Fernan STEM Academy to host fundraiser

Fernan STEM Academy will host its second STEMghetti Dinner and Auction on Saturay, Feb. 23 at 5:30 p.m. at the Coeur d’Alene Eagles Lodge, 209 Sherman Ave. Tickets are $30 per person and $50 per couple, and can be purchased at the door or at www.eventbrite.com.

Admission includes a gourmet pasta dinner by Le Catering Co., and Chef Adam Hegsted will serve a tasty pasta dinner with gluten-free options. The event theme is Casino Royale. Guests can play craps, roulette and blackjack, with all proceeds benefitting Fernan students. The event includes a wine raffle with more than 100 bottles, and a tailgate-themed raffle with beer, coolers, barbecue, games and more. Silent and live auction items will be featured as well.

Fernan STEM Academy has 400 students, with more than half receiving free or reduced lunch. At Fernan, students are taught to use thinking strategies, ask questions and define problems, develop and use models, plan and carry out investigations, and analyze and interpret data. All of these concepts empower our young learners to construct explanations and design solutions to real-world problems.

Fernan has a dedicated STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) lab and STEM teacher that every classroom has access to weekly.

The school boasts a large outdoor garden, solar panels, aquaponics system and makers space with 3D printer. The school offers two STEM nights a year with a focus on bringing science into the school for students and families. These have included: Avista with electricity, Mobius Science Center, Idaho Fish and Game, North Idaho College with organs for students to touch and examine, and a hands-on opportunity to learn about reptiles and arthropods. This spring, Fernan will bring the renowned Seattle Pacific Science Center to its students. The day will include a school assembly, and every class will receive lessons from the science center team and explore dozens of hands-on exhibits.

Due to limited state funding, much of Fernan’s STEM equipment and curriculum has been purchased through grants and school fundraisers.

“We hope to work collaboratively across all grade levels, K-5, to go deeper in our thinking and learning,” Principal Kathy Livingston said, in a press release. “We have several grade levels working with Kootenai Environmental Alliance to structure project-based learning studies around work at Fernan Lake and our surrounding community. For instance, this fall, our second- and third-grade students became Water Keepers. After learning about watersheds, erosion and what we can do to protect our resources, they assisted the KEA in labeling sewer drains in our Fernan neighborhood. Each spring, with the KEA’s support and guidance, first-grade students expand their learning about young plants and animals through their work and exploration at Fernan Lake. We are hoping to continue to build this partnership over the next few years. STEMghetti Dinner and Auction helps to facilitate and expand these types of opportunities and programs for our young learners.”