The East Williston Union-Free School District brought the magic of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to life for the hundreds attending the annual district-wide STEAM Fair.
“It’s basically a night to celebrate STEAM,” said Ed Kemnitzer, East Williston UFSD director of technology, innovation and information services. “All the kids come out and have a great time.”
One of the district’s biggest events of the year, students and parents gathered at The Wheatley School on Thursday, Jan. 30, for a series of interactive Harry Potter-themed workshops involving Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics, in a way that is both interactive and fun.
“We encouraged the Harry Potter theme,” said Willets Road Library Media Specialist Karen Homer. “It’s really the perfect vehicle for STEAM.”
Several interesting workshops were set up throughout the school, including a create your own wand class set-up by the district’s three librarians, which allowed students to embrace their inner artist.
“Each year it gets better,” Willets Road robotics teacher Kim Kelleher said. “It’s a fun night for the kids.”
Kelleher said that she worked to design a course for the Sphero remote-controlled robots.
“The whole idea is to try and get them through the maze,” said Hunter, a Willets Road student, who maneuvered the ball via iPad.
The event featured a variety of different activities spread out around the school. Inside the cafeteria, workshops included a cup stacking tower competition, binary “spell” keychains, marshmallow constellations, balloon-powered cars, a make your own ooze station, and more. It also included a make your own ice cream station, an inflatable planetarium, and live animal demonstrations presented by Volunteers for Wildlife, Artemis Sims, and the Center for Environmental Education and Discovery, which allowed students and parents to interact a variety of owls and reptiles like the boa constrictor.
“We’re so excited to host a program like this, which really engages the children,” said East Williston Board of Education President Mark Kamberg. “It’s such an exciting opportunity.”
