Family matters
Meghan Corcoran and daughter Adalie participate in an art activity at STEAM night at Prairie View Elementary School on March 17. HANNAH NEFF/Press
Students play with the augmented reality sandbox at STEAM night on March 17 at Prairie View Elementary School in Post Falls. HANNAH NEFF/Press
Brian Oliver and son Jax play with block robots at STEAM night on March 17 at Prairie View Elementary School in Post Falls. HANNAH NEFF/Press
Scientist Radical Rick demonstrates experiments for students at Prairie View Elementary School during STEAM night on March 17. Radical Rick donated his time for the first STEAM night, as he said Idaho schools have really helped his business, extremesciencefun.com. HANNAH NEFF/Press
POST FALLS — A family STEAM night on March 17, at Prairie View Elementary School, was the first in the books, but not the last.
“Everyone helped out which was wonderful,” said organizer and second-grade teacher Amy Ferris. “I think it really added to our event because the kids love to see their teachers after school, and then their parents can come visit with us.”
STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics. Ferris said she got STEAM kits from the Community Library Network at Post Falls and teachers volunteered their time and classrooms to run the kits.
Kids and parents recently got together for activities including book fair shopping, a magnet table, robots, an augmented reality sandbox and the public library’s Discovery Bus.
“We just wanted the kids to experience all of those things like the bus, and they’re totally into it,” Ferris said.
Parent Brian Oliver said STEAM night was interesting.
“There’s a lot of different activities for us to go do so it’s been very fun and not overwhelming," he said.
Art teacher Brittnay Allen led an art project where parents taped a paper to the back of their kids and drew a picture while the kids tried to recreate the drawing by feeling the touch of the marker.
Parent Meghan Corcoran and her daughter Adalie drew along. Corcoran said the school does an amazing job.
“My daughter, she’s not even technically in school yet, every morning we walk to school and we’re greeted by Ms. Allen on the crosswalk," Corcoran said.
Adalie will start kindergarten at the school next year.
“Wyatt, my son, he just thrives in school and he loves it,” Corcoran said. “He just comes home and talks about how he has so much fun with the teachers.”
