want the kids to be inspired young, so they can be a part of all that especially when they graduate and be exposed to it,” said Marconi.