It was a bitter sweet experience on the last day of the sixth through eight grade STEM Exposure & Exploration Camp at Elsie Robertson Middle School, as students participated in their Final Project Showcase and then at the end of the day said their goodbyes.
The stretching of tape, glue bottles going empty and markers gliding across poster boards was all anyone could hear when they stepped foot into the class rooms. Before the showcase began, students were busy putting the finishing touches on their projects while teachers were giving their last instructions. The students had a numerous amount of work to set up and from the looks on their faces, they were all excited with a hint of nervousness.
Throughout the presentations, I had the opportunity to talk to a number of students and teachers and ask them their thoughts on the camp and what they would miss the most. One thing I'm not surprised about is how many students said the number one thing they'll miss are their teachers. Jamayh Johns, a sixth grader who attends Elsie Robertson Middle School, says that she'll miss her teachers because "..when we wanted to give up they kept us going and on our feet while encouraging us." Other students said that they will miss their fun projects and working on them with their friends. Cartney Slaughter, a fifth grade teacher from Rosa Parks Elementary, says he wants the students to leave with an "enriched experience" and that he'll "miss the opportunity to work with different groups of students." Amanda Morrison, a sixth grade STEM teacher, says that she will miss "..seeing the students get excited about the projects and seeing them really take hold of it..."
At the end of the showcase, the results from the judges were in. The students were selected by grade level and teachers were given "Best Teacher" awards.
Article and photos by: Stephanie Holmes, Lancaster ISD Communications Summer Intern
The stretching of tape, glue bottles going empty and markers gliding across poster boards was all anyone could hear when they stepped foot into the class rooms. Before the showcase began, students were busy putting the finishing touches on their projects while teachers were giving their last instructions. The students had a numerous amount of work to set up and from the looks on their faces, they were all excited with a hint of nervousness.
Throughout the presentations, I had the opportunity to talk to a number of students and teachers and ask them their thoughts on the camp and what they would miss the most. One thing I'm not surprised about is how many students said the number one thing they'll miss are their teachers. Jamayh Johns, a sixth grader who attends Elsie Robertson Middle School, says that she'll miss her teachers because "..when we wanted to give up they kept us going and on our feet while encouraging us." Other students said that they will miss their fun projects and working on them with their friends. Cartney Slaughter, a fifth grade teacher from Rosa Parks Elementary, says he wants the students to leave with an "enriched experience" and that he'll "miss the opportunity to work with different groups of students." Amanda Morrison, a sixth grade STEM teacher, says that she will miss "..seeing the students get excited about the projects and seeing them really take hold of it..."
At the end of the showcase, the results from the judges were in. The students were selected by grade level and teachers were given "Best Teacher" awards.
- "Best Balloon Car" went to seventh graders Xavier Newman and Antonio Garza.
- "Best World Cup" went to sixth graders Yoselin Palomo Rios, Marielena Riss, Lisseh Lopez, and Lidia Falcon.
- "Best Group Energy Dome" went to eighth graders Troy Mondine IV and Gary Simons III
- 1st Place Teacher went to Amanda Morrison
- 2nd Place Teacher went to both Kisha Anderson and Chasiti McKissic
- 3rd Place Teacher went to Mrs. Stevenson
Article and photos by: Stephanie Holmes, Lancaster ISD Communications Summer Intern