Go Fish with Kindergarten!

Kindergarten began applying their knowledge of fish anatomy and tissue paper techniques to create fish mobiles that look a lot like the work of famous artist Alexander Calder! 

Fish Mobile by Peyton G.



Author Scott Stoll Comes to Randall STEM!

Anika looks at Scott's travels around the world!

Scott taught all of us about the important job that worms have and how, just like Ruby the Red Worm, we all need to find our passion in life.



Scott brainstorms fun themes to illustrate for his newest book!



Ryan illustrates a page in Scott's book, Ruby the Red Worm's Dirty Job

Kelsey and Abby work on a page together.

Scott talks about his last book, Falling Uphill, and how the journey in that book lead him to where he is today and taught him a lot about life in general!

Students are curious about Scott's adventures on a bicycle around the whole world!

Thank you for visiting Randall STEM, Scott!

Small Moments

by Kahlan

Second grade students in Mrs. W's class recently had the opportunity to design book covers for the stories they wrote in class.  Using the illustrations of Jan Brett as an inspiration, students designed book covers that incorporated a setting, action, and characters. 

4th Grade Kandinsky STEaM Project Underway

Wassily Kandinsky,  Farbstudie Quadrate, c.1913

Students in 4th grade are combining their math skills and color mixing knowledge to create a Kandinsky-inspired painting.  On the first day of the design challenge, they had to use their measuring and compass-wielding skills to  come up with a design that:

1.) Had 12 equal squares that are arranged in an array.
2.) Had a border all the way around the array.
3.) Had at least two concentric circles inside each square.

Most students found this task highly challenging, but each student's hard work and problem solving was rewarded when they found a solution to the problem of recreating Kandinsky's design.  Students learned to work through initial frustration and to keep trying until they found a solution that solved the problem.

On day 2 of the design challenge, students will be asked to use the primary colors to mix all of the secondary and tertiary/intermediate colors.  They will be applying every primary, secondary, and tertiary/intermediate color that they mix to at least one spot on their Kandinsky-inspired painting.  The rest of the colors they mix are their choice.  Some students in the Mr. Smith's class liked mixing colors so much that they discovered how to create neutral colors, tints, and shades.  Several students even made personalized designs to jazz up the borders on their paintings. 

Students were surprised to learn how much math can connect with art!

Pumpkin Carving Contest Winners

Last Saturday October 23rd, two of our fifth grade students, Maggie and Aric, took on the challenge of designing and carving a pumpkin as a team at the 21st Annual Optimists' Pumpkin Carving Contest.  Inspired by the mural of the leaning tree in the front entrance of our school, Maggie and Aric used creative carving techniques to design a pumpkin that represented our school's vision for the future.  They took 4th place in the city!  Very impressive, as just about every elementary school in the city participates.  Congratulations!