More than 300 students across grades K-12 presented their innovative and exciting projects at our 4th Annual School Maker Faire on March 16. Due to a significant increase in participation each year, we moved the location of the event to the Tappan Zee High School front and back gyms to accommodate every student and team that signed up. It was a packed house, with many students, teachers, parents, and community members coming to see the great work that is going on in the South Orangetown Schools.
Here are just a few of the projects:
- Littlebits Cardboard Pinball Machines
- Air Powered Ping Pong Ball Launcher
- Identifying Fingerprint Station
- Aurora in a Box
- Makey Makey Musical Instruments
- Lego EV3, Vex, and Sphero Robotics
- K’Nex Amusement Park
- The Amazing Power of Magnets
- Wind Turbine Energy
- Ping pong ball launcher
- The Magic Scratch Oracle
- and much more…
The mission of the SOCSD Maker Faire is to provide a venue for students to show off the creative, imaginative, and innovative projects that are a part or extension of the curriculum. This type of district-wide event enables students, teachers, parents, and the entire school community to discover and celebrate the incredible work of our students, to promote the vision of SOCSD, and to infuse STEAM disciplines across all curriculum while providing students with skills for their future. Most importantly, students are able to have a tremendous amount of fun while working hard on their innovative projects. We’re excited to continue seeing the number of students rising while the depth of the projects has grown.
We would like to thank following people for making last night’s event the biggest and best School Maker Faire yet!
- Student Presenters!
- Parents!
- Teachers, teachers, teachers!
- TZHS Custodial Staff
- Dennis Rankin, Director of Facilities and the SOCSD Facilities Staff
- George Brady, Director of Technology and the SOCSD Technology Department
- Samantha Levine, Instructional Science Coach
- Vicki Caramante, Council PTA President and the South Orangetown PTA
We are excited to expand a culture of Making and to continue growing this tradition as we head into the future.
Written by: Marc Eckert, Instructional Technology Coach & Brian Culot, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction
