From WCS inFocus
There are plenty of opportunities for students to participate in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) activities as they get older, but Chapman’s Retreat Elementary is starting early and allowing students to sign up for after-school STEM lab sessions during each quarter.
The students who sign up meet once a week for six weeks to complete challenges and test their skills. However, just because they’re staying after school to learn doesn’t mean they aren’t having fun.
“They want to be here, and that’s great,” said CRES third grade teacher Courtney Prieto. “Having it outside of the school day means we can be a bit more relaxed. We have these challenges that we try to meet, but the way you get there is completely up to the students. They have that freedom to be a bit more creative.”
Prieto loves seeing her students’ hard work pay off when they find the solution to a difficult challenge.
“My favorite moment is seeing when they finally get it,” she said. “A big part of what I try to teach them is that we don’t give up. So that moment they get it, it just makes it worth it.”
