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Pre-Prep and Prep STEAM Week Highlights

17 January 2025

This week, the buzz around school was turned up a notch as our Prep and Pre-Prep pupils delved into the world of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics) with an exciting lineup of activities designed to inspire collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking.

ENGINEERS IN ACTION

Kindergarten shared the story of the Gingerbread Man in line with the theme; Fairy Tale Engineering. The class discussed what would have made it easier for the Gingerbread Man to have crossed the river. One idea was to build a boat while another idea was to build a bridge. We looked at a variety of different bridges and talked about which ones were strong and what they could have been used for. The girls were given the challenge of designing a bridge using their whiteboards and marker pens. Once they had done this they set to and made attempts to build their own bridges. Some chose to use wooden blocks, some chose magnetic shapes while others made bridges using Duplo. The children quickly understood the concept and were keen to test their bridges out with their very own gingerbread people!

BLAST OFF!

Reception girls have had a blast in more ways than one! STEAM week has been enjoyed by all pupils and certainly put their engineering skills to the test. On Monday the girls listened to the Charlie and Lola story, ‘I am inventing and invention’, which fired up their imaginative ideas. They then made a sturdy bridge for the Billy Goats with Lego; a house of bricks for the Little Pigs (using 3D shapes) and a boat made from construction toys, for the Gingerbread man to cross the river. Their excitement grew further on Wednesday when they made rockets that flew across the classroom. This activity was demonstrated by using a balloon, straws and string to introduce the girls to propulsion forces in an engaging, fun way.

The focus of the Pre-Prep assembly this week was STEM Heroes where Reception and Kindergarten children thought about inspirational STEAM role models. We shared the story ‘Izzy Gizmo’ which the girls very much enjoyed!

FAIRYTALE ENGINEERING

In Prep, Monday kicked off with FairyTale Engineering Day. Each year group brought imaginative designs to life, showing incredible creativity and perseverance in their projects. Year Six tackled the challenge of safely retrieving the giant’s egg from the beanstalk (inspired by Jack and the Beanstalk)—with only one egg casualty! Meanwhile, Kindergarten, Years Two and Five worked to build bridges for the Billy Goats Gruff or the Gingerbread Man. The bridges, complete with railings, withstood substantial weight tests. Many gingerbread men were rescued (before being eaten), and the Three Little Pigs enjoyed newly designed wolf-proof housing.

MEDICAL MAVERICKS

Tuesday was all about exploration with Medical Mavericks Day. Prep pupils engaged in experiments while uncovering fascinating insights about their own bodies. Teachers were surprised (and dismayed!) to find their hearing had diminished. The girls eagerly pinpointed their blind spots and explored how tendons affect finger movement. Year Two demonstrated perseverance and respect as they mastered stethoscope use, while Year Six soon became experts using ultrasound machines to locate growth plates in their wrists. They even practised withdrawing (fake) blood from a phlebotomy training arm.

SPACE DAY

Wednesday launched us into Space Day. In Prep, children participated in hands-on space-themed activities. They painted stunning nebulae, constructed astronaut helmets, tested materials for astronaut visors, and built a scale model of the Solar System. Kindergarten embraced Space Day too! They we keen to explore non-fiction books about space and particularly enjoyed looking at planets. They worked together to make the earth, the sun and the moon using paper mâché! The day concluded with a celebratory assembly, where students reflected on their aspirations for the future of space exploration.

The first half of STEAM Week was a resounding success, fostering teamwork, creativity and a passion for learning. Tune in next week to hear more about the jam-packed activities we enjoyed in the second half of the week!

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Pre-Prep and Prep STEAM Week Highlights

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