STEAM students unveil new space

VW independent staff/submitted information

This school year, 40 Van Wert Middle School seventh graders were placed in a new class for their “discovery” time.  The class was called S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) and was taught by Marty Hohman, Noah Carter, Makenna Sealts, and Trinda Keber.  

This year’s STEAM project was to make the student entrance more appealing.  The students had quite a project in front of them.  After 12 weeks of learning, exploring, researching, planning, designing, and constructing, they unveiled the new space on Tuesday.

The students learned about drainage, landscaping, woodworking skills, and artistic design.  Once they learned those skills they then put them into action as the students were in charge of doing the physical labor of the designs they created.

The landscapers learned about drainage, soil types, plants that grow best in our area, and then chose the plants they wanted for their design and planted those.   The woodworkers learned how to correctly and safely use power tools to design and create a bench, large planter, and two trash can covers.  The artists worked hard to make everything look nice.  They built Spirit Sticks, painted a Pride Rock and a trash can cover, and designed and painted cougar paws on the sidewalk.  

STEAM teachers and students thanked Rachel Hoverman and Kory Thatcher for being guest speakers and experts in their fields. The group also thanked Troy Treese for the donation of the Pride Rock as well as the Evergreen Garden Club, Central Insurance, and First Financial for their monetary donations.