The future of science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) is burning bright across the district. Following a highly successful six-week run, the newly launched 4th Grade Intro to Coding Club recently wrapped up its season, leaving young programmers eager for more.
Organized by enthusiastic club advisors Tammy Thomas, Tina Malara, and Amber Wagner, the initiative provided elementary students with an immersive, hands-on introduction to computational thinking, robotics, and digital creation.
Big Numbers Across the District
The coding initiative saw robust enrollment across all three elementary buildings, proving that interest in technology begins early. In total, 71 fourth-grade students successfully completed the program.
| Elementary School Building | Number of Participants |
| Bradley Elementary | 32 Students |
| Hughes Elementary | 20 Students |
| Myles Elementary | 19 Students |
| Total District Participation | 71 Students |
Hands-On Learning: From Robots to “Unplugged” Logic
Each week, the young club members rotated through various activities designed to show them the different applications of coding in the real world. By balancing screen time with physical engineering, the curriculum kept students highly engaged.
Key highlights of the weekly activities included:
- LEGO Spike & LEGO WeDo Robots: Moving code from the screen to the real world by building and programming robotic models.
- Digital Coding Platforms: Interactive websites where students mastered basic syntax and logical sequencing.
- Unplugged Coding Activities: Kinesthetic and paper-based games that taught algorithmic thinking without using screens.
- STEAM Building Kits: Creative construction challenges that merged engineering design with immediate problem-solving.
A Grand Finale at the Spartan Cafe
To cap off the incredible six-week run, the clubs from all three elementary buildings converged on the High School this past Tuesday for a massive, collaborative grand finale in the Spartan Cafe.
The capstone event served as a brilliant bridge between elementary foundations and secondary opportunities. District tech leaders Mike Amante and Kathy Donovan, alongside a dedicated cohort of Middle School and High School students, generously volunteered their time to design and staff interactive demonstration stations.
The fourth graders rotated through these advanced stations, catching a firsthand glimpse of the sophisticated coding and robotics pathways awaiting them as they move up to Perry and the High School. The joint session also allowed the 71 students to meet one another, collaborate on challenges, and build district-wide friendships.
“The final event was all about sparking future creativity. It was incredible to see our secondary students mentoring the elementary students and showing them what’s possible in the years to come.”
An Overwhelmingly Positive Response
Feedback from the program has been universally celebratory. Students have overwhelmingly requested that the club return next year, and parents have flooded the advisors’ inboxes with messages of gratitude for bringing this high-level technical exposure to the elementary tier.
“As club advisors, we have learned a lot and were excited to work with this group of students to inspire their interest in STEAM activities,” shared Tammy, Tina, and Amber in a joint statement. “Thanks for allowing us to offer this great activity to the 4th graders in our district. We look forward to continuing to support great clubs for elementary students in the future!”
Though the weekly school meetings have concluded, the learning doesn’t stop here. To ensure families can keep the momentum going, the advisors are distributing a dedicated resource document packed with information on local STEAM programs, tools, and summer activities.
