John Street School fifth graders were tasked with coding their Piper computers to recreate the lights and sounds of a siren on Nov. 21.

Last month, the fourth grade classes built the Piper computers – designed to be put together like a wooden puzzle – from scratch during their lessons with districtwide STEAM teacher Melissa Geiger. Now, during their lessons with districtwide coding teacher Julia Caizzo, the fifth graders are utilizing the computers to learn coding basics.

During their most recent lesson, the students were tasked with using the Piper computers and PiperCode to simulate a siren. Working in pairs, they built circuits with red and blue lights and wrote code with sounds to recreate their own version of a police car siren.

Districtwide, students engage in STEAM lessons with Ms. Geiger and coding lessons with Ms. Caizzo. The teachers spend approximately one month at each building, rotating throughout the school year.

The “Getting to Know You” program at John Street School pairs students across fourth grade and is run by the social worker and psychologist.

Date Added: 11/4/2024

To celebrate the Halloween season and inspire students to get creative, John Street School hosted its annual Literary Character Pumpkin display.

Students of all grade levels were invited to transform a small or medium-sized pumpkin into a famous literary character from a book or play, such as Clifford, Harry Potter and Coraline. To incorporate a writing component, the students were asked to write a brief explanation of why they chose their particular character. Using paint, permanent markers, googly eyes and other arts supplies, the students’ pumpkin characters came to life.

The pumpkins will be on display in the school’s main lobby through Nov. 4.

Date Added: 10/31/2024

Date Added: 10/22/2024

Fourth graders at John Street School have started their Piper Computer builds during their STEAM Lab lessons with Ms. Geiger! Piper Computers Kits allow the students to learn about electronics, coding and computer science through building and using fully functional computers. They are currently utilizing blueprints and following step-by-step instructions to construct their computers. The students are employing problem solving skills, critical thinking and collaboration to overcome challenges and fail forward.

Going forward, the plan is to hand off the constructed Piper Computers to the fifth grade students. Fifth graders will then utilize the computers with our coding teacher, Ms. Caiazzo. The fourth graders have been enjoying the experience so far, and are looking forward to continuing their builds!

Date Added: 10/3/2024