Full STEAM Ahead

Information provided by Angel D., Enrichment Chair and Parent of Alum Ryan, Fearless Falcons Leah, and Cute Cupcake Lucy

Centers are a hallmark of the Village School program. With an emphasis on hands on, STEAM based learning, students’ curiosity is engaged through building, discovering, playing, thinking, and all around having fun. The curriculum for each Center is developed and taught by our incredible team of teachers and parent volunteers.

With 16 different Centers, there’s a lot of learning (and fun) to be had! While some of the topics are ‘tried and true’, others present exciting new opportunities. Have you ever wondered what your child is doing at Centers? Read on to find out!

Upper Grade Centers

Students in grades 3 through 5 have a longer, more in-depth, 6-week curriculum for each Center. They will participate in 5 of the 8 upper grade Centers over the course of the school year.

Ceramics
This year, students will be making three different projects, including a flip flop (sandal) and a vase, over the six week timeframe. They will glaze each one, fire the pieces, and then take them home!

Muscles & Bones
Have you ever wondered how your muscles and bones work? In this Center, students will learn how their bodies are like robots and how their movement is connected to bones and muscles.

Upcycling
Upcycling is another form of recycling. Students take something old and add their own personal flair. This Center is all about personal style!

Kitchen Science
Not all science requires expensive and hard-to-find chemicals or fancy laboratories! You can explore the fun of science in your own kitchen. In this Center, students will learn about the chemistry and make-up of different food items. This Center is really about how food meets science!

Rockets
Ready, set, blast off! What makes a rocket fly? Have you ever noticed what happens if you let the air out of a balloon? The air goes one way and the balloon moves in the opposite direction. Rockets work in much the same way. Using physics, students will make their own rockets and blast them off into the sky!

3-D Printing
What is 3-D printing, you ask? 3-D printing takes digital files and transforms them into real world products. Students will learn to code and design images online and then turn them into solid creations.

Woodworking
In this very hands-on Center, students will learn how to use a saw, nails, hammer and other tools to build cool projects.

Gardening
Gardening is a very interactive and engaging activity that motivates kids to learn more about healthy, fresh foods! What better way to show students how much fun fresh foods are than by letting them plant a garden?

Lower Grade Centers

Students in grades K through 2 rotate to a new lower grade Center every 4 weeks. Over the course of the year, they will get to attend 7 of the 8 Centers.

Champions for Change
Let’s save the world! In this Center, students will come up with ideas on how to help our society or environment and then implement their idea through research, raising awareness (making posters and buttons), and advocacy (learning to speak out about how we can make a difference).

Ancient Egypt
Students will go to go back in time along the Nile River to learn about pyramids, hieroglyphics, mummies, and more from ancient times.

Cooking
Students will make yummy, tasty treats like spring rolls and soup! Not only will they make the food, they will also get to eat it!

Outdoor Games
Kids love to be outside! Students will play games, run around, and learn the rules to some great new games from around the world.

Flying Things
How do things fly? What is air pressure? Using different flying objects, such as paper airplanes, rockets and Frisbees, students will learn how objects lift and take off.

Geometry Fun
What’s more fun than working with different shapes? We’ll take an age-old math concept and make it fun with games and puzzles. Students will walk away with a whole new appreciation of geometry!

Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci — one of the masters of art! In this art history class, students will not only draw, but learn about the master and how he helped define the art world.

Dinosaurs
Millions of years ago, dinosaurs roamed the earth. Students will get to intimately know the different dinosaurs that once called this world their home.