JOY OF DISCOVERY
“A good beginning is of great importance” VENERABLE CATHERINE MCAULEY
WMA classrooms are filled with students who are exploring new ideas, reaching new heights, and achieving academic success.
Joining a Global Initiative aldron Mercy joined an international education program this year: Global Maker Day! Educators started the event to give students an opportunity to be innovative,
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confident problem solvers through hands-on learning experiences. It also enables schools around the world to connect and share their ideas through video feeds, blogs, and social media using the hashtag #GlobalMakerDay. Each grade had specific, timed challenges with limited materials that students completed in small groups or pairs. For example, sixth graders built prototypes with plastic connectors based on specific prompts. One group was challenged to make a necklace to protect its wearer from the weather (pictured) while another group had to figure out how to make wings for a whale. “It was a little hard at first to talk about everyone’s different ideas, but we eventually combined everyone’s thoughts,” reflected Téa Oliver, a member of the group that made the whale wings. “I liked the way it turned out in the end.”
Top: Maggie Schmidt, McKenzie Blackmon, and Ryan McDonald complete a block ball path. Left: Olivia Wolanin and Mimi O’Malley display their necklace prototype. Right: Third grader Evan Kratz tests a parachute.
