Holly Jolly STEM Saturday 2024
On Dec. 7, the Corinth School District hosted “Holly Jolly” STEM Saturday camp. Over 130 students registered to attend the Saturday camp that helps students learn how STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) connects to the world around us through fun, hands-on experiments and activities.
Pre-K students painted Christmas-themed ornaments and sewed foam stockings. Kindergarten students made a candy cane ornament using pipe cleaners and played a Christmas tree stacking game. “Christmas is such a fun time of the year, and STEM Saturday activities are always even more exciting when we can add a little holiday cheer!” said Melanie Mills, STEM Saturday teacher. “The kids loved the Christmas tree stacking activity. They enjoyed collaborating to see what they could create, and it was great to see.”
First graders created a melting snowman ornament learning about how plastic absorbs energy and becomes a liquid. Students in second grade concocted holiday slime and also melted ornaments. “We made slime and it was fun!” said Ava Butler, second grade student. “We used shaving cream, contact solution, baking soda, food coloring and sprinkles. We also made ornaments by coloring a plastic cup, melting the cup in the microwave and then adding a string.”
Third grade students created a flying reindeer and a Rudolph ornament while enjoying Santa face paint. Fourth grade students learned about the environment when they created their own pinecone Christmas trees. Students in fifth and sixth grade created their own ornaments using all different items from the Makerspace cart.
Pre-K through 2nd grade students also participated in Christmas-themed Makerspace activities create Christmas tree ornaments out of tongue depressors and pipe cleaners.
The Corinth High School (CHS) Culinary Arts students baked and cut out allergy-friendly gingerbread houses for all students to participate in a Gingerbread Engineering and Design activity. The high school students helped the students construct and decorate their houses.
“STEM Saturday is an excellent opportunity for students to explore their world in a different way,” said Kristie Studdard, teacher at CHS. “Building gingerbread houses is an activity I already include in my lessons; therefore, it felt like the perfect activity for a December STEM Saturday. We all had an amazing time using icings as glue, placing candies on our houses, and watching them turn from a stack of pieces into a structure.”
All STEM Saturday students participated in a Robotics and Engineering center. Students maneuvered Sphero BOLT robots using iPads and specialized apps that allow the robot to be controlled through block or text-based programming.
Join us for our next STEM Saturday camp, Winter Wonderland, on Jan. 11. Sign up at www.corinth.k12.ms.us.