They say “time flies when you are having fun.” Well I can hardly believe that October is already here and yes, we are having a lot of fun! I am blessed to work with alongside many excellent educators and dedicated faculty members within our building. They represent the best in education on a daily basis.
Our first Project Lead the Way (PLTW) modules are finishing up in kindergarten through fourth grade this week. Students are learning valuable problem-solving and teamwork skills as they work through mistakes and failed trials to ultimately find better ways to solve the scenarios and situations at hand.
Kindergarten students are examining structure and function through construction of beanstalks and houses. They will be designing a paintbrush that functions as more than just a brush that paints a line. First grade just finished creating explorers with adaptations to survive in a given environment. They will use this to create a shoe prototype that could withstand the elements of that same environment. Second grade is studying properties of matter and reversible/irreversible changes. They are constructing “coolers” to keep popsicles from melting. Third grade is diving into variation of traits and how those traits can be passed down through generations. They will be culminating the module by planting fast-growing peas. Fourth grade is studying energy transfer in collisions. They have built vehicles and ramps to study potential and kinetic energy with an end goal of creating a vehicle passenger restraint device.
Our first PLTW Student Showcase will be on Monday, October 10th from 6-7pm. I invite you to stop by for a few minutes to see the culmination of these modules and listen to the students describe their projects and more importantly the rich thinking behind the designs!
Follow us on Twitter (@RPBlueJays) to check out the latest PLTW modules, classroom activities, and more from RPE!

Mr. Stephen Waigand
Principal, Rock Port Elementary