School of the Week is a student life series featuring Coppell ISD campuses. Valley Ranch Elementary (VRE) School held its annual Science & STEAM Showcase on Feb. 6. This year’s event was in honor of Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) teacher Kelly Beach, who died in November. Beach was a third-year STEAM teacher at VRE.
Colorful dominos stand in long rows, fallen blocks repositioned in new masterpieces. Sphero robots groove around a colorful path drawn by students and parents. Minerals gleam under magnifying glasses and curious eyes.
Just a few months ago, Beach began fundraising for this year’s science showcase night with novel ideas and an indomitable drive for education.
On Feb. 6, her colleagues led the very event in her memory.
“She was the best STEAM teacher ever,” VRE fifth grader Isabella Cobos said. “We would always have fun projects. After she passed away, a lot of people in my class didn’t know what to do or if we were going to have STEAM again, but we did.”
In these hard times, VRE makes it a priority to keep STEAM and other programs running.
“It hasn’t been easy and no one shied away from completing these types of traditions,” VRE assistant principal Sheryl Dennehy said. “We persevered. We made it work. It might not look the way it did last year or the year before, but we’re working with what we got and the community is helping us do that.”
Although Beach was not physically present, her presence was felt in each student and faculty member. STEAM teachers from all of the Coppell ISD elementary schools came together to run stations to commemorate Beach.
“We want to keep Kelly’s spirit,” said Lakeside Elementary School STEAM teacher Meghan Haeder, tears forming in her eyes. “She just really loved STEAM. She embodied everything that we all believe in. Keeping that spirit alive, especially here at Valley Ranch for her students, is really important to all of us.”
The showcase was sponsored by a Coppell Education Foundation grant submitted by Beach earlier this school year. As the STEAM teacher desired, the $900 raised went towards bringing the Perot Museum of Nature and Science to the event. Students engaged in activities derived from existing Perot exhibits, learning about cell organelles, bird beak adaptations and more.
“Younger children, specifically, are our future,” Perot Museum of Nature and Science outreach educator Hannah Light said. “I always want to share my passion with others and get kids excited so they could potentially grow up and do something STEM-related. We always just hope that we can show that science can be fun too.”
Third through fifth graders displayed their science projects in the library, presenting the culmination of weeks of at-home work. Ranging from how to make the tallest building to purifying water, the projects gave the students their first taste of utilizing the scientific method.
“This is just the beginning for all of our kids in the area of science and STEAM,” VRE Principal Cynthia Arterbery said. “We’re going to see them continue in middle school and high school in the area of science and STEAM, and I know they’re going to do a great job because look at what they’ve done tonight–this is just the beginning. I can’t even imagine what they’re going to do in the future.”
According to Dennehy, many students shy away from STEAM projects. VRE focuses on building confidence in these areas.
“They need to know that they can do it, number one, and they need to know the steps it takes to create these types of projects,” Dennehy said. “This is the springboard for taking other STEAM classes in high school. I think if you feel like you’re not good at science or math, you think you can’t do it. We want kids to know that you can learn it and enjoy it.”
This enjoyment is visible in the students’ faces throughout the STEAM showcase. Each catapult launch and Sphero maneuver was fueled by a deep passion for STEAM, instilled through Beach’s teaching.
“Ms. Kelly would be very excited,” Arterbery said. “She would be very proud of the students. She would be just thrilled with the number of people that have been here tonight. It is a true honor for us to honor her, and we’re glad that we could do it.”
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