The Tuckahoe PTA is excited to announce another round of after school STEM programs available to Cottle students this Spring. Please see below for further details.
Beginning April 9th, the following classes will be offered at Cottle on Tuesdays after school for 8 weeks (excluding April 23rd). The cost for these classes is $225 for the duration of the 8-week time frame. If classes reach max capacity of 12 students per class, the price will decrease. This will be confirmed to everyone chosen in the lottery prior to any payment for the class. Classes will be run by a company called STEM Alliance and all instruction and materials are provided through them.
Please click HERE and fill out a Google form by Monday, March 18th, confirming your interest in signing up for one of these classes. By filling out the Google form you are confirming that your child will take the class, if selected, and that you will pay for the class upon confirmation of entry. If your child is selected but cannot attend the classes, you will still be responsible for the payment unless another student can fill that spot. Spots will be chosen at random via lottery. For 2nd and 3rd grade, you may choose a first and second choice if your child is interested in both classes, however because of the limited capacity, each child is only able to attend one of the sessions. Priority will be given in the lottery to students who did not take classes during the Winter session. If you took a class in the Winter and are interested in one of these classes, we highly encourage you to sign up anyway as interest levels can change from season to season. (See below for class descriptions.)
KINDERGARTEN & 1st GRADERS:
- STEM Ever After: K-1, Tuesdays, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
- Storybooks come to life with hands-on art and science projects based on our favorite tales. Students will explore creative, interactive STEM experiences, in addition to learning new skills while engaging in fun, hands-on STEM projects. We will jump into the world of such classics as The Wizards of Oz, Rapunzel, Peter Pan, Harry Potter, Frozen, The Little Mermaid and more!
2nd & 3rd GRADERS:
- Sustainability: 2nd /3rd, Tuesdays, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
- Students will explore different aspects of sustainability through research and hands on projects. They will design and construct their own mini greenhouse from recycled materials to grow and germinate seeds. Students will also investigate the concepts of sustainable design, what plants need to grow, photosynthesis, and how the analogy of the microclimate within a greenhouse relates to the global greenhouse effect.
- Intro to Advanced Robotics: 2nd /3rd, Tuesdays, 4:15 PM – 5:15 PM
- Intro to Advanced Robotics allows students to learn about Dot and Dash, an introduction to simpler robotics and block coding for students with little to no experience. Students first learn about binary and coding and use their knowledge to decipher messages using binary numbers. Students then will practice pseudo code with a great activity! They have to explain how to prepare a peanut butter and jelly sandwich! Don’t get too comfortable! Students often miss steps such as: “Open the bread bag.” A super fun, yet essential lesson to learn why coding needs to be in order. Once they understand coding, students will get to know their robot and its different functions. Since students now understand their Dash, they start programming to do simple shapes, going around objects, stopping when objects are in front of them, and even a lesson about traffic safety. These lessons help students reinforce mathematical concepts and learn about safety standards that are usually not discussed until they have to drive.
4th & 5th GRADERS:
- Pix Pro: 4th/5th, Tuesdays, 4:15 PM – 5:15 PM
- During this program, students will first learn a brief history of photography and its use as well as the progression of cameras. The students throughout this program will become photographers. They will look for important things that professional photographers would look for when it comes to taking a great photo. With this in mind, they are encouraged to express/share themselves through the photos they take. It could be taking pictures of cars because they like cars or butterflies because they love butterflies/animals. At the end of this program, students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of what it means to be a photographer and create a photo book to display the photos they’ve taken.
If you have any questions please reach out to Amber Kasses, Co-Chair, PTA STEAM Committee at: AmberKasses@gmail.com
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