Using a video camera clipped to a miniature car and loops of track winding through hallways, students at 16th and Haak Elementary School combined science, technology, engineering, art and math learning with fun.
The kids, members of the after-school STEAM club, demonstrated their engineering skills this month at Reading Education Foundation’s annual Donor Appreciation Showcase.
The interactive event at Reading Knight Accelerated Academy City Line gave donors a firsthand look at how foundation-funded programs are transforming learning across the Reading School District.
The third grade STEAM club, led by teacher Ryan Oberly, was one of four grant recipients highlighted at the event.
Oberly’s students designed intricate track layouts for remote-controlled miniature cars. They tested their work using video footage from onboard cameras and collaborated to troubleshoot and refine their designs.
“We used two cameras and had to figure out where the car got stuck or why it didn’t make the jump,” said one student. “Then we tried new ideas to fix it.”
Dr. Melissa Jamula, president of the foundation’s board and a retired district superintendent, said seeing the students and teachers in action is the best way to understand the impact of the foundation’s work.
“I love this showcase,” she said. “Not only does it remind all of us on the foundation board of why our fundraising is so important, but, more importantly, it is a living testament to the talents and creativity of our teachers and kids in the Reading School District.”
Guests also got a look at the hydroponic gardening project from 10th & Green Elementary, where teacher Eric Garcia and his students are learning sustainable agriculture and developing scientific and critical thinking skills.
“They are literally seeing the fruits of their labor,” Jamula said, noting the students’ enthusiasm for measuring pH levels and tracking plant growth.
At another station, students from Reading High, working with teacher Stan Kuczawa, showed how they used a grant-funded laser printer and their artistic visions to produce engraved art pieces, laser-cut photos and more.
Jamula said the project promotes creativity, problem solving and design thinking.
“Through iteration, designing, printing and assembling,” she said, “students have seen their abstract ideas come to life.”
Music was also celebrated at the showcase, with Glenside Elementary music teacher Carmela Steyaert and her students. Steyaert used a foundation grant to purchase xylophones for the kids. The instruments help teach music theory, performance and improvisation, while also building teamwork and creative confidence, Jamula said.
A consistent body of literature supports the concept that mastering the fundamentals of music theory, rhythm and melody, and especially learning to play an instrument, enhance academic performance, she said.
In all, more than $110,000 in grants were awarded in the 2024-25 school year, funding eight initiatives and supporting districtwide programs, Jamula said.
Additional funds supported STEM workshops for every fourth grade student in the district, scholarships for middle schoolers to attend STEM summer camps, the expansion of the alumni storytelling website created by Reading High students and more.
Guest were treated to refreshments and scenes performed by the cast of Reading High School’s 2025 school musical “Guys and Dolls.”
Donors at the foundation’s fall event raised $22,000 to send the cast, crew and orchestra of the school show on an April field trip to New York, where they were treated to a Broadway show and engaged in a behind-the-scenes educational theater workshop.
This year’s showcase also honored Dr. Jennifer Murray, the outgoing superintendent, for her years of service to the district.
Source: Berkshire mont
Be First to Comment