STEM Day

On Tuesday, April 14 it was full STE(A)M ahead as Saint Patrick Catholic School held its fourth annual STEM Day! The day found Wolfhound students and teachers immersed in curriculum-supportive, problem-based learning experiences in their classrooms. 

The day began with Wolfhounds in Grades 6-8, followed by Grades 3-5, gathering in the theater for two special assemblies with future Wolfhound parent and Project Director of the HRBT Expansion Project, Ryan Banas. He brought the scope and complexity of the new bridge and tunnel to life, explaining how it is being built and the many layers involved. From doctors, coders, and mechanics to anthropologists, engineers, environmentalists, and hundreds of other professionals, Mr. Banas highlighted the teamwork behind the project. 

After the assemblies, Wolfhounds of all ages enjoyed interactive and fun challenges while learning more about STEM throughout the day. In Kindergarten, Wolfhounds became engineers helping their favorite fairy tale heroes with their challenges. They designed slides, ladders, and ziplines to help Rapunzel escape her tower and even created a parachute to aid Jack in his safe descent from the beanstalk. 

 

First Grade teachers led an exploration of sound, using tuning forks to make rice jump and water splash. They demonstrated pitch with a xylophone before guiding students in creating their own versions using rubber bands of varying widths. The students especially loved the “laser” sounds produced by a slinky attached to a Styrofoam cup. These young musicians then crafted their own harmonicas and observed how vibrating rubber bands disrupted the air around them, creating sound. 

 

The Second Grade team began by discussing the essential parts of a plant, and then challenged students to design and build their own unique plants using a variety of materials. It was especially exciting to hear students explain the climate and environment in which their plants thrived, as well as the adaptations that helped them survive.

 

Third Grade’s study of simple machines came to life as students engineered catapults to launch marshmallows from one location to another. Ping-pong balls and marbles could be seen flying down the hallway between Second and Third Grade classrooms. A special thank you to Mr. Whittington for providing longer measuring tapes when catapults outperformed expectations! Eventually, a truce had to be called so students could safely walk the halls to their next class!

 

Our Fourth Grade paleontologists used a variety of materials to design and create tools for extracting valuable fossils. Students carefully worked with clay “rocks” containing hidden fossils and shells.

Middle School math and science teachers gave students a hands-on extension of guest speaker Ryan Banas’ presentation on the HRBT Expansion Project. Wolfhounds worked in teams to brainstorm, design, test, and redesign a passenger vehicle tunnel through a mountain, using set constraints for tunnel size, materials, and structural support. Each design was tested for strength and evaluated for environmental impact, with students reflecting on design, budgeting, and efficiency while connecting their work back to the real-world engineering project.

 

Across the Middle School, faculty integrated STEM connections throughout the curriculum. Teachers of English, History and Theology geared lessons to incorporate STEM lessons or themes. For example, in History classes, students learned about Roman aqueducts and Colosseum tunnel systems and even designed their own models incorporating tunneling features. In Theology, they studied early Christian catacombs and the use of limestone quarries for burial and worship during persecution. As Mrs. Ertel noted, “Just as engineers design strong tunnels to withstand pressure, we are called to build our lives on a strong foundation” (Matthew 7:24–25).

With the fourth annual STEM Day in the books, Mrs. Lassalle and Ms. Seeley cannot wait to begin planning for next year’s event!