Elementary schools host big science, engineering events

Science and engineering are taking center stage at local elementary schools this week, with a STEAM night Wednesday, April 26, at Oak Knoll School in Menlo Park, a Maker Faire Friday, April 28, at Corte Madera School in Portola Valley, and a Science Night at Encinal School in Atherton, also on Friday.

—

STEAM night at Oak Knoll School

Oak Knoll School will hold a STEAM night on Wednesday, April 26, with hands-on science, technology, engineering, art and math projects for the whole family.

The event runs from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at 1895 Oak Knoll Lane in Menlo Park.

Adults and children will be able to build rockets, fly parachutes, solve digital problems, explore and envision constellations, design earthquake proof structures, build Rube Goldberg machines, create animations, dive into a cup and stick challenge, construct with Keva Planks, engineer with duct tape and more.

Videos of family-constructed Rube Goldberg machines preparing breakfast will also be featured. Teachers will run all projects so entire families can participate.

—

Friday: Portola Valley Schools Maker Faire

Projects created by inventors, tech enthusiasts, hobbyists, crafters, artists and DIYers of all kinds will be featured at the Portola Valley School District’s first Maker Faire on Friday, April 28, at Corte Madera School.

The event, which will include projects made by kindergartners to eighth-graders, staff and parents, is open to the public, but pre-registration is required.

At pvsd.us/pvmaker17 the preregistration form can be found online.

Many of the projects were designed and developed in the Ormondale and Corte Madera Makerspaces, which were funded through the 2015 Portola Valley Schools Foundation’s Fund-A-Need program.

The free, family-friendly festival “reflects the energy that our community has for creating, sharing and learning while having fun,” said Jason Borgen, the district’s director of learning and innovation. “Many exhibits are hands-on and attendees of all ages can learn something new.”

—

Science Night at Encinal School

Encinal School’s Science Night on Friday, April 28, will feature cooking demonstrations from the school’s new Charlie Cart mobile kitchen classroom, plus creative science projects from many of Encinal’s 630 kindergarten to fifth-grade students.

A community grant from the Junior League of Palo Alto-Mid Peninsula allowed Encinal School in Atherton to be the first Peninsula school with a Charlie Cart.

The mobile kitchen uses cooking and food preparation to teach math, science, social studies and English language arts lessons aligned with the Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards.

Encinal’s Spanish immersion kindergarten is the first class to use the Charlie Cart kitchen classroom with lessons emphasizing cultural understanding.

Encinal Principal Sharon Burns said the Charlie Cart teaches children how to make healthy choices while learning math and science. “The Charlie Cart gives us another approach to teach, away from traditional desk/lectures, and connects learning through cooking to our long-established, successful gardening program.”

Encinal School’s annual PTO-sponsored Science Night is a community affair with more than 100 children’s science project displays; demonstrations by the Menlo-Atherton High School science, robotic and Leo clubs; hands-on interactive science sessions from the Lawrence Hall of Science; and a Bubble Festival. Pizza and baked goods will be on sale by the Girl Scouts and the Encinal PTO.

Encincal School is at 195 Encinal Ave. in Atherton.

– Stacey Wueste, Encinal parent volunteer

—