Our STEM Vision
Macdonough is a school-wide STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) School. All students learn by engaging in the Engineering Design Process and through Project Based Learning. We have created interdisciplinary units of study, which provide students with the opportunity to apply their knowledge of multiple subject areas within a single lesson. Through these learning experiences, students make real world connections to careers within the STEM field.
Our school focuses on the whole child to enable social-emotional as well as academic growth. When we focus on students’ strengths and provide thoughtful instruction, we grow resilient learners who can successfully access their best selves and build meaningful relationships with others.
Engineer of the Month
Our Engineer of the Month is Mohamed from Mrs. Martino’s kindergarten class! During makerspace centers with Mrs. Senna, Mohamed brainstormed ways he could design a wagon. He shared that he’s seen plenty of wagons in real life, and would need all of the pieces he planned to use to design his wagon. He followed the stages of the Engineering Design Process to create his wagon. He used the “improve” stage to test out different shaped pieces in order to identify which would fit best. Keep up the great work, Mohammed!
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- Mohamed tinkers with Magna-Tiles to design the wagon.
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- Mohamed improves his design by adding a tile to the front of the structure.
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- Mohamed examines each Magna-Tile to observe the shape and brainstorms ways to connect each shape to design the wagon.
Macdonough Gardens Updates
The school garden is thriving! Currently, collards, kale, ground cherries, basil, and peppers are all being harvested. Students have enjoyed using the garden space to explore!
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- Ground cherries, nasturtium, and a rogue onion from the garden.
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- Radish seedlings planted at back to school night have sprouted!
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- Dino kale– ready to be harvested.
October is National Farm to School Month
This month, we will be celebrating local food, especially during the first week of October which is CT Grown for CT Kids week. CT Grown for CT Kids Week is an annual event happening every October in Connecticut. This week aims to celebrate and support local agriculture, public education and our community commitment to the importance of healthy nutritious meals in schools. Each year, legislators, food service directors, farmers and students gather together through farm to school activities and consumption of local products. Multiple organizations across the state support this effort to help their local schools bring CT Grown for CT Kids Week into classrooms and the home. To find more ways to celebrate farm to school visit farmtoschool.org!
The Engineering Design Process
Please watch the video below to view the different steps of the Engineering Design Process. Students follow these steps when creating a solution to a problem during a hands-on learning activity. This process encourages our students to solve a problem or build a design in stages to make the appropriate revision and to receive feedback from their peers.
