Latest Blog Posts
-
3 months 2 weeks ago
-
3 months 2 weeks ago
-
3 months 2 weeks ago
-
3 months 2 weeks ago
-
3 months 2 weeks ago
STEM Blog
Eggceptional!
Our Kindergarten students did a little experimenting with gravity this afternoon, taking on the challenge of knocking an egg off of a pedestal and plate so that it would land in a glass of water. The students predicted the results, charting their answers for comparison. Then everyone watched as our two scientists took a “crack” at it! While not successful on the first try, the kids had a great time figuring out how to “tweak” the approach until the egg fell. Very fun!
, 
, 
, 
USA Science and Engineering Festival 2016
A virtual mad scientist’s laboratory, 3D design and printing, color sensing robots and LEGO robotics were among a few of the things our students showcased at the St. Louis School booth as part of the 4th USA Science and Engineering Festival. The Festival, held at the Convention Center in Washington, D.C. on April 16th and 17th, included more than 3,000 of the world’s leading professional scientific and engineering societies, universities, government agencies and high technology corporations. As the only participating school from the Archdiocese of Baltimore, we were proud of our student’s work at the festival and grateful for the overwhelmingly positive response received from attendees. A huge thank you to all the faculty, parent and student volunteers who helped make this event a great success. Our count down for the 5th festival has officially begun!
, 
, 
, 
, 
, 
, 
The Future is Now!
In our continued effort to prepare our 21st Century learners for their future in Middle School, High School and beyond, students have been introduced to an online 3D CAD (Computer Aided Design) tool called Tinkercad. This web-based software application will be the primary tool we use in conjunction with our STEAMtrax (Grade 3 through 8) curriculum and cross-curricular 3D printing initiative.
The introduction of the online STEAMtrax curriculum is an Archdiocesan-wide initiative to prepare students for a future in STEM fields. The cross-curricular lessons integrate hands-on activities and state of the art 3D printing as an introduction to computer-aided design and manufacturing.
St. Louis students are busy learning about kinesthetic wave models, wind turbines, forces in motion and much more. They are also enjoying seeing the printed results of their designs. The future is now!
To learn more about STEAMtrax visit www.steamtrax.com
, 
, 
Cyber STEM Spring Session Fun!
Dancing with the Robots…and other activities! Our Spring Cyber STEM session came to a successful conclusion today. Check out the celebration video below:
2016 STEM Family FUN Night!
Vortex fog rings, LEGO robots, bubbling potions, balloon cars, rubber band helicopters, all part of the SLS STEM Family Fun Night. This video hopes to capture some of the excitement and joy experienced by the participants. Enjoy!
STEM Family FUN NIght!
Please join us for the 4th Annual STEM Family Fun Night this Tuesday, February 2nd
from 7:00 P.M. to 8:30 P.M. in the Cafeteria. The event is open to all school families and is free of charge.
Come out and see a fantastic, one-hour Science Spectacular by Eric Energy, a robotics demonstration by our own First Lego League (FLL) Robotics teams and some fun and engaging STEM activities in the classrooms!
The doors will open at 6:30 P.M. for the robotics demonstrations, followed by Eric Energy and some hands-on fun. Come out and try your hand at making an Art Bot or a Balloon Car or rubber band powered helicopter. There will be something fun for all ages! We look forward to seeing you there.
The Future is Now!
Scientists at companies across the world are working diligently to make real-life robots an actual thing. St. Louis School CyberSTEM Club members began building LEGO Mindstorms and EV3 robots this week and will begin the planning process for programming and animating their actions. We look forward to seeing what our creative and capable engineers produce!
, 
, 
, 
, 
Cyber STEM After School Fun!
St. Louis CyberSTEM students kicked off the spring session today with an afternoon filled with collaboration, exploration and inquiry. We programmed Spheros, built a virtual community with LEGO Fusion kits and played with interactive Osmos. Who knew tangrams could be so much fun when using an interactive device?
The students are looking forward to learning more about programming robots and making things move in the real world. CyberSTEM students gain a hands-on understanding of the tools of tomorrow, with a focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM).
, 
, 
, 
, 
, 
, 
Talking Trash
Each year First LEGO League (FLL) releases a Challenge based on a real-world scientific topic. This years' challenge is "Trash Trek," an exploration and examination of the collection, sorting, smart production and reuse of trash. More than 233,000 children ages 9 to 16 across the globe are participating in this challenge.
St. Louis School is proud of the members of the Resourceful Repurposing Revolutionaries on their participation at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory qualifier on Saturday, January 9th. A huge thank you goes out to the coaches, Mr. Harold West and Mrs. Amy Campbell, for sharing their time and talent with our students, and to all the team parents for their dedication that made this experience possible. Way to go Triple R!
Next Saturday we look forward to cheering on the Lighting Builders at the Catonsville High School Qualifier. More details on this event to follow.
, 
, 
, 
, 
We all scream for Ice Cream!
Mrs. Yuska's 8th grade Science class is currently studying chemical and physical changes to matter. Today they experimented with endothermic and exothermic physical changes. The students combined milk, sugar, and vanilla in a container. They then placed the container in a bag containing a combination of ice and salt. The endothermic reaction of the ice and salt caused the exothermic reaction - freezing - of the milk mixture. We were able to reach temperatures as low as -10 degrees C! Not only did the students learn about real life physical changes but they also enjoyed a tasty treat!
, 
, 
, 
, 
The Hour of Code is Here!
For the past few years, students at St. Louis School have had the opportunity to learn problem-solving skills and logical thinking by sharpening their coding skills in the classroom. As part of our standard curriculum, students are exposed to a variety of coding platforms and have the opportunity to experience the underlying mechanisms of how software technology works. This past week we celebrated with students from across the world by once again participating in “Hour of Code,” sponsored by code.org. To learn more about this event and the power of learning to code, visit: http://csedweek.org/
, 
, 
, 
Decoding STEM
Today our Cyber STEM group participated in a field trip to the National Cryptologic Museum, where we learned about the history of code making and code breaking. A particular highlight was learning about how the Allies broke the Enigma code in World War Two. The students participated in a scavenger hunt that lead them through the evolution of cryptology, including chalk symbols during the Depression, the use of Navajo soldiers in the military, simple ciphers, breaking Japanese codes, the role of encryption in WWII and an introduction to modern cryptology.
You and your child may wish to visit the National Security Agency’s Crypto Kids web site at:https://www.nsa.gov/kids/
, 
, 
, 
, 